Two men were arrested for making a total of about 2.6kg of synthetic cannabis, in an operation by officers on Wednesday (Dec 6) in an industrial building at Yishun Industrial Street 1.

The operation was conducted by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and supported by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), according to a joint statement issued on Friday (Dec 8).

CNB officers were deployed in the vicinity of Yishun Industrial Street 1 to observe two suspected drug offenders.

The two suspects - male Singaporeans aged 40 and 45 years - were spotted entering a unit in the industrial building separately.

After some observation, CNB officers raided the unit and arrested the two men. Noticing the presence of a pungent smell within the unit, the officers quickly exited the unit with the two arrested persons.

A team of SCDF's HazMat (Hazardous Materials) specialists in fully encapsulated suits entered the unit to investigate the pungent smell.

Using handheld detectors, it was ascertained that the air within the room was hazardous and controlled ventilation of the unit was carried out. Once the unit was assessed to be safe to enter, CNB and HSA officers proceeded to conduct a thorough search of the unit.

A total of about 2.6kg of synthetic cannabis and 500g of unknown powdery substance were recovered from within the unit.

If found guilty of unauthorised manufacturing of a Class A controlled drug, the two suspects face at least 10 years' jail and five strokes of the cane.

a1admin@sph.com.sg

A 24-year-old domestic helper who was accidentally locked inside a room while cleaning climbed out onto the window ledge in hopes of returning via the main door of the fifth-floor flat.

The incident happened at Block 241, Bukit Panjang Ring Road on Wednesday (Dec 6) at around 7am.

The daring escapade of the maid was captured on a viral video which Stomp contributor Bugatti alerted Stomp to.

In the video, the maid could be seen walking on the ledge, holding onto window grills.

She then moves onto a smaller ledge, before grabbing hold of the corridor railings.

By then, she was dangling from the parapet.

About three minutes into the video, a woman shows up on the corridor to help.

After assistance from another woman and Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers, the maid was finally pulled to safety.

Reporters visited the scene after the incident and spoke to one of the women who was involved in the rescue attempt.

The woman identified herself as Jane, 35, who rents a room in the same unit as the maid.

She told Shin Min Daily News that the maid had just started working in the unit about a month back.

Jane recalled that she was in the bathroom when she suddenly heard a series of rushed knockings.

A resident who first saw maid on the ledge quickly alerted her to the situation.

She said: "I wrapped myself in a towel and came out to see.

"I found the maid standing on the ledge outside the room."

Jane quickly changed and ran to the windows to help.

"I kept gesturing for her to walk towards the windows of the bedroom.

"Perhaps it was the language barrier, but she kept going towards the corridors instead."

Jane added that the ledge was very narrow - about as wide as a foot - and she grew increasingly anxious with every step the maid took.

"When she finally reached the corridor, there wasn't a ledge where she could stand on, so she grabbed onto the corridor railings with her hands.

"She was dangling in midair.

"During the rescue, her life was hanging by a thread, and I grabbed onto both her hands.

"She suddenly went limp and her whole body weight was pulling me down."

It is understood that the maid weighs about 70kg.

Hard as she tried, Jane could not pull the maid up by herself and shouted for help.

She lamented: "I was worried that I might too be dragged down by her weight, but I was also afraid that she might lose her grip and fall."

Reporters spoke to the maid after, who recounted the side of her story.

She said: "I suddenly realised how dangerous it was when both my feet were dangling in the air.

"I thought I was dead for sure!"

She revealed that she was from Myanmar, and converses with her employer in Tamil.

Through her employer, Mr Raj, she told reporters that she was cleaning in a room when she suddenly found that she had been locked inside.

She was shocked and wanted to go back to the living room,

In her moment of desperation, she climbed out of the windows and onto the ledge, thinking that she would be able to enter the house again via the main door if she got back on the corridor.

Said the maid: "At first I didn't feel afraid.

"Only when my feet were dangling off the parapet did I realise the danger.

"I thought I was dead for sure."

In response to media queries by Stomp, the police said they received a call about the incident at 7.58am.

After arriving at the scene, officers, along with two members of the public, pulled her to safety.

Don't you hate it when Christmas season is approaching and you have no idea what to get for secret Santa gift exchanges or Christmas parties?

We suggest you head to Christmas markets to find the really good stuff - the gifts that are beautiful, useful, and often hand-crafted.

We rounded up some of the Christmas markets that you should visit this season. Read on to find out more.

1) Christmas Art Market by The Local People

The Local People, as you might have guessed, throw markets for local crafts. You may have spotted them in alleyways, closed off roads, or the defunct Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. It's a certain kind of charm that's right up our alley (pun intended!).

But this Christmas, you'll find them at South Beach Ave. It's a lot bigger than the usual, with local music artists and a screening of Lulu the Movie in addition to the Christmas market that'll be brimming with locally designed and Singapore-made items.

Expect all sorts of gifts to choose from, such as mystery books that have nothing but a sentence to describe them, handmade bags or local tea selections.

The tenants of South Beach Avenue will be chipping in with their own wares as well, with whisky gifts from Quaich Bar, organic products from Real Food and Christmas hampers from Caffe Vergnano 1882.

When: 15 - 17 December 2017, 12pm -10 pm

Where: South Beach Avenue, 26/ 36 Beach Road

More info:http://bit.ly/TLPSouthBeach

2) Christmas Village by Sphere Exhibits

The next time you walk down Orchard Road to view the Christmas lights, take some time to stop by Ngee Ann City, where you'll find a lovely Christmas market in addition to amusement rides, a Christmas Eve concert and fun mascots.

The offerings in this market are a little more mainstream. You'll find pop up stores by Tiffany & Co. fragrances, SK II, Starbucks. Consider getting a perfume with a bespoke engraving from Tiffany & Co. Fragrances for a more personalised gift. Also be sure to check out Royal Selangor for exquisitely crafted crockery, teaware, and drink accessories.

After you're done with gift shopping, head over to Jack Wills and Megafash for some retail therapy.

When: 1 - 25 December 2017, 11am - 10pm (the Christmas lights are turned on at 3pm)

Where: Ngee Ann Civic Plaza

More info: http://www.orchardroad.org/christmas/village

3) Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay

This is one of the most beautiful and biggest (57,000 square metres wide to be precise) Christmas markets this year. You're going to be spoilt for choice with over twenty types of gift and craft shops to choose from.

Some of the awesome gift ideas you can expect are limited edition nutcrackers from Cindy's Collection, insta-worthy porcelain crockery from Om Sweet Om, and hand painted carousels from Whimsical Fantasies.

You'll be well-fed too, with classic Christmas food options such as gourmet meatballs served with cranberry sauce by Sofnade and smoked turkey drumsticks by The Beast. Less traditional, contemporary options are available too. Check out the Dark Candy Floss by Swagpotion and Mentaiko Quail eggs by Easy Eggs from JAR.

When: 1 to 26 December, 4pm to 11pm.

Where: Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953

Price: $4 - $10 depending on which dates you buy the tickets for, and if you purchase it online or the gate.

More info: www.christmaswonderland.sg

4) Christmas Market by Crate and Barrel

Crate and Barrel is hosting it's very first Christmas Market this year. It's the place you need to go to snag last-minute home decor stuff and also crafts from The Paper Bunny (for pretty stationery), Bloom Room (for meticulously crafted flowers), and Mmerci Encore (for enticing aromatherapy), to state a few.

There's also a 20 per cent storewide sale for full-priced Crate & Barrel items as well as a Sure-Win Dip Box from which you can win merchandise and exclusive vouchers to use at the store.

When: 16 December 2017, 12pm - 6pm.

Where: Crate and Barrel ION and Crate and Barrel Gateway

More info: crateandbarrel.sg

5) Keepers PlayStore

Alright, we're bending the rules slightly with this one as Keepers PlayStore isn't a market, but a permanent store. But we do it only because its offerings are oh-so-gorgeous and great for gifting.

The store features the work of over 40 designers, artists, and craftsmen from both Singapore and overseas. Expect fragrances, skincare products, accessories, apparel and even children's clothes and toys.

If you wanna kick your gift shopping experience up a notch, sign up for one of the fun workshops where you can create or try various gifts instead of simply browsing for them. Try the Floral Magic workshop ($200, 9 and 17 December) in which you can make a fragrant and pretty wreath to showcase at home or gift a friend.

You can also go for a bucket bag making workshop or one where you can create origami paper balloons. We like how these workshops let you learn something new, and give you a chance to create a more personalised gift.

When: Email hello@keepers.studio or call them at +65 8749 6454 to check the workshop schedules

Where: #01-01 National Design Centre, 111 Middle Rd, Singapore 188969.

More info: https://keepers.studio/

This article was first published onHer World Online

Three men aged between 22 and 29 were arrested for unlawful entry into Singapore on Saturday (Dec 9).

Officers from Singapore's Police Coast Guard detected the three swimmers heading towards Singapore from Malaysia at 10.58pm, said the police in a statement today.

The trio were intercepted at 11.22pm and arrested.

Under the Immigration Act, the penalties for illegal entry are a jail term of up to six months plus a minimum of three strokes of the cane.

a1admin@sph.com.sg

Two boys were seen damaging locks on ofo bicycles at the void deck of an HDB block before cycling away on their free ride.

A video of the incident was captured and first posted to Facebook on Dec 9, where it had been circulating widely.

In the video, a boy in a red shirt had dragged an ofo bike that had fallen on its side away and is later seen hitting the lock of one of the bicycles repeatedly using a hammer-like object.

After the lock was damaged, his friend proceeded to hop on the bike and they both cycled away.

On Sunday (Dec 10), an ofo spokesperson told The Straits Times that it is aware of the incident.

"In cases such as these, we will not hesitate to work with the authorities to ensure that our users enjoy and benefit from using our bike-sharing service," she said.

Read also

These are the culprits who dumped oBikes in drain along Lower Delta Rd

Ofo urges the public to report incidents of bike abuse on its Facebook page and app.

It also added that such incidents account for less than one per cent of its bicycle fleet in Singapore.

Just last month, a couple was filmed tossing at least two bicycles from OBike into a drain at Lower Delta Road. They later turned themselves in to the police.

Kevin Martens Wong reels off sentences in Kristang, which is among several minority languages in Singapore enjoying a new lease of life after a decades-long drive to encourage the use of English and Mandarin.

"Teng bong, ozi nus prendeh sorti-sorti di tempu," the linguist told his eager students in the 500-year-old mish-mash of Portuguese and Malay -- a greeting, and information that the class would be about the weather.

A former British colonial trading post that has long been a melting pot of different cultures, Singapore has an ethnically diverse population whose ancestors mostly came from across Asia, principally China, India and the Malay archipelago.

On independence in 1965, Singaporeans spoke an array of tongues.

English was common, but many used Chinese dialects, such as Hokkien, as well as Tamil from India, Malay and a smattering of more obscure languages.

But authoritarian founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew believed change was necessary to ensure a secure future for the tiny city-state, which had been thrown out of neighbouring Malaysia following a brief and stormy union.

He made the study of English compulsory in schools as he positioned the country as a global commerce and finance hub, as well as one other "mother tongue".

For local ethnic Chinese, who today make up the majority of Singapore's population, it was usually Mandarin, as Lee had an eye on China's rise as a world power, while it was Tamil or Malay for other citizens.

CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

The policy initially ran into opposition from ethnic Chinese, most of whom trace their ancestry to southern China. Lee, who ruled Singapore for over three decades and died in 2015, described in his memoirs how he had to force the issue.

"To emphasise the importance of Mandarin, I stopped making speeches in Hokkien," wrote Lee, who was ethnic Chinese, while most TV and radio broadcasts in Chinese dialects were also stopped.

Those restrictions still stand except in special cases, such as radio news broadcasts in Chinese dialects for senior citizens who struggle with Mandarin.

Non-Chinese tongues, such as Kristang -- spoken by descendants of Portuguese colonisers who arrived in what is now Malaysia in the 16th century and married locals -- also faded.

One thing that unexpectedly flourished was "Singlish", a local patois that mixes English with words from the myriad tongues spoken in Singapore. It is still widely used, despite official efforts to discourage it.

In recent years however Singaporeans have started to take more of an interest in their ancestors' languages.

As well as Kristang, efforts have been made by organisations promoting Chinese culture to keep Hokkien alive. It is the Chinese dialect that is most common in Singapore but it has become less widespread, particularly among the young.

Other minority languages enjoying renewed attention include Baba Malay, spoken by descendants of Chinese immigrants who married into the local Malay population, which mixes elements of Malay and a Chinese dialect, and Boyanese, a language from a corner of Indonesia.

RECONNECT WITH THE PAST

Observers see a relaxation in attitudes towards the old languages in the city-state of 5.6 million, which has grown into one of the world's wealthiest and most stable societies.

Most Singaporeans have already achieved an enviable level of English by international standards, lessening fears that focusing on other tongues will affect their English-speaking ability.

There has also been growing concern about losing touch with the past.

Young Singaporeans' desire to revitalise the languages is a "form of root-tracing" while for the older generation it's due to a sense of nostalgia, associate professor Tan Ying Ying, head of linguistics at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, told AFP.

"Linguists working in Australia, New Zealand, and the US, have dedicated frameworks and systems to revitalise minority languages that are in danger of being extinct," he said.

"In Singapore, while there is such no formal system in place, the sense that these languages need to be 'saved' is felt by the communities of speakers themselves."

The students learning Kristang -- spoken in parts of the Malaysian city of Malacca as well as Singapore -- attend classes led by Wong, 25, thrice weekly, and range from young professionals to senior citizens.

One of the first to enrol in the class was Wong's grandmother, 81-year-old Maureen Martens, who lost touch with Kristang when she moved to Singapore from Malaysia in 1952.

"This is supposed to be my language, my heritage," she told AFP, her eyes welling up. "I wish more people will learn it, especially people from my line like my grandchildren."

SINCE I was a child, my parents constantly reminded me that I am Hainanese.

This is not atypical, because people belonging to this dialect group are usually bound by tradition and family values. Both of them are Hainanese, so I am perhaps one of the few who are "pure" Hainanese.

But what does being Hainanese really mean? I don't understand the dialect and neither do I speak it.

The only Hainanese thing about me is that I know how to cook chicken rice - thanks to my wonderful dad who is a great cook - and other food related things which I remember are the unusually gigantic deep fried sesame rice balls and glutinous rice kueh, filled with brown sugar coconut fillings that are wrapped individually in banana leaves.

Besides that popular rice dish which we have on a regular basis, what else constitutes this dialect and culture that makes us different from others? What is it about being part of this dialect group that makes us unique?

And why is my dad always asking me to make a trip to Hainan island in China?

Well, my questions were answered when I attended the Congress of the World Federation of Hainanese Associations at the Singapore Expo on Thursday. This was where I saw loads of Hainanese gathered under one roof.

These delegates, who hail from Asia, Australia and even France, were in town for their 11th World Congress meetings, in which they spoke about their roles in promoting economic prosperity, culture, legal assistance and overseas clan associations.

Being very curious about what the Hainanese culture entailed, I attended a discussion session on the evolution of Hainanese culture and this was when I found out why my parents would often drill the "you're Hainanese" mentality into me.

It is because being Hainanese, family ties are a matter of great importance. Our traditional customs, language and ancestral lineage are a big deal for overseas Hainanese, and we don't usually move out of the house to live on our own.

Mr Han Tan Juan, Head of Cultural and Education at Singapore Hainan Hwee Kuan, said that the Hainanese prioritise relationships with families and relatives much more than other dialect groups.

Speaking in Chinese, the 67-year-old, who has been with the Hwee Kuan for over 20 years, raised an example: "Go to a chicken rice seller and speak to him in Hainanese. He'll offer you more meat for a lesser price.

"That's how bonded we are."

Perhaps being one of the few 220,000 Hainanese in Singapore, we tend to feel a stronger sense of camaraderie.

I also learned why the Hainanese immigrants were never rich - family ties were so important that they were always sending money back to Hainan island and never really had the opportunity to prosper.

The Hainanese arrived in Singapore around 1841 - much later than other dialect groups - and mainly as workers and coolies. Most of them congregated and lived around the Beach Road, Seah Street and Purvis Street area, which soon became the hub for commercial and social activities for the Hainanese. The Hainan Hwee Kuan, first built in 1857, is currently located along Beach Road.

At that time, the other dialect groups had already settled on this island, established trades and businesses, and eventually became rich.

Hence, it was rather difficult for the Hainanese to start a trade here, so many were forced to work in the service industry, usually as servants to colonial masters of that period.

"People used to laugh at us, saying that we were subservient to the 'ang mohs'.

"But this is no longer the case. These days, top executives, government officials, businessmen and artists are Hainanese," said Mr Han.

He went on to explain that this was because Hainanese value education and knowledge on top of family ties.

"Tell someone you're a Hainanese and the first thing they'll think of is that you're educated, cultured and intelligent.

"That's the impression of Hainanese Singaporeans in the present day," said Mr Han in a confident tone.

I smiled a little when I heard that.

After the discussion session, I asked Mr Han what can young Singaporeans like me do to get in touch with our roots and traditions.

His advice was to join activities that are organised by the Hainanese associations in Singapore. He said that there are at least 40 such centres in the country which hold seminars on culture and history on a regular basis.

Mr Han also said that there were other fun activities as well and told me to explore them.

"Youths these days don't know much about their own culture and traditions," said Mr Han.

I couldn't help but think that the person he was talking about was me, after revealing to him that I don't speak the dialect.

I then recalled a friend - who is also Hainanese and speaks the dialect at home - saying, "The language is dying."

Having learned all that I did today, I must say that I'm proud to be Hainanese, yet ashamed that I know so little.

Maybe it's time I ask my parents to teach me Hainanese. I guess it's also time I book that flight to sunny Hainan island.

This story was first published on Oct 29, 2009.

A 55-year-old female pedestrian died after sustaining serious head injuries in a car accident that occurred near Innova Junior College yesterday afternoon (Dec 10).

The woman had been crossing the road when she was hit by the car.

In response to media queries by Stomp, the police said they were alerted to the accident at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 1 and 2 at 12.50pm.

The victim was unconscious when she was sent to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where she subsequently succumbed to her injuries.

Stomp contributor AJ, who passed by the scene, said there was a traffic jam due to the accident.

According to her, a truck driver was helping to direct traffic flow.

She also saw the car that was involved in the accident parked at one side.

"There was a lot of blood," added AJ.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that someone was heard crying at the scene.

A woman at the scene, who identified herself as the owner of the car, declined to comment.

Rupee St James - Bollywood Gentlemens Club along Sentosa Gateway has had its public entertainment licence suspended over suspected vice-related activities.

Police said in a statement today that nine women and two men, aged between 21 and 54, were arrested when officers conducted an operation at the club on Dec 4.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the vice syndicate has been using the club to operate and provide sexual services to their clients.  According to the police, clients book the services of the girls via the management of the club for a price, ranging between $500 and $1,000.

The women, who are work pass holders, are suspected to have made use of their stay in Singapore to commit the vice-related offences.

Investigations are ongoing for the case.

Under the Women’s Charter, any person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person, is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years and shall also be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Read also

St James Power Station has gone from party central to trouble hotspot

The club's public entertainment licence has been suspended since last Friday (Dec 8). This is the first outlet to be suspended under the
enhanced regulatory powers of the Public Entertainments Act since the revision on Aug 1.

Under the Public Entertainments Act, a licence may be suspended or cancelled if the licensee is no longer a fit and proper person to hold such a licence.

According to Rupee St James' Facebook page, a post was made last Friday stating that the club will be closed temporarily till Dec 31, 2017 "due to upgrading works".

However, police have confirmed with AsiaOne that their licence has been suspended till further notice.

klim@sph.com.sg

An 18-year-old girl, Shanie Tan, who claimed that a GrabHitch driver pulled her skirt and exposed her underwear, has posted an update on her blog in response to some netizens' claims that she was lying.

Shanie alleged the driver had tugged on her skirt on Feb 28 after insisting that she pay an extra $2 for an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) surcharge, which he could not deduct from her credit card.

A police report was subsequently filed.

However, in an update on Shanie's blog, she said that she has decided to not to press charges.

In her reply, Shanie cited that the legal processes were time-consuming, and her mother had advised her to let the matter rest, as the driver was a single parent.

Apparently, Shanie and her mother came to know about the driver's circumstances after getting told by reporters during an interview.

She added:"Even though I still feel mad when I think about it, but I still pray for the best hoping that being nice this time would call for no future attempts like that.

"I strongly urge for girls to always report such incidents to relevant authorities and do not be afraid to voice out to those that concerns.

"And I'm very glad that the GH community seems much more organised & friendlier now."

In her blog, Shanie also advised other female passengers on what to do should they find themselves in a similar situation.

She said:"Even though it seems almost impossible to remain calm after such incidents (I actually cried on the spot), call your parents/kin to share with them before  reporting to the police (it will calm u down better).

"But make sure you are standing at a safe spot with more people around you.

"When my incident happened, there were two valet uncle nearby.

"Even though they did not come over to render any help needed, I'm still thankful that they told the police the truth when they were doing their statements.

"I'm thankful that I'm from Singapore with such strict laws that are able to protect us all."

A video of strong tidal waves hitting a jetty has been circulating online, accompanied by a statement claiming that a tsunami had struck Bedok Jetty.

Stomp contributor Chaz and Suaidi alerted Stomp to the video.

According to Suaidi, the statement claimed that the jetty in the video was the Bedok Jetty, and warned people to stay away.

The message read:

"This happened an hour ago at Bedok Jetty so wherever you are, don't go (to the) sea side."

However, eagle-eyed netizens are quick to point out differences between the Bedok Jetty and the jetty in the video.

While there are several shelters erected along the stretch of Bedok Jetty, these structures are clearly missing in the video.

This has led some to conclude that the incident did not happen in Singapore.

Others have found the same video on YouTube, posted on Oct 28, 2017.

An accompanying caption explained that the video was taken at the Minicoy Eastern Jetty, located on the island of Minicoy, India.

So if you're wary about visiting the Bedok Jetty, you can put that worry to rest now.