SINGAPORE - Bus operator SBS Transit has increased the monthly starting pay for bus captains to $1,950, an increase of more than 9 per cent from the current $1,775.

The revised salary package for new Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains will benefit almost 10,000 SBS Transit staff, including 6,500 bus captains.

Including overtime, salary adjustments and a reliability incentive of up to $300 monthly under the Bus Service Reliability Framework, new bus captains will be able to earn up to $3,460 monthly.

They will also receive a sign-on bonus of $3,000.

Said National Transport Workers' Union executive secretary Melvin Yong: "As our biggest local public bus operator, SBS Transit sets a good example in the fast growing industry."

SBS Transit chief executive officer Gan Juay Kiat, said that with the new package, "we hope to attract more Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents to join us as bus captains and strengthen our Singaporean core".

Last month Tower Transit, the third bus operator here, announced a pay raise of 3.5 per cent for its staff, bringing the starting pay of its bus captains to $1,930 monthly.

azhaki@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 01, 2016.
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SINGAPORE/HONG KONG - Roiling tensions in the South China Sea are set to dominate Asia's biggest security summit starting in Singapore on Friday, exposing a deepening rivalry between the United States and China ahead of a landmark legal ruling in the Hague.

The unofficial Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) is the last chance for the two powers to drum up support before a decision from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in a case brought by the Philippines.

Manila is contesting Beijing's claim to an area shown on its maps as nine-dash line stretching deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, covering hundreds disputed islands and reefs.

Security experts expect the United States will try to convince Southeast Asian countries, as well as other big powers such as India and Japan, to publicly support any positive decision for the Philippines, who asked the court to recognise its right to exploit waters in the South China Sea.

China, which rejects the court's authority, will try to sway the countries to abstain from taking a public position, which should make it easier to stave off criticism from the West.

"The value of the case is the long term reputational damage and the pressure ... on the Chinese. That only works if you have a big coalition that can keep this in the public eye," said Greg Poling, director the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

"But if the Chinese ... get a ton of countries to abstain that deflects a lot of that criticism."

Among the 20-odd delegations, much attention will be on the positions of Southeast Asian countries. Regional players haven't always agreed on how to tackle China's claims in the South China Sea, struggling to balance their security interests with their deep ties to the world's second largest economy.

As well as China and Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have rival claims in the increasingly militarized area. The United States has also stepped up patrols and exercises, stressing the need to keep international sea-lanes open.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's keynote opening speech in a rare international appearance will be closely scrutinised for hints on Thailand's strategic positioning.

"Thai policies reflect the predicament of the region," said Tim Huxley, a security expert with the event's organiser, the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies.

"Regional states want to have positive relations with China yet at the same time ... strategically they are aligned with the West and they have reasons for being cautious about China's behaviour in the region."

The three-day summit offers a rare chance for regional military brass and intelligence officers, and their civilian leaders, to openly debate regional defence trends and tensions.

The summit comes amid other significant strategic shifts in the region, particularly the recent election of tough-talking Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines and the recent lifting of the US arms embargo on former enemy Vietnam.

The agenda also includes the rising tensions surrounding North Korea, which conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and followed that with a satellite launch and test launches of various missiles, which brought new sanctions.

The isolated country attempted to fire a missile from its east coast this week but the launch appears to have failed.

Other topics of discussion include the threat of radical militants in Southeast Asia, as well as cyber-security, which has become a hot topic after major bank heists from Bangladesh to Ecuador.

"Only a meeting of minds can solve or mitigate these challenges and as host, we will make sure that leaders get full opportunities to engage each other," Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on his Facebook page.

SINGAPORE - Service on the Punggol and Sengkang Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems was disrupted for more than two hours on Wednesday (June 1) evening due to repeated power trips.

According to initial assessment, a suspected cable fault could have caused the power trips, said operator SBS Transit.

Passengers had to detrain and walk to the nearest platform after a train car stalled in the middle of the tracks.

SBS Transit first announced on Twitter at 7.12pm that there was no service due to a power fault. "Free bus rides are available at designated stops. We are sorry," said the transport operator.

01/06, 7.12pm: No service on Sengkang & Punggol LRT due to a power fault. Free bus rides are available at designated stops. We are sorry.

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) June 1, 2016

In an update at 9.05pm, it tweeted: "We are working to get service back up as soon as possible."

01/06, 9.05pm: No svc on Sengkang & Punggol LRT systems. We are working to get service back up as soon as possible.

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) June 1, 2016

At 9.30pm, it confirmed that full service has resumed and that free bus rides were still available. "We are sorry for the inconvenience caused."

01/06, 9.30pm: Punggol LRT and Sengkang East LRT have resumed full service. Free bus rides are still available.

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) June 1, 2016

At 10.03pm, it tweeted again: "Free bus rides & bridging bus services have ceased."

01/06, 10.03pm: Sengkang/Punggol LRT full svc has resumed since 9.29pm. Free bus rides & bridging bus services have ceased. We are sorry.

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) June 1, 2016

A resident who lives in a Housing Board block near Sengkang station said a train car stalled in the middle of the tracks. From the window of her 13th floor unit, she could see some passengers getting off the train and walking on the tracks. But some commuters remained in the train.

"The passengers had to walk some distance on the tracks to the next station," said housewife Tan Kim Choo, 72. "The headlights of the train went off briefly before coming back on again."

Responding to media queries, Mr Gan Juay Kiat, CEO of SBS Transit, said: "Train services on the Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems were disrupted at about 7.00pm this evening due to repeated power trips. Full services resumed at 9.29pm.

"Free bus rides as well as free bridging bus services were available during the disruption to enable commuters to continue with their journeys," he added.

"Initial assessment is a suspected cable fault. We are investigating the cause of the fault. We apologise to affected commuters for the inconvenience caused."

#sengkang#LRT is down. :(( pic.twitter.com/2oMSFWNjvf

— Ken (@alphahelix) June 1, 2016

No power for the lrt to run guess I have to walk back to the bus stop... pic.twitter.com/67aaHgzGQT

— Skylerx3 (@skylerthekidx3) June 1, 2016

#LRT#Powerfailurepic.twitter.com/VStXiwHUgE

— Jason Lim (@jas0nsg) June 1, 2016

This article was first published on June 1, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) is checking on the Singapore taxpayers identified in the leaked "Panama Papers" for any non-compliance with Singapore tax laws, regulators told The Straits Times on Wednesday.

This comes as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Finance detailed the actions of several agencies in the crackdown on the use of offshore firms for money laundering and tax evasion.

Panama Papers: Secret accounts of the rich and powerful

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AFP, Reuters, The Star/ANN

The Panama Papers, which contained details on thousands of shell firms and offshore vehicles, have been making headlines worldwide as the hidden wealth of top politicians in countries such as Russia and the Ukraine came to light.

In a statement responding to ST's queries, MAS and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory (Acra) reminded banks and company service providers (CSPs) of their duty to review their customer relationships periodically.

Banks and CSPs have been asked to ascertain that their customers are using offshore vehicles strictly for legitimate purposes.

If there are any grounds for suspicion, they are required to file suspicious transaction reports and step up monitoring of these transactions or arrangements.

MAS and Acra are also conducting checks to ensure that the intermediaries under their supervision have acted in compliance with their anti-money laundering obligations.

In addition, the Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office (STRO) under the Commercial Affairs Department has reminded intermediaries that if they know, or have reasonable grounds to suspect that any property is linked to criminal conduct, they are required by law to file a suspicious transaction report with the STRO.

STRO will analyse the information and where it evaluates that an offence might have been committed, STRO will disseminate the information to the relevant authorities or law enforcement agencies in Singapore or overseas for further investigation, MAS and MOF said.

This article was first published on June 1, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - Such is the life of the city rat: One moment, it is feasting on an endless buffet of bread and cheese in a supermarket, and seconds later, it is scampering in search of a safe place to hide.

This is the story of one such rat discovered at a NTUC Fairprice outlet in Hougang's Kang Kar Mall last week.

The rat, which appears to be as long as a loaf of bread, had already munched through packets of raisin bread, wholemeal buns, walnut bread, Singapore-style pandan bread and good old high-fibre white bread, when a shopper caught it red-handed at the back of the bread shelf.

Startled, the rat paused for two seconds before launching its escape behind even more loaves of bread.

The shopper, 37-year-old delivery driver Sun Yu Ming, quickly devised a plan to force the rodent out of hiding. As he slammed packet after packet of bread against the bottom shelves, the rat frantically searched for a way out of the war zone and eventually had no choice but to leave the shelves and enter the wide-open aisle.

When it emerged, the rat jumped and scurried as fast as it could away from Mr Sun, who seemed bent on getting it caught.

Rat has bread feast at Hougang NTUC Fairprice

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facebook

The tiny animal then headed straight for the vegetable section as if it had already planned and memorised an escape route specifically for a situation like this. Although Mr Sun gave chase, it soon disappeared behind the baskets of vegetables and found safety in its new hiding place.

Photos of leftovers from the rat's feast and a video of the chase was uploaded by Mr Sun on Facebook earlier this week. The photos and video have already reached more than 5,500 shares since, as netizens expressed shock and disgust that such a thing could even take place.

Mr Sun elaborated on the incident in his post, writing that a supervisor at the supermarket did not appear concerned when he reported what he saw.

"He still could reply: 'There's rats and you want me to catch?'", Mr Sun wrote.

On Wednesday (June 1), Mr Sun uploaded another video, with a short voice recording purportedly of his exchange with the staff member.

In the recording, a man can be heard saying in Mandarin that the rat had also helped itself to other food items such as pork and chicken.

A few hours earlier, NTUC Fairprice acknowledged that a rat was indeed found in its Kang Kar Mall store. It added that the rat had already been captured on Saturday (May 28), before Mr Sun posted the video online.

"The store has since disposed all products that may have been compromised by the pest and have sanitized the area thoroughly," the supermarket chain said in a statement on its Facebook page.

Officers from the National Environment Agency had given the outlet "a good report" two months prior to the incident, the statement said, adding that the outlet's pest problems stem from "external sources".

"We thus collaborate with external parties like town councils on preventive measures. Be assured that should any pests be found in our stores, we will get our pest control specialists to respond and be on site within two hours."

The Straits Times reported on Thursday that pest control specialists had done checks at the store from February to May.

A spokesman from Fairprice was quoted as saying: "In May alone, they visited the store another five times".

Despite these repeated measures, it seems the rat Mr Sun spotted last week had picked up some very important survival skills and managed to still binge on all the goodies it could get its paws on.

But alas in the end, as the life of the city rat goes, its own brazenness was the very thing that put its life of opulence to and end - or at least we hope so.

Chinese man feeds noodles to 130 rats living in his apartment

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Video screengrabs

ljessica@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - The Bird Park will be relocated from Jurong to Mandai as part of a new 126ha eco-tourism hub in northern Singapore.

One of Singapore's most iconic attractions, the avian paradise has 19 exhibits and is home to 5,000 birds from more than 400 species, a far cry from the early years when there were 1,000 birds from 60 species.

Here are some interesting facts you might not have known about Singapore's oldest wildlife park.

1. TOO EXPENSIVE TO LOOK AFTER TIGERS AND ELEPHANTS

The attraction was built on the vision of former Deputy Prime Minister, the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, who saw value in having a bird park in Jurong as a green escape in an urbanising city.

In 1968, when asked why not a zoo instead, Dr Goh said: "Birdseed costs less than meat."

In former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's book From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, it was mentioned that Mr Lee and Dr Goh felt big-ticket tourist attractions, like tigers and elephants, were very expensive to upkeep. Hence, a bird park was built ahead of a zoo.

On Jan 3, 1971, Jurong Bird Park, built at a cost of $3.5 million, was opened to the public.

2. THE SHOW MUST GO ON

The evolution of the park's iconic bird show began in 1982, when the birds were known for performing kitschy tricks such as riding bicycles on high wire and playing basketball.

In the mid- to late 1990s, staff realised they should not be making the birds do stunts that a human could do.

The birds were then trained to showcase their natural abilities instead, such as swooping above the audience's heads or engaging in cheeky banter with the presenter.

3. BURGERS AND A HOSPITAL

The park underwent the most changes during the 1990s. At least four new exhibits - including the Jungle Jewels Flight Aviary, one of the four large free-flight aviaries where visitors can get close to birds such as the yellow-hooded blackbird and sun conures - were introduced.

A $10 million makeover was completed in 2006, including a new entrance plaza and the park's own Bongo Burgers restaurant.

It also boasts an avian hospital, and its breeding and research centre was opened in 2012, giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the growth process of birds from incubation to weaning.

4. UNIQUE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

More than 200 species have been bred at the park since day one, including threatened species such as the Bali mynah and blue-throated macaw.

The 2ha Waterfall Aviary is the second largest walk-in aviary in the world, home to more than 600 free-flying birds and a 30m-high waterfall.

The nine storey-high Lory Loft is the world's largest walk-in flight aviary for lories and lorikeets, with over 1,000 free-flying lories in a space covering 3,000 sq m.

5. PM LEE ON HAND WITH A HAWK

The park has long been a favourite haunt for school excursions, family day outings and shutterbugs.

Like many Singaporeans, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong holds fond memories during his visits over the years.

In a Facebook post in January, he shared a 1988 photo of a Harris hawk perched on his hand when he opened the Fuji Hawk Centre (now the Hawk Arena).

What new Mandai will look like

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PM Lee Facebook

This article was first published on June 1, 2016.
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THERE will be new start times at 13 MRT stations along the North-South and East-West lines from Sunday.

This marks the first time that MRT stations will start operations later on a Sunday.

Train services from Joo Koon to Queenstown on the East-West Line, and Jurong East to Bukit Gombak on the North-South Line, will commence at 7am on Sundays, from this weekend till Dec 18.

Train operator SMRT said in its reminder yesterday that this will allow its project teams, track patrol teams and maintenance teams 29 additional work nights over the six-month period.

The additional time will give engineering staff more time to work on renewal work and maintenance projects, SMRT added.

"We plan to intensify our resleepering, resignalling and third rail replacement projects as well as carry out routine maintenance work such as track inspections, replacement of track components and the smoothening of running rails using Rail Grinding Vehicles," said SMRT's project director (track infrastructure) Roger Lim.

New and better MRT trains will cut down disruptions

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AsiaOne, The Straits Times, Khaw Boon Wan's Facebook page

"All these will be carried out concurrently. Track access is precious as such time is limited. We will utilise the opportunity productively."

Commuters are advised to consider alternative transport arrangements should they need to travel before 7am. This includes taking existing bus services to get to other train stations or the Circle Line and Downtown Line for travel towards the city centre.

A new paid parallel bus service will ply the route from Joo Koon station to Bukit Gombak station (via Jurong East station) in both directions.

The service will operate at 10-minute intervals between 5.30am and 7am on Sundays when the trains are not in service. Fares will be commensurate with the train distance travelled, SMRT said.

Existing bus services are available for journeys between the Jurong East and Queenstown stations.

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Singtel has spotted a market demand for data, and responded with these baffling bundles:

Screenshot of Singtel webpage

Singtel subscribers always had the option of adding extra data of 1GB to 4GB to monthly Combo plans. From June 2 onwards, starting at PC Show 2016, Combo plan users get DataMore options of 5GB to 50GB-you get a 50 per cent discount off the monthly subscription if you sign up at the PC Show.

Nothing wrong with it, apart from the 50GB option being incredibly expensive and completely senseless.

Here's why:

1. There seems to be a lack of conviction.

Rival telco M1 currently offers data add-ons up to 10GB for a monthly S$69.55. Starhub offers 3GB add-on data for S$25.68 per month. The pay-per-use alternative would be S$10.70/GB.

Current MyRepublic broadband customers may even get a S$60-per-month unlimited data plan (assuming it includes voice and SMS) if the company succeeds in becoming Singapore's fourth telco.

So, why hasn't Singtel taken the opportunity to tout "Unlimited" for their range topper? It seems like a misstep to stubbornly stick to a S$8.56/GB increment and not offer progressive discounts for bigger data bundles-especially if customers will be tied to a 12-month contract. Because...

2. You can rent a WiFi router with unlimited data at Changi Airport.

From Changi Recommends, S$10 a day (i.e. no more than S$310 a month), 4G-no less-and no strings attached. Singtel's DataMore ties you down for 12 months. Of course, you could get it at the PC Show (June 2 to 5) and you only pay S$267.50 per month. However...

3. Exactly what purpose does it serve?

The idea is that this is for families as the extra data can be shared amongst multiple users. (And the router route only works if they are hovering around you all the time.)

But your dependents need to be subscribed to a plan called MobileShare Supplementary-$10.70 per month, no call, no SMS, 500MB data. So...

4. Chances are: the children have their Youth plans, parents and in-laws will probably prefer good broadband connections, and if you have helpers...

There you go: If you regularly share your data connection with employees or people around you and you don't like asking for WiFi passwords - and you spend a lot of time on social media, playing games and watching videos on-the-go - then Singtel's 50GB add-on data bundle makes sense.

But for the rest of us, it's one to avoid.

By the editors of Men's Health

Visit Men’s Health for more stories.

SINGAPORE - The Worker's Party-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) had authorised the transfer of another $10 million in sinking funds to Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC), said AHTC chairman Pritam Singh on Wednesday (June 1) night.

This brings the total sum of sinking funds transferred to PRPTC to $20 million, he added.

The money belongs to Punggol East constituency, which used to be under AHTC. The constituency came under PRPTC after the People's Action Party won it back from the WP in last September's general election.

Since the change of hands, issues have arisen over the transfer of funds. PRPTC said that AHTC had not handed over all of the sinking funds to date, and AHTC said it was merely following past practice and paying by instalments.

In a statement, Mr Singh said: "A final transfer of any remaining sinking funds attributable to Punggol East single-member constituency will be made to PRPTC once the audited accounts for Punggol East are ready."

He also addressed a review of Punggol East's accounts that PRPTC had initiated.

On Tuesday, PRPTC said it had appointed Pricewaterhouse Coopers for the task. But the town council added that the accountant was unable to proceed as AHTC had not handed over "additional documents" needed.

To this, Mr Singh said: "This characterisation of the number of documents PRPTC requires is misleading."

He said PRPTC chairman Zainal Sapari had in fact asked for "all documents and information that AHTC had made available for the Court of Appeal-mandated review".

The apex court had last December ordered the WP town council to appoint accountants to look into its books and establish if past payments made were improper.

It follows the Auditor-General finding serious financial and governance lapses at the town council.

On Tuesday, PRPTC said since it had taken over the management of Punggol East, it too had to comply with the court order to get to the bottom of the constituency's accounts.

However, Mr Singh said that AHTC had already appointed a team from KPMG to carry out the review under the court order. He added that KPMG's job scope includes looking at payments made from 2011 to 2015, which covers the period when Punggol East was under the town council's management.

Yet, he said, PRPTC had appointed PwC independently.

"This would effectively duplicate the work of KPMG and, separately, require AHTC to commit resources devoted to the KPMG review to attend to PRPTC's requests," he said.

Despite this, he said, he had replied to Mr Zainal on April 19 to say that AHTC would respond to PRPTC's request for documents after a management meeting.

AHTC subsequently put up a request for the documents at its May town council meeting, he said.

However, AHTC's town councillors decided that the town council "ought to focus its fullest attention on the KPMG review", said Mr Singh adding that he had informed Mr Zainal about this on May 25.

PwC, in a progress report last month, said it needed additional documents from AHTC to get an accurate picture of Punggol East's financial situation.

It also said that some legacy issues of the WP town council may affect the accuracy of Punggol East's accounts, including inadequacies in accounting systems. This may affect the accounts and opening balances to be transferred to PRPTC.

On Tuesday, PRPTC said it owed a duty to its residents to ensure all was in order. The town council also said it wants to make sure all the property and rights due to it have been transferred.

Workers' Party new faces

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The Straits Times, WP Facebook, WP Instagram, Youtube

This article was first published on June 2, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - The National Environment Agency (NEA) has indicated that it will be taking action against NTUC FairPrice and the management of Hougang Mall for having rats on their premises.

This comes after a video posted on Facebook by a shopper showed that a rat had chewed through loaves of bread at the FairPrice supermarket in Kang Kar Mall, which is located next to Hougang Mall.

The video, which shows the rat scampering away after being discovered, has been shared over 5,500 times since it was published earlier this week.

According to The Straits Times, NEA had received five cases of feedback on rat activity in Kang Kar Mall since the start of the year, but no signs of rat activity were detected in previous inspections.

Two weeks ago, however, NEA detected two burrows in the external area. Those burrows were treated after the authority alerted Hougang Mall's management.

NEA reportedly conducted an inspection on Wednesday (June 2) and detected five new burrows in an external area under the purview of Hougang Mall's management.

Rat has bread feast at Hougang NTUC FairPrice

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facebook

The Straits Times also reported that signs of rat activity, such as rat droppings, were found at FairPrice's Kang Kar Mall outlet.

"NEA is requiring NTUC (FairPrice) and both mall managements to step up their rat control measures," an NEA spokesman was quoted as saying.

The authority reportedly has also advised the relevant parties on proper refuse management and how to prevent rats on their premises.

Food retail establishments could be fined up to $2,000, while managements of malls could face a fine of up to $5,000 for pest infestations.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

Some residents of Edgefield Plains in Punggol say they remain worried after a wild boar injured a boy in the area on Sunday afternoon.

Madam Yun Dan Hui, 53, who had taken her two-year-old grandson to the playground at Block 185, said that she was "terrified" that the wild boar would make a reappearance.

She told The New Paper in Mandarin: "Wild boars are very fierce and will charge at people. Young children don't know any better and might get injured as a result."

At least two other residents who spoke to The New Paper echoed her concerns.

Madam Anna Gordeeva, 35, who takes her five-year-old son, Andrei, to the playground at Block 185 every day, said she was surprised that the wild boar could end up in such a populated area.

The Singapore permanent resident, who has lived in Edgefield Plains for five years, said: "I used to think that everyone was safe here as it is so far from the main road and so many people come down here every day."

She says she keeps a sharper eye on her son now.

A spokesman for My First Skool - a pre-school located at Block 184 - said that an advisory circular on precautionary measures has been sent to the principals of the centres located within Punggol and Sengkang.

Teachers are instructed to keep a safe distance if the wild boar is spotted during outdoor activities.

Other residents were more curious about how it had found its way into the area, which is densely populated with HDB flats. Mr Calvin Chan, 37, a father of two and resident of the estate for five years, said: "It's a part of nature, so it's unpredictable. But I wonder how it came here since we live quite far away from the forested areas."

Mr Ben Lee, founder of nature conservation group Nature Trekker, said that the wild boar could have come from Coney Island, also known as Pulau Serangoon.

SWIM ACROSS

"The stretch of water between the island and the mainland is not very wide. The water there is also usually quite calm, making it easier for them to swim across," said Mr Lee.

Recently, two bridges were also constructed, linking the island - which is now a nature park that people can visit - to the mainland.

This is not the first time wild boars have made an appearance in Punggol.

In June last year, it was reported that residents in the same area, Edgefield Plains, had spotted boars multiple times and had complained to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).

According to a Shin Min Daily News report then, some residents resorted to carrying wooden sticks to defend themselves.

Responding to queries, the AVA told The New Paper that after last year's sightings, 17 wild boars were trapped and put down.

A spokesman said that when wild boars are spotted in an area, they first carry out surveillance. If the situation is assessed to affect public safety, "control operations will be carried out".

These "control operations" are ongoing in the Punggol area, but no wild boar has been caught so far.

Mr Louis Ng, chief executive of Animal Concerns Research & Education Society, noted that the boars may have been flushed out from their jungle habitat, which has been removed to make way for housing in the area.

"The Punggol area has a lot of vegetation, so the wild boars might have been displaced when the area was cleared," he said.

"The boars are caught in the middle when we expand our footprint."

He advised members of the public not to approach them even if they want to take pictures. He added that sudden movements will startle them and that they can get defensive if they are with piglets.

This article was first published on June 3, 2016.
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US President Barack Obama will host Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to a state dinner at the White House in August - a rare diplomatic honour that marks the strength of ties between the two countries.

Singapore will be only the fifth Asian country to have a leader honoured with a state dinner during the Obama administration and the only one from South-east Asia.

The others are China, India, Japan and South Korea.

The White House and PM Lee said the visit was a testament to how far ties have grown during the tenure of President Obama.

"I look forward to the visit," wrote PM Lee on his Facebook page. "It will mark the progress we have made, especially with this administration. It will also be a chance to see how we can build on our friendship beyond the November US elections."

A statement from the White House said the visit and dinner will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and the two leaders will "highlight the enduring principles that have inspired the tremendous growth in our co-operation".

White House state dinners are grand affairs and are regarded as one of the highest diplomatic honours the US government can give.

Washington analysts told The Straits Times that the decision to hold a state dinner for PM Lee was a strong sign of the island nation's standing in the country.

Mr Murray Hiebert, deputy director of the South-east Asia programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the upcoming visit was a significant recognition of Singapore's part in the US rebalance to Asia.

"The visit will place another important brick in the foundation of the US rebalance to Asia in a year that President Obama has already visited Vietnam and Japan and will visit China and Laos in September," he said.

One of the key items on the agenda when the two leaders meet will be the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, which faces an uncertain future if it is not ratified by Congress before Mr Obama's term is up at the end of the year.

Ms Wendy Cutler, a former high-ranking trade official who is now vice-president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said she expects PM Lee's visit to underscore how important the deal is to strengthening US ties in the region.

The state dinner in August will be the first time PM Lee has been honoured with such an event and the first one for a Singaporean leader for over three decades.

Founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew was guest of honour at four White House state dinners, under presidents Lyndon Johnson in 1967, Richard Nixon in 1973, Gerald Ford in 1975 and Ronald Reagan in 1985.

Dr Joseph Liow, the Lee Kuan Yew chair at the Brookings Institution, said the rarity of state dinners under President Obama adds to the significance of the event.

"Obama has hosted probably around a dozen over the course of his two terms - not a particularly high number compared to some of his predecessors," he said.

In comparison, then President Johnson held 54 state dinners in just over five years.

The elaborate black-tie dinners are attended by around 120 people - often including celebrities and business leaders - and can be pricey affairs. According to CBS news, the first five state dinners of the Obama administration cost between US$200,000 (S$275,000) and US$570,000 each.

This article was first published on June 3, 2016.
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A shriek in the dead of night had cleaner Ng Siew Lan scrambling out of her third-floor Tampines flat.

The 57-year-old saw a man slamming a grey cat on the ground twice and kicking it, before setting it alight. The animal died.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

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

On Tuesday, a 25-year-old man was arrested for allegedly abusing a cat at Block 884, Tampines Street 83. Animal protection group Cat Welfare Society said the suspect has since posted bail.

According to Madam Jaslynn Ong, 37 - who was with her mother, Madam Ng, when the incident occurred - the cat is one of several felines in the neighbourhood to have been abused.

Two of the three community cats are dead, she said. The third underwent surgery just three days ago for a dislocated left leg. "It's been left crippled. I am now compiling all the details so I can report this to the authorities."

Cat Welfare Society chief executive Pauline Leow said: "Unfortunately, many people think it's good enough to leave a Facebook post to raise awareness... But without proper reporting to the authorities, it's hard to ascertain if they are truly all abuse cases."

She cited another case on Tuesday when a cat was found with blood oozing from its mouth in a pool of urine at Block 765, Bedok Reservoir View. The person who found the cat did not report it to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the police. Nobody has been apprehended.

From January to April this year, 53 cases of alleged cruelty to cats were reported to the AVA.

The Cat Welfare Society said its volunteer in Tampines is meeting cat feeders in the area to discuss how to keep other cats safe. Door- to-door surveys have also been done to appeal for information and witnesses.

This article was first published on June 3, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The tail cone of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) aircraft was damaged after it hit another plane that was being towed at Changi Airport on Monday evening.

The incident was first reported by the Airline Hub Buzz website yesterday, and SIA later confirmed it.

An SIA spokesman said there were no passengers on board the planes during the accident. No one on the ground was injured.

"Damage to the aircraft is being assessed and investigations will be carried out to determine how the incident occurred," he added.

Last October, the nose gear of an SIA plane retracted while it was undergoing a landing gear system check at Changi Airport, causing the plane to tilt forward.

There were no passengers or crew on board at the time of the incident, but an engineer was on the aircraft.

He was not hurt.

This article was first published on June 2, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - Malaysia implemented the trial run of its Vehicle Entry Permit System (VEP) on June 1, but it seems like it is facing some teething issues.

As part of the new system, Singapore vehicles entering Johor Bahru via the Tuas or Woodlands checkpoints are required to register for a VEP prior to entry. Each permit is valid for five years.

There are two ways to register for the VEP: Online on Malaysia's Road Transport Department (RTD) website or at the Johor Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex.

However, many Singapore drivers attempting to do it the convenient way by registering online seem to be facing roadblocks.

Netizens complained that the website either crashed or took a long time to load.

Matthew Tjow commented on ChannelNews Asia's Facebook page yesterday (June 2) that he went to the website and tried to create an account for himself.

He added: "...guess what?! the site crashed (sic)!"

Responding to the same thread, netizen Javier Jdm wrote: "Been trying to get onto the website since morning...It's taking forever to load."

Some have even said that the website doesn't load when they try to launch it. 

A concerned netizen Jackson Wong wrote on ChannelNews Asia's Facebook page: "Tried to click on the link. Cannot even load the page. If that is going to happen, does it mean that SG-registered cars will be detain or not allow to enter JB custom?"

When AsiaOne tried to access the website at 12pm today (June 3), there was an error message "504 Gateway Time-Out" popped up. The website, however, loaded properly an hour and half later.

AsiaOne understands that new users are supposed to receive an activation link once they have signed up for their online account. This step is a crucial step in order to move on to the next stage of the application process to register the vehicle.

Many were also left frustrated after they did not receive their activation links. The wait for this particular e-mail can be anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours.

Public servant Brian Cheung, 35, told AsiaOne that he tried registering at 9.15am yesterday (June 2) and has yet to receive any emails up till today. That makes the wait longer than 24 hours. 

"With such poor administrative set up, I am concerned that there are additional documents that they require which I may not have when I am at the customs," said Mr Cheung. 

Financial consultant, Simon Lim, 32, who is making a trip to Malacca next week, told AsiaOne that he fears having to cancel travel plans if the VEP application does not go through. 

After successful registration, vehicle owners will be advised on collection details of a VEP tag. There is an administrative fee of RM10 (S$3.45) imposed for tag collection. But still, there are others who are baffled as to where to collect the tag because they have not received any instructions.

"My hubby registered last year and they informed him that they will e-mail him when the tag is ready. But there has been no e-mail at all," wrote netizen Patricia Phua on Facebook.

The VEP trial will continue until July 15, 2016. During this period, Singapore vehicles entering Johor need not pay VEP fee of RM20 (S$6.60), reported Bernama. The fee will only be imposed from July 16.

Some 120,000 Singapore vehicles have already registered, reported The Star.

The registration of vehicles for VEP will be open until the end of the year, Hasni Mohammad, chairman of Johor's Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee, told Bernama.

Singapore-registered vehicles which are not registered with a VEP, will be refused entry into the country once the system is fully implemented.

While there are concerns over issues with registration, those who have entered Malaysia over the past few days said there seems to be no difference in passing through Johor customs.

Reader Benni Lawson said on The Straits Times Facebook page on June 2: "Nothing has changed, just drive in (sic)."

maryanns@sph.com.sg

Surviving the Causeway crush

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The New Paper

SINGAPORE - About 80 residents of SimsVille condominium in Geylang had to be evacuated on Friday (Jun 3) afternoon, after a fire broke out on the premises.

In a Facebook update, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) revealed that the fire occurred in the bedroom of a 10th floor unit.

According to MacPherson member of parliament (MP) Tin Pei Ling, who was present at the scene, no one was hurt from the fire.

SCDF said that it was alerted to the fire at 6 Geylang East Avenue 2 at around 12.20pm, and dispatched one fire engine, two Red Rhinos, two fire bikes, two support vehicles and an ambulance.

They managed to put out the fire with one water jet within 20 minutes.

On Facebook, Ms Tin thanked the SCDF personnel for their swift action in extinguishing the fire and ensuring the residents' safety.

"Thankfully, the SCDF arrived in five minutes and put out the fire within 20 minutes. Nobody was hurt and everyone looked alright when I went around," she wrote.

She also praised the efficiency shown by both the SCDF and the police in coordinating the evacuation process, adding that the residents were impressed and felt assured.

Ms Tin also thanked a lady who brought jugs of water from her home for the residents who were downstairs.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, SCDF said.

seanyap@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Responding to a call for assistance at Tampines MRT station, personnel from the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) made a grim find: The body of a newborn baby.

A spokesperson said that SCDF were alerted to an incident requiring ambulance assistance at Tampines MRT station at about 1.40pm on Friday (June 3).

The ambulance arrived at the scene within seven minutes, and paramedics were led to the female toilet on the first floor, SCDF said.

There, they found the the body of the baby. It remains unclear how the baby died.

Meanwhile, the police said that they received a call requesting for assistance at 1.37pm. When officers arrived, it was established that the body of a male newborn was found, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A police spokesperson added that investigations are still ongoing.

Newborn found dead in Tampines MRT toilet

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The New Paper, Shin Min Daily News, Twitter

Pictures on social media on Friday afternoon showed that police had cordoned off an area at the MRT station as investigations were taking place.

According to Today newspaper, the body was found in a cubicle rubbish bin by a cleaner who was doing her afternoon cleanup rounds.

Website Coconuts Singapore reported that a body bag was subsequently carried out of the toilet at around 4pm.

On Twitter, a user named William posted photographs of the station showing that the police cordon was still in place at 5.05pm.

Before details of the baby's death emerged, a number of users had posted photos on Twitter and Facebook, and wondered why there was such a heavy police presence at the MRT station.

seanyap@sph.com.sg

It is a common scene at many kopitiams (coffee shops in Hokkien) - a food runner takes the order of a local customer but remembers colloquial terms wrongly, and ends up mixing up simple orders like 'kopi-O' with 'kopi-C'.

Frustrated at the foreigner's blunder, which has happened more than once, the manager of the drink stall raises his voice and reprimands the runner for not getting the hang of the job despite having been there for several months.

Does a story like that ring any bells for you?

A short film by local director Lincoln Chia titled'Reunion'tells this story from a different perspective.

It is a typical day at protagonist Towkay Tan's kopitiam, and the Chinese foreign worker he hired at the stall has just delivered a cup of kopi to a customer. Just as the worker, Ah Biao, gets a call from his wife and child back home, he is forced to cut the conversation short when his boss finds out he has messed up an order.

Seeing that Chinese New Year is just around the corner, a 'mak cik' ('auntie' in Malay) from another stall tells Towkay Tan not to be angry. She then reminds him of the festivities drawing near, and suggests that he include Ah Biao for reunion dinner with the other people who work at the kopitiam.

Later, everyone leaves the kopitiam (presumably for their reunion dinner with Towkay Tan), as Ah Biao stays back to tend the store.

But just when you least expect it, the kopitiam crew returns with a feast so they can have reunion dinner with Ah Biao, who is thousands of miles away from his family and friends.

The clip, uploaded on video platform Vidsee, may be short, but its message is loud and clear. In our busy metropolitan lives, have we stopped enough to think of the foreign workers who live among us? Has it ever occurred to us, that they too are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters to someone too?

It is no secret that foreigners play an important role in Singapore's economy, but full acceptance of these 559,000 domestic and construction workers remains to be seen.

Just last month, an article in The New Paper highlighted the struggles faced by some of these workers in terms of being accepted as a part of society.

One worker the paper spoke to said he has been shunned on public transport, but instead of feeling angry, he felt bad about causing such reactions with his presence.

Another construction worker interviewed by the paper said it was difficult to make friends with Singaporeans as his social standing is often defined by his job and nothing else. He reveals that he has a passion for poetry, but is saddened to hear quick dismissals of his dreams to become a poet.

An official website for Reunion called #WhyBeTowkayTan explains that the film, which was made by production firm Sproud and supported by National Integration Council, was created to share "other perspectives that we too often miss without interacting with others".

It also encourages Singaporeans to take a step back and see the rich stories belonging to the people we are unfamiliar with.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

Life in the dumps

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The Straits Times