A legal feud between the Singapore Rifle Association (SRA) and the Singapore Shooting Association (SSA) has taken a new twist.

The SRA has filed a High Court suit against parent body SSA for alleged breaches of the constitution and for attempting to suspend its privileges.

With the SSA being a public institution, the SRA had to obtain the go-ahead to pursue the suit from Sport Singapore - the sector administrator assisting the Commissioner of Charities for charitable objectives to advance sports.

Last year, the SSA took the SRA to the High Court seeking to recover the SRA-managed armoury space at the National Shooting Centre (NSC) in Choa Chu Kang - where both parties are based - as it wanted to upgrade the premises.

But the suit was dropped by the SSA last March as was an SRA counter-claim for alleged breach of agreement.

A month earlier, SportSG had closed the NSC following an arms audit by the Police Licensing & Regulatory Department at the armouries of the Singapore Gun Club and the SRA.

Police seized a number of arms due to serious licensing irregularities and launched a probe into the matter.

SportSG, the national sports governing body, terminated the lease to the NSC issued to the SSA in February.

In the latest High Court suit, filed last month, the SRA, through its Drew & Napier lawyer Wendell Wong, alleges that the SSA e-mailed a proposed resolution to council members last December to suspend the SRA's privileges at the NSC for failing to comply with SSA directives and its move to evict the SRA.

The SRA claims among other things that the governing body acted outside its powers as the constitution does not provide for resolutions by circular and a physical meeting was not called.

It further alleges that the SSA breached natural justice rules and conspired to cause loss to the SRA.

The SSA, through its lawyers from Bih Li & Lee, in disputing the claims, argues that the constitution expressly or impliedly allows for circular resolutions to be passed without calling for a physical meeting.

It points out in court documents filed that the SSA never asserted that the circular resolution had been carried out to suspend the SRA's privileges. It affirms no suspensions were implemented at the NSC.

The SSA is the national authority for shooting.

Apart from the SRA, its other members are the Singapore Gun Club, Safra Shooting Club, Safsa Shooting Club and the Home Team Sports and Recreation Association.

SSA president Michael Vaz Lorrain was unfazed by the suit. He said: "They're trying to rattle us before the next annual general meeting in September."

vijayan@sph.com.sg

jonwong@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Malaysia's Johor River is becoming more salty while levels at the Linggiu Reservoir are decreasing, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli yesterday.

Linggiu, which was built upstream of the Johor River in 1994, collects and releases rainwater into the river.

It is operated by Singapore's national water agency PUB and helps to meet half of Singapore's water needs.

The reservoir is about 33 per cent full, a historic low. It was 40 per cent full in April, and 80 per cent full at the beginning of last year.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to the Stamford Detention Tank, which is being built to improve flood protection in Singapore, Mr Masagos said: "To wash off the salinity is a challenge. The salinity of the river is increasing and intrudes into our water works."

PUB supplies Johor with 16 million gallons of potable water a day, but increased this amount last Saturday by 6 million gallons at the request of Badan Kawalselia Air Johor, Johor's water regulatory body.

"In providing water to Malaysia, we first ensure that we have adequate supply," said Mr Masagos.

"We are able to extract our 250 million gallons per day, on average, over the month, although we are always challenged because of the same weather challenges that both countries are facing."

He added that Singapore has asked the Malaysian authorities to look into other ways to top up the Linggiu Reservoir.

The Straits Times reported on May 27 that Johor is looking at two rivers - Sayong River and Ulu Sedili Besar River - for water.

Either one of the river projects would take at least two years to complete.

This article was first published on June 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Three days before tying the knot might not sound like the ideal time to start thinking about what would happen if husband and wife were to argue.

But that was what Mr Darren Koh, 32, and Ms Claire Wong, 29, spent two hours doing yesterday - and they believe the experience will help their marriage run smoothly.

They were among 15 couples who attended a free marriage preparation course run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) that was launched in December 2014.

New figures show 2,800 couples have attended the course since it was launched up to April this year.

The two-hour session is an introduction to the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Programme (Prep), which is based on research in the United States and teaches communication and conflict resolution skills.

Nine in 10 couples who attended the Prep introduction course said they found it useful and would recommend it to friends.

"The course helped us identify our problems and taught us how to resolve them," said Mr Koh, a system engineer, citing how he tends to withdraw in a conflict, leading the argument to worsen.

The couple have been dating for five years and found out about the course when they filed their notice of marriage online.

They decided to attend the course and find out how they could strengthen their relationship.

In May last year, the ministry also launched the full 12-hour Prep workshop, which takes place over two days.

It covers 12 topics, from communication to conflict management and commitment.

As of April this year, 332 couples had attended the full workshop.

Prep trainer Evelyn Khong, 57, a principal consultant at Fei Yue Community Services, said most couples bring up communication issues or want to know how to deal with in-laws.

As part of the full Prep course, she gets couples to discuss commitments, such as how often to visit the in-laws and how much money to give them.

She also suggests thinking of marriage as a business partnership. "You've invested so much in it, in the wedding, you need to make sure that it works," said Madam Khong.

The ministry is studying the impact and effectiveness of the Prep courses in Singapore, and will release the results next year.

Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Faishal Ibrahim, who observed yesterday's introduction programme, would like to see more Singaporeans going for such courses.

"The programme has been shown to be very effective in getting couples to communicate effectively with one another - which is the essence of marriage and any partnership," said Dr Faishal.

"I've been married for 21 years, and I have realised that communication at different points and different phases of married life require different skills and different knowledge."

kxinghui@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singapore - The decision to separate Internet surfing from computers with access to the government's internal networks was made in response to cyber security threats, said the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) at a media briefing on Thursday.

David Koh, CSA chief executive, said: "Singapore is under constant attack on the cyber front. We are a prime target for cyber criminals, gangs, hacktivists and even state actors. As public servants, we have a duty and responsibility to protect the government and the citizens' information and data. It is crucial we prevent breaches and disrupt what is known as the 'cyber kill chain' to raise our cyber defensives.

"This move of Internet surfing separation will significantly reduce the attack surface and make it harder for attackers to exploit our systems. Cyber security is a key enabler for Smart Nation. We can't be a Smart Nation that is trusted and resilient if our systems are open and vulnerable."

The IDA clarified that the policy would still allow public servants to have access to the Internet, albeit on computers that do not have access to the whole-of-government (WOG) information and communications (ICT) infrastructure. It also assured that the policy would neither affect various government e-services nor citizen engagement via e-mail.

Jacqueline Poh, IDA managing director, said: "Public servants will continue to have access to Internet surfing but it will not be from the same device used to access the government's internal networks. We are not alone in enacting such policies to safeguard critical government and citizen data. We acknowledge that there will be some initial adjustment issues and are committed to working with our staff to develop alternatives so that they may continue working productively."

IDA added that the separation of Internet surfing from internal systems has been in place in several government agencies and is also present in other organisations such as banks.

Ong-Ang Ai Boon, director, Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), agreed with the move. "ABS fully supports all efforts to strengthen cyber security and to raise awareness of the risks. We appreciate that due consideration must have been made in the decision that was taken. Banks here take cyber security very seriously and have various policies and processes in place. The industry will continue to stay vigilant and to assess ways to enhance cyber security."

This article was first published on June 10, 2016.
Get The Business Times for more stories.

Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin has visited the deaf and mute foodcourt cleaner who was yelled at by an angry patron last Friday (June 3).

Mr Tan said in a Facebook post on Friday (June 10) that Mr Png Lye Heng was "in good spirits and gestured to me that he was no longer bothered by the incident".

The minister said he told Mr Png that he was impressed with his positive spirit.

He added that he managed to communicate with Mr Png by writing questions in Chinese on paper, while the latter used hand gestures to respond.

"We can all still learn to treat Singaporeans with special needs and disabilities with more empathy," wrote the minister in his Facebook post.

He also thanked employers who hired individuals with disabilities such as Mr Png, and hoped that they would carry on doing so.

Mr Png, 64, who works at the foodcourt in Jem mall, was yelled at by a patron who was upset he had cleared away her food, even though she had told him not to do so.

Woman loses cool at deaf and mute cleaner at Jem food court

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Facebook video screengrabs, The New Paper

The woman, later identified as Ms Alice Fong, was caught on video angrily shouting at the foodcourt manager, who tried to placate her. After she was told the cleaner was deaf, she said: "Just ask the Government to feed him, go and be a beggar! I don't care, he took my food!"

The incident was filmed by a foodcourt patron and uploaded online.

Ms Fong later apologised for her behaviour, but that did not stop the online vitriol against her from spreading.

After the video went viral, netizens circulated photos of her online, and even publicised her phone number as well as her husband's.

xiuhuil@sph.com.sg

See also:

Verbally abused deaf-mute cleaner intends to quit job this month

Foodcourt tirade against deaf cleaner gets woman online hate 

Woman loses cool at deaf and mute cleaner in Jem food court, demands apology 

About 400 staff are being retrenched at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) amid tough times, The Straits Times understands.

More layoffs may be on the cards if operator Genting Singapore does not manage its serious bad debt problem and wrest more mass market share, observers say. If the regional slowdown persists, things could get worse.

RWS, which has 12,000 workers, is "reviewing operational resources". In a retrenchment letter seen by The Straits Times, RWS said: "In anticipation (that) the business situation is unlikely to improve any time soon, we have made a very difficult decision to reduce manpower."

It will offer a severance payment of half a month's salary for every year of service. The paper understands that 150 croupiers, 200 pit supervisors and 25 pit managers were among those retrenched.

RWS said in a joint statement with Attractions, Resorts and Entertainment Union (Areu) that it is necessary to review gaming business headcount to "achieve the right size to meet its business needs".

As early as 2014, Genting felt the chill of China's slower growth coupled with Beijing's graft crackdown on its VIP gaming revenue.

For the first quarter, Genting's earnings came in below forecasts due to unexpectedly big bad debt provisions, which swelled 21 per cent to $92.4 million year on year.

Rival Marina Bay Sands has no plans to retrench workers, a spokesman said. The Straits Times understands that MBS, which has 9,600 workers, is still hiring for the property, including its casino. It is trying to fill 350 positions, including dealers, at the ST Jobs Career Fair to be held on July 2 and 3.

CIMB economist Song Seng Wun said the layoffs are a result of the service sector growing more slowly. "Much will depend on how Genting manages the bad debt problem and how they can make their mass market share grow."

"It's a war for mass market share. MBS has a slight headstart there... But mass market may not be strong enough yet to offset the slowdown in high roller traffic."

Mr Terence Wong, chief executive of investment firm Azure Capital, said: "I won't be surprised if this is the start of more layoffs to come, if things don't improve for RWS. Since the casino is the breadwinner for the IR (integrated resort), it will feel the brunt of the layoffs".

Speculation within Genting suggests cuts may not just come from the casino, but also its attractions.

A pit supervisor, who asked to be known as Mr Tan, said he was notified of his retrenchment on Wed- nesday when he got to work.

Mr Tan, who has been with RWS for seven years and is married with two children, believes the retrenchments started as early as last September. "They started by not renewing work permits for some workers. Then every few months, they would retrench some people."

Asked if more layoffs are planned, RWS declined comment. Staff have been told there will be no more cuts until at least next year. Asked for a breakdown of affected workers, it also declined comment.

An RWS spokesman said the firm is "working closely with the Ministry of Manpower and Areu to ensure that we extend fair terms to all affected employees".

"We are also offering an upfront $1,500 training grant payout for local employees, as well as paying their union membership fee for another 12 months."

This article was first published on Jun 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Pulling the plug on Internet access on work computers is not uncommon in the private sector, say cyber-security experts and industry players, particularly in areas that deal with extra-sensitive information.

These include the defence, financial and healthcare industries, but to varying degrees depending on the nature of the work employees do.

The Straits Times reported on Wednesday that next May, 100,000 computers used by the public service will no longer have direct access to the Internet in order to keep government e-mail systems and shared documents safe.

Civil servants will have to log on to the Web on a separate terminal or through their personal devices such as mobile phones or tablets. They can forward non-sensitive e-mail to personal accounts.

Mr Bill Taylor-Mountford, vice-president for the Asia Pacific and Japan region at security intelligence firm LogRhythm, said Internet access is a key point of entry for attackers, and that cutting it essentially blocks a major path of attack.

"If you are dealing with very sensitive information such as healthcare, financial or defence, then you need to ensure that you limit the ways of attacks as much as you can," said Mr Taylor-Mountford.

"These measures can include limiting Internet access, registering mobile devices used to access the network and blocking apps that are deemed vulnerable to attacks."

Banks The Straits Times spoke to declined to go into the specifics of their cyber-security practices.

The Straits Times understands that while it is rare for banks to cut off all their computers from the Web, some restrict Internet access to only certain employees, such as analysts, sales staff and corporate communications staff.

When contacted, a DBS spokesman said: "We have policies and monitoring in place to ensure safe and responsible use of the Internet. We also conduct regular information security training sessions for our staff to ensure they demonstrate the correct behaviours when accessing the Internet, and to always be on their guard against online threats."

Employee awareness and education are critical in ensuring the safety of a company's network.

A UOB spokesman said: "Relying on technology alone as a line of defence against cyber-attacks is insufficient."

Healthcare firms contacted by the Straits Times, such as the Singapore Medical Group, did not elaborate on their cyber-security practices, citing security reasons.

The Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation's chairman for the security and governance chapter Tammie Tham said it will take some time for those in the public service to adjust to the inconvenience.

But she added: "Almost every company has some sort of control where certain sites such as Web-based e-mail, social media and file sharing are blocked."

This article was first published on Jun 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A post on Chinese social media platform WeChat touts Orchard Road as a prime spot for a selfie, with its backdrop of high street brands and clean surroundings.

Another post raves about the value of the dishes at seafood restaurant chain Fish & Co, where appetisers cost between $3.90 and $11.90.

The Orchard Road Business Association (Orba) set up the WeChat account two months ago to promote the shopping street directly to consumers in China.

"In China, without a WeChat account, it's impossible to communicate with the consumers," said Mr Steven Goh, Orba's executive director.

Like many businesses in Singapore, Orba is looking to the Chinese to provide a boost to the flagging retail and tourism sectors.

Competition from online shops and weak consumer sentiments have translated into lower retail sales. Tourism growth is expected to slow to a crawl this year, as tourists tighten their belts ahead of a weakening global economy.

The Chinese, however, offer hope.

Last year, Chinese visitor arrivals grew 22 per cent year-on- year to 2.1 million. Although their expenditure of $2.54 billion was a 4 per cent dip from the 2014 figure, they were still the top spenders among visitors here.

In recent years, Orba has sent teams to different cities in China regularly to promote the street.

Recently, it hired a marketing agency in China to come up with twice-weekly posts on its WeChat platform that introduce - in the lingo of the mainland Chinese - the brands in Orchard Road.

Its efforts complement those of the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA), which roped in Chinese payments firm UnionPay International as a partner of its Great Singapore Sale this year.

SRA extended the sale to 10 weeks and started it a week later than usual to coincide with most of China's summer holidays.

Other retailers are also taking the initiative to cater to the Chinese.

Retail shop Taula Jewellery in Clarke Quay widened its range in March to include fashion jewellery and items with prices starting from $29, instead of $49 previously. Its Chinese customers prefer fashion jewellery to precious metal jewellery such as silver and gold, and like good deals, owner Kanika Mittal, 35, noted.

Department store Takashimaya is "displaying more prominently" products that are more highly discounted and appealing to Chinese tourists, who make up 30 per cent of its foreign customers, said a spokesman.

SRA executive director Anthony Gan said the Chinese tend to look for goods and services tax refund service, shops that accept UnionPay, Mandarin-speaking staff and special offers.

The spending patterns of Chinese tourists have evolved, said UnionPay International South-east Asia general manager Yang Wenhui. He said it was "seeing spending on hotels, supermarkets, dining, airlines and retail grow at a much faster rate than luxury goods in general".

Tourism consultant Edward Chew said Chinese tourists no longer "purchase everything they come across", with many international brands now available in China.

The former Singapore Tourism Board regional director for Greater China said: "We need to distil what Singapore is good for and strong in and what's unique about our retail scene, and actively promote them to the Chinese traveller in Singapore."

This article was first published on Jun 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

From a fly-past with a flag about the size of a billiard table during the National Day Parade (NDP) of 1970, to one as large as a basketball field during last year's parade - the event celebrating Singapore's independence has evolved over the decades.

Highlights can be seen in a new travelling exhibition featuring 102 archival images and stories, which were put together after a "retrospective survey" by the National Heritage Board (NHB).

The exhibition, "50 Years of National Day Parades", was launched at Kallang Wave Mall yesterday and will travel to Bedok Public Library, Velocity in Novena and One Raffles Place before returning to Kallang Wave Mall in the lead-up to National Day on Aug 9.

The showcase has been divided by decades into five sections from the 1960s to the 2000s. NHB assistant chief executive of policy and community Alvin Tan said the board felt it was timely to put together the showcase as Singapore celebrates its 50th parade this year.

He added: "We hope that Singaporeans will realise that the NDP is more than just a parade - it is the one time in the year that we are truly united in feeling proud of our achievements and hopeful for Singapore's future."

The first NDP in 1966 was held at 9am at the Padang and involved 23,000 participants. Another notable parade of the 1960s was the one in 1968 when participants performed their roles undeterred by a heavy downpour.

Retired major Ponnosamy Kalastree, 69, who took part in the first NDP in 1966, remembers being too excited to sleep the night before.

He said: "We felt a sense of duty and pride to serve and fight for the nation as soldiers. It was the first time we were appearing in public in our uniforms. It was also the first time that Singapore had its own soldiers to be proud of."

The section on the 1970s features technological advancements. For instance, three colour cameras were acquired in 1974 to capture the parade's proceedings. In 1976, the parade was held in the new National Stadium.

The 1980s was marked by a surge in confidence in Singapore's growth and success in development since independence.

It was also in 1984 that the first National Day song, Stand Up For Singapore, was introduced.

The following decade also had several firsts, including the debut of the 21-gun salute in 1994.

In 1998, the National Day song, Home, a local favourite, was launched as Singapore celebrated 33 years of independence.

Meanwhile, a thread that runs through the millennium parades is national identity - remembering the country's roots while gearing up for the future, said Mr Tan.

The grandest parade took place during the country's Jubilee celebrations at the Padang last year.

Highlights included F-16 fighter jets forming the number "50", a tribute to the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, a Singapore Airlines A-380 flying across the parade grounds, as well as a vintage parade.

Mr Ponnosamy said the exhibition will help the public understand the work that goes into developing the show each year.

"I was just a teenager when I took part in the first parade. I was very proud to be involved. Each parade is a countrywide effort that takes a year to put together."

NHB is calling for members of the public to share their NDP memorabilia to be incorporated into the exhibition. People who wish to contribute may e-mail nhb_feedback @nhb.gov.sg

This article was first published on Jun 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The monthly sum needed to maintain a law undergraduate has come under scrutiny in a divorced couple's court battle as a judge criticised claims for clothes, bags and pocket money as being too high.

At issue was how much the father should contribute to support his only daughter, a 20-year-old National University of Singapore (NUS) student who now lives with her mother.

The couple split 10 years ago and he has been paying $950 a month for his daughter's expenses since 2010.

But his former wife applied to court last year to increase the sum to $1,450, in addition to him paying all of their daughter's annual university fees.

District Judge Lo Wai Ping was not convinced and, in judgment grounds released yesterday, ordered the man's maintenance sum for his daughter to remain at $950 and reduced his contribution towards her $17,563 annual tertiary fees to a maximum of 75 per cent.

The judge noted that the father, who has since remarried, "has been struggling" since last October to pay his former wife $2,300 a month for their daughter, comprising $950 for living expenses and $1,350 for tertiary fees. He also pays his former wife $500 in monthly maintenance.

The judgment means he now pays a total of $2,550 to his former wife and their daughter - $250 less than he used to.

"The issue in this case is whether, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, the monthly sum of $950 is still reasonable... now that the (daughter) is 20 years old and a law student," said Judge Lo.

She explained that the sum had to be seen in the context of the entire increased maintenance ordered due to the daughter's change in circumstances from college student to undergraduate, which amounted to a monthly average of $2,050, including $1,100 per month in tertiary fees.

None of the parties involved in the case has been named.

The mother, defended by lawyer Mimi Oh, had tabled various items such as food, transport and other allowances, and claimed that her daughter's current living expenses had soared to $2,225 a month.

The father said the expenses were "inflated and unreasonable".

He said the $950, when added to the mother's contribution, was "more than sufficient" for their daughter to live comfortably as a university student.

His lawyer Lim Poh Choo supplied data on the monthly expenses that an undergraduate may incur at NUS, Singapore Management University and Nanyang Technological University. Ms Lim argued these figures showed an undergraduate would need about $750 in monthly living expenses.

The judge found that some of the monthly expenses claimed by the mother for her daughter "were indeed inflated and exaggerated".

Among other things, the mother explained that her daughter needed $200 a month for clothes, shoes and handbags as she was required to wear office attire when giving presentations in school and attending court.

"Even so, there is no necessity to buy a new set every month for such school presentations or court attendances," said the judge, ruling that $50 a month for these items would suffice for an undergraduate.

The judge also found that the $600 sought for personal allowances was "too high", given that all the daughter's expenses had been covered separately under other items. She halved the sum payable to $300 a month.

This $300 would also suffice to cover the miscellaneous expenses of $230 a month billed for items such as toiletries and presents, she ruled.

Judge Lo further noted that the research presented by the father included food prices at the NUS Bukit Timah campus, and accepted that prices at campus canteens would be cheaper, reducing the $600 a month sought for food to $350 a month.

The father is currently a sole breadwinner who sends $2,000 monthly to his China-based wife and six-year-old child, in addition to what he now pays for his daughter and former wife.

Judge Lo added that the working mother is also obliged to maintain her daughter and is able to do so, given her monthly income of about $3,000.

Underlining that both parents can provide reasonable maintenance only as best as they could, the judge said "the daughter is not precluded from taking on her own part-time work to earn some extra money to indulge in the luxuries she wants".

This article was first published on Jun 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The Khan family from Singapore had gathered in the Swabi District in Pakistan on Jan 23 this year to celebrate a relative's birthday. Tragically, their visit there ended in a violent death for one of them.

For two months without incident, Mr Abdul Aziz Khan, his wife, Madam Fajrah, sons Omais Khan, 26, and Ravaid Khan, 24, Mr Ravaid's wife Ravina Khan and their daughter stayed in a house at Kaddi village, 107km from the capital Islamabad. The house belonged to Mr Abdul Aziz's parents.

On March 23, a burly man showed up at the doorstep of the house, said Mr Abdul Aziz, 50, a taxi driver.

He claimed to be part of a gang led by a man called Mustafa. He demanded that Mr Abdul Aziz and his sons hand over 1 million Pakistani rupees (S$13,000) and buy three AK-47 assault rifles for them.

"He told me that his gang will kill one of my children if we failed to arrange the money and guns in 14 days," Mr Abdul Aziz told The New Paper in his four-room Housing Board flat in Bedok North on Thursday.

Singaporean shot dead by gangster in Pakistan

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper

In a chilling gesture, before leaving, the man left photographs of four men armed with AK-47s at Mr Abdul Aziz's doorstep. He claimed they were fellow gang members.

Fearing for his family, Mr Abdul Aziz said he wanted to return to Singapore, but was unable to do so, as "the vicinity was surrounded with gangsters and they won't let me escape".

His sons did not think the man would go through with his threat and they went on with their daily tasks.

On April 6, when Mr Ravaid stepped out to run errands at 5.30pm, 11 or 12 armed men surrounded him in front of an alley facing the house.

One of them opened fire and shot him about eight times in the abdomen and legs.

A shocked Mr Abdul Aziz ran downstairs, but the men fled.

"He died in my arms," a tearing Mr Abdul Aziz said. "He wanted to say something, but was unable to because of the blood coming out of his mouth."

Mr Abdul Aziz drove his son to a nearby hospital. A police officer was there and Mr Abdul Aziz told him about the shooting.

Due to the number of times Mr Ravaid had been shot, his body was in gruesome condition.

His family decided to bury him in a cemetery in Kaddi the next day.

On April 7, Mr Abdul Aziz went to the Singapore Consulate-General in Karachi and told them about the incident. He was told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Singapore would be informed.

Pakistan police arrested several suspects. They were charged in court in mid-April and are now out on bail, said Mr Abdul Aziz.

He and his family returned to Singapore on April 26.

They are still reeling from the death of their son, a former Mustafa Centre salesman.

Mrs Ravina, a housewife, who was seven months pregnant when her husband was shot, said: "I am just a 24-year-old widow with a one-year-old child and the other is in my womb."

Her husband was especially excited about their second child, who is due at the end of this month. She showed photos of her husband with an ultrasound of the baby.

FATHERLESS

Mr Ravaid's daughter was close to her father and used to wake him up every morning.

"She has been crying every morning looking for her father," Mrs Ravina said.

Mr Ravaid's brother, Mr Omais, a former part-time tutor, said: "He was more than a brother to me - we were almost twins.

"I feel helpless and dead inside."

Mr Ravaid's sister, Miss Seema, 21, did not get to see her brother for the last time.

She said: "My father stopped me from going for the funeral in Pakistan because he said the situation there was very dangerous."

A cheerful person, Mr Ravaid was close to his national service mates.

One of his close friends, Mr Hafiz Zakariya, 24, a service technician, did not believe news of the death at first as "(Ravaid) was a funny guy who liked to play pranks".

"This news is very hard to accept as we were very close. He was a nice friend and I'll never forget him," he said.

The family vows never to go back to Pakistan.

Mr Abdul Aziz went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 28 to follow up.

When TNP contacted the MFA on Thursday, a spokesman said: "MFA is in contact with Mr Abdul Aziz Khan and will continue to provide the necessary consular assistance to him and his family."

Mr Abdul Aziz also filed a report with the police here on May 10.

"We are still in shock," Mr Abdul Aziz said.

"I hope we can get justice for Ravaid."

This article was first published on June 11, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

Former leftist Tan Kong Guan, who was vice-chairman of the People's Action Party (PAP) for nine days before being arrested, has published his memoirs, including an account of a 1957 "kelong meeting" which led to a short-lived leftist takeover of key party posts.

Mr Tan, 84, who lives in Zhuhai, China, published the book in Chinese recently to recount his political career from when he was founding chairman of the PAP Bukit Timah branch in 1955 to his years in exile in Beijing in the early 1960s.

The book, titled Kelong Meeting - Truth On The Bid For Power, has three of its 20 chapters devoted to an overnight meeting at a kelong off the Jurong coast attended mainly by branch leaders.

This was a month before the fourth PAP conference on Aug 4 at the Singapore Badminton Hall. The kelong meeting, organised by Mr Tan, is widely regarded as when leftists hatched a plot against then secretary-general Lee Kuan Yew to deny him control of the central executive committee (CEC).

The late Mr Lee was among many senior party members who believed there was a plot against him and that the party CEC election was rigged by leftists.

Mr Tan denies the accusations.

"We never planned to take control of the CEC, but were simply helping to rally support for Mr Lee against the extreme-left members within the PAP," he told The Straits Times in a telephone interview from Zhuhai last month.

At the party conference, the leftists won six of the 12 CEC seats, two more than they had previously. Mr Lee and his colleagues reacted by refusing to take up CEC leadership posts.

This led the six leftist leaders - comprising Mr Tan, then a welder, bookkeeper Tan Chong Kin, lawyer T.T. Rajah, unionist Chen Say Jame, clerk Ong Chye Ann and unionist Goh Boon Toh - to fill the posts of vice-chairman, chairman, secretary-general, assistant secretary-general, treasurer and assistant treasurer, respectively.

But their hold on the posts they took up on Aug 13 was short.

Nine days later, all except for Mr Rajah were arrested by the then Lim Yew Hock government for being communists.

A fresh CEC election followed and Mr Lee and other non-leftists were returned to the positions. Mr Tan Kong Guan, Mr Tan Chong Kin, Mr Ong and Mr Goh were deported to China in September 1957.

While he denies the kelong meeting was to plot a takeover, Mr Tan Kong Guan said he wanted to "tell my version so readers can better judge for themselves".

But Mr C.C. Chin, 75, an independent scholar of leftist history, believes the kelong meeting was held to strengthen the left's influence. "Why were there non-PAP members and extremist leaders from the left at the meeting if there was no plot?"

Mr Tan ran a food manufacturing business in Macau and Zhuhai until he retired about a decade ago.

This article was first published on Jun 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

WASHINGTON - When Vincent van Gogh peered out the window of the Saint-Paul asylum at the nighttime sky in Saint-Remy in 1889, he saw the brilliant light of innumerable stars over southern France that inspired his evocative painting "The Starry Night."

But nights no longer are so starry for billions of people. About 83 per cent of the world's population, including more than 99 per cent in Europe and the United States, live in areas beset by nocturnal "light pollution" from the incessant glow of electric lights, researchers said on Friday.

It is so pervasive that more than a third of people globally, including nearly 80 per cent of North Americans and 60 per cent of Europeans, cannot see the luminous band of the Milky Way, a familiar nighttime sight for the eons of human existence.

"It is surprising how in a few decades of lighting growth we have enveloped most of humanity in a curtain of light that hides the view of the greatest wonder of nature: the universe itself," said Fabio Falchi of the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy, who led the research published in the journal Science Advances.

"Our civilisation's roots are connected to the night sky in every field, from literature to art to philosophy to religion and, of course, to science."

Physicist Christopher Kyba of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences added, "Appreciating beauty is just part of what makes us human."

The researchers used satellite and sky brightness data to create a global atlas of light pollution, the artificial illumination of the night sky sufficient to substantially wash out starlight. It is one of humankind's most omnipresent forms of environmental alteration, exemplified by the nocturnal glow over cities.

"Countries even as large as Italy or Spain or France or Germany do not have any single spot in their territory with a pristine night sky," Falchi added.

Despite the American West's vast open spaces, almost half of US territory has light-polluted nights. The East Coast is particularly hit hard, with only part of Maine and the islands at the end of the Florida Keys having pristine sky quality, US National Park Service researcher Dan Duriscoe said.

The most light-polluted country is Singapore. The hardest-hit G20 countries are Italy and South Korea.

Only small areas in western Europe remain relatively unaffected, mostly in Scotland, Sweden and Norway. Australia and Africa are least-affected among the populated continents.

Those who went through the obituary pages in The Straits Times on Friday might have come across the obituary of one Mr Ong Peck Lye.

It came with a touching poem on Mr Ong's life, written in the first person, and addressed to his family.

The last stanza went as follows: "At last I got to see my legacy, ensured, enshrined in good hands. I dared to live and now I dare to die. I am Ong Peck Lye."

The poem resonated with netizens, too, many of whom shared it on their Facebook pages.

One Facebook user, Ms Robin Ann Rheaume, posted a picture of the obituary that received more than 1,500 likes and was shared more than 600 times.

One comment said: "I love that. It's so beautifully written and so honest. It says a lot. Thanks for sharing this."

It turns out the poem was written by Mr Ong's second son, Mr Ong Tiong Yeow.

The New Paper on Sunday visited the wake at the Singapore Casket Building on Lavender Street and spoke to the author of the poem.

Mr Ong, 52, said: "I wrote it as though my father was the one who wrote it. I truly believe that it was what he would say if he could.

"It was a way for us and my father's friends to remember the man.

"Many who came to the wake said that when they read the poem, it was exactly the sort of person my father was."

The second son said he was petulant when he was younger, which was why he styled himself as the "Samseng (Malay for gangster) Son".

As his two brothers had emigrated some years back - one to Australia and another to the US - Mr Ong had lived and listened to his father's stories till the very end.

His father died from pneumonia on Wednesday at the age of 82 and is survived by his wife and three sons.

Mr Ong Peck Lye was one of the founders of the Stamford Tyres business empire, which began life offering rethreading services to the British army in pre-war 1930.

He was born poor as his father had died early, leaving his mother to care for him and seven other siblings through World War II, said his son.

But the late Mr Ong rose from poverty and continued to build on the family business he started with two siblings.

He later married Madam Han Boon Keng, who was from a rich rubber plantation family in the Riau Islands.

His son shared how his father "showered his family" with status symbols to show his love for the family.

Mr Ong, who runs a franchising company for beauty pageants, said: "He used to tell us how he would have to walk barefoot to school when he was younger to avoid wearing out his shoes."

FRANK LOOK

Mr Ong said the poem was meant to be a frank look into his father's life and he hoped it would show that no man is perfect.

"He was a proud and chauvinistic traditionalist. He knew he had made mistakes in his life and family," he said.

It was Madam Han who took the hard edge off his father, he added.

This was all before his father's struggle with dementia started seven years ago.

Mr Ong shared how his father's deteriorating health required the close attention of his mother and himself until the very end.

His family asked him to write something for his father's obituary and he did so in four hours.

When told that his poem had touched many readers, Mr Ong was surprised at first.

He told TNPS: "I wrote this poem because I just wanted to share that every family has an inside story, and that everyone can read this and understand that every family has problems.

"I glad that it resonated with people and that they can identify with it." -

This article was first published on June 12, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

A kissing scene between two male performers has been removed from an ongoing production of Les Miserables after complaints from the public.

The Media Development Authority (MDA) confirmed it reviewed the performance after receiving feedback.

The Sunday Times understands that the kissing scene did not appear in performances from June 3.

The show, which began its run at the Esplanade on May 31 and will go on till July 24, had been given a "General" rating as the same-sex kiss was not highlighted in the script when it was submitted for classification, MDA added.

The scene involved a brief peck during the song Beggars At The Feast. It was not in many other productions of the long-running classic.

After being advised that the scene exceeded its "General" rating, the producers decided to remove it, MDA said.

"Under our classification code, such a scene would fall under an 'Advisory' rating. The applicant decided to remove the scene so as to keep the 'General' rating for the rest of its run. The MDA will take action against this breach of licensing conditions."

According to MDA guidelines, the authority could issue a warning or fine the show producer for breaching licensing conditions.

Mr Moses Lye, head of MediaCorp VizPro International, the show's promoter, said the kiss was intended to be comic.

"Beggars At The Feast is a comical scene during which the villain Thenardier makes fun of the wedding guests. He gives one of them, whom he describes as queer, a quick peck on the lips," he said.

MediaCorp Vizpro International "took action" on June 3, and worked with the producers to adapt the scene.

Queries from The Sunday Times on why the kiss was not highlighted in the script when it was submitted to the MDA went unanswered.

Earlier, Facebook user Alvin Ng posted in a Facebook group that he had written to the MDA to complain about the scene.

He wrote in a June 1 post that he saw the kiss in the second last scene during the opening performance of Les Miserables.

"This was never in the original production but now it's been included here," Mr Ng pointed out.

Other international performances have been toned down for the Singapore audience, but usually before the show opens here.

At Madonna's concert in March, which had an R18 rating, songs with religiously sensitive lyrics like Holy Water were left out.

In a 2007 production of King Lear where Sir Ian McKellen played the titular monarch, he wore a loin cloth for a nude scene.

Read also:

Fan floored by excellent cast

Young, groundbreaking Les Miz actor dies

This article was first published on June 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has confirmed that it is assessing an application from a local firm to be the first to launch an all-electric taxi fleet here.

Should HDT Singapore Taxi be granted a taxi licence after submitting its application in April, it could potentially pave the way for the entry of electric vehicles (EV) into the taxi market.

"If successful, HDT will be the first to operate a fully electric taxi fleet in Singapore, with a fleet of 100 e-taxis," an LTA spokesman told The Sunday Times.

The introduction of electric taxis will tie in with the Government's plans to widen the testing of the viability of electric vehicles (EV) in Singapore. The first phase of the test-bed, which concluded three years ago, involved individual corporate users.

The LTA said it will explore fleet-based, shared-car operations in the second phase, and it is working with the Economic Development Board to launch an islandwide EV-sharing programme, with 1,000 cars and 2,000 charging points. There are currently about 120 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles here, according to LTA figures.

The LTA said there are no other applications for a taxi service operator's licence. This places HDT at the forefront of launching an e-taxi service.

As with other cab firms, HDT will be expected to comply with availability and service standards, as well as regulations on taxi fare structures, the LTA said.

Sources said that HDT plans to use electric vehicles from BYD (Build Your Dreams), a Shenzhen-based auto and battery manufacturer that has US investment guru Warren Buffett as a shareholder.

HDT Singapore Taxi, which was registered in April, is a spin-off from HDT Singapore Holding, a private transport firm which started here about three years ago and already has a fleet of 30 of BYD's e6 model, an all-electric saloon car.

BYD itself has its eyes on the consumer market here, and last month it opened an EV showroom in Ubi in collaboration with India-based Smart Group.

The use of BYD electric cars as taxis has been tried out in cities, including Brussels and Hong Kong. In the firm's home city of Shenzhen, there is a fleet of some 850 e6 taxis.

Asked about its plans, HDT said it would make an announcement soon. HDT is also seeking approval from the Energy Market Authority for the use of its charging stations here for the taxi service.

As of April, there are 28,280 taxis on the island belonging to ComfortDelGro, Trans-Cab, SMRT, Premier and Prime, and about 86 per cent of them use diesel. There are 2,065 petrol-electric taxis, which account for about 7 per cent of the cab population.

The potential entry of electric taxis is a welcome move because cabs, in general, clock high mileage, said Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, executive director of Nanyang Technological University's Energy Research Institute (ERI@N). He said: "While taxis account for just 3 per cent of the total vehicle population, they contribute to over 15 per cent of vehicle emissions, based on their mileage."

ERI@N recently published an e-mobility paper which forecasts that emissions from taxis could be reduced by 27 per cent in 2050 if 85 per cent of taxis go electric.

The island's taxi fleet - projected to grow to 30,000 by 2050 - could be a combination of battery electric vehicles (60 per cent), plug-in hybrid electric (25 per cent) and fuel cars (15 per cent), the paper said.

This article was first published on June 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is investigating claims by a Bangladeshi construction worker that he was locked up by his employer and threatened with repatriation after he sought his own medical treatment for a workplace injury.

Migrant worker advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) wrote in a widely shared Facebook post last Wednesday that it had "rescued" Mr Molla Shahjahan from a Tuas dormitory on Tuesday. The 29-year-old had called for help, saying his employer was holding him against his will and would send him home the next day.

But Mr Shahjahan's boss denies locking him up and threatening to repatriate him. He also insists Mr Shahjahan never indicated how severe his injury was and sought medical treatment without consulting the company.

Mr Shahjahan said he fell while carrying tiles at work on May 25. He hit his thumb, causing it to swell, and also hurt his back.

He said he informed his employer and was sent to a clinic the next day where he was given a day of medical leave and medicine for his thumb. But he added: "My back was still painful and I could not walk or sleep properly."

After another visit to the clinic, he went to Alexandra Hospital on June 4, where he was diagnosed with lower back pain, warded for three days and given 18 days of medical leave. But when he was discharged, he said he was grabbed by two men who took him to the Tuas dormitory.

There, he said, he was locked in a room for four hours while his employer told him he would be sent home the next day. The employer denied this when contacted by The Straits Times, saying Mr Shahjahan had told the firm only about his thumb injury. He added that the worker had vanished for a few days without telling the company, forcing it to terminate his work pass and make a police report.

It later found out he had been warded, racking up a bill of over $5,000 which the firm is liable for.

An MOM spokesman said: "We are looking into the worker's claim that he was injured due to work, and also the employer for repatriating their worker before his employment issue is settled."

She added that employers are not allowed to send back workers with outstanding employment-related claims, and that workers in such situations should approach immigration officers at the airport, who will refer them to the MOM.

Mr Shahjahan is staying at TWC2's shelter while the incident is being investigated.

TWC2 treasurer Alex Au said that the group hears of cases of "confinement with intent to repatriate" about once or twice a month.

Read also: Foreign worker stabs himself to avoid leaving Singapore

A taste of life in an 'HDB-style' dorm for workers

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times

This article was first published on June 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

They sank their savings into undeveloped land in India, drawn by visions of gleaming villas, upcoming infrastructure and returns of more than 100 per cent. That was between 2007 and 2011.

Now, the 33 Singaporean investors - who spent more than $780,000 - own land of questionable value, which is hard to sell.

They are crying foul at Singapore-registered KMGM International which sold them the land.

They claim it has not been developed and has hardly risen in value. They want to sell it back.

About 20 of them staged a walk-in on May 5 to confront KMGM director S. Gulam at the firm's Bukit Merah premises, demanding assurances that they could sell back their land.

He was not there, but assured them by telephone that he would meet them on May 16 .

But on May 13 they received letters saying that the matter would be handled through his lawyers at Advaitha Law Corporation.

Advaitha director G.B. Vasudeven told The Sunday Times that his client was ready to obtain valuations for each of the investors' land parcels, but declined to disclose any further course of action.

He added that he has written to the 33 to say that if they try to enter KMGM's offices again, they will be reported to the police as trespassers.

Twenty investors have since gone on to make police reports against KMGM.

The group of 33 had bought 45 plots of land, each a few thousand sq ft in size, in Chennai .

They are mostly in their 50s and 60s, and they said they trusted KMGM because it is a Singaporean firm and its directors, lawyer R. Kalamohan and Mr Gulam, a former journalist, are well-regarded members of the Indian community.

Retired navy officer Anandam Thomas, 62, bought two plots of land for about $41,470 in 2008.

"My father was from India, and I wanted a little piece of India for myself," he said.

After payment, he and the other buyers were flown to Chennai to see the land and receive their sale deeds.

Last year and in April this year, he went back on his own to check and found the land was still undeveloped and occupied by squatters.

He said that after his attempts to sell the land back to KMGM failed, he decided to gather fellow investors in the same situation.

Mr Gulam, 54, told The Sunday Times by telephone that he was not out to cheat anyone and meant to help the investors sell the land.

However, he said it was impossible to sell it at a profit right now because the Indian rupee had fallen drastically in the last few years and the property market was in a slump.

He said: "When you invest overseas, you must take a risk.

"If you buy a house now and the price goes down, can you tell the developer you want your money back?"

Mr Kalamohan, 68, who left KMGM in 2014, said: "There was nothing more to sell and I was of no use to the company, so I thought it was time to leave."

He added that there was nothing wrong with the investors' documents, which he had examined, and all the purchases were valid.

Of the 45 contracts among the group, 24 had a clause guaranteeing they could sell the land back to the company after three years "at the best prevailing market price".

However 27 contracts lacked a "patta", an Indian land ownership document.

New Delhi-based lawyer Alok Tewari, a senior partner with Indian law firm Kochhar & Co, said: "Legally it may be possible to sell the property without a patta."

He added, however, that sometimes the authorities may demand to see a patta to register a sale deed.

Property experts said overseas landbanking is fraught with risk.

Mr Alan Cheong, Singapore research head for real estate firm Savills, advised investors to check whether the country's legal framework is solid and can be enforced even by an overseas national, as well as the reputation of the property agency marketing the product.

Retired civil servant Manokaran Ramasamy, 64, and his late wife spent $129,510 on four plots of land in 2008.

His wife died from cancer in March. He said all he wanted was some form of closure from KMGM.

"Even in the pain of her last days, she would go back to them to ask about selling the land. I don't understand why they didn't entertain her," he said.

"I don't think they can honour the agreement. They owe it to us to fill in the blanks."

This article was first published on June 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.