Expect the cost of private parking in shopping centres and office buildings to go up as well, soon after higher public parking rates kick in at the end of the year.

Industry insiders say private carpark operators peg their fees to public rates and would raise them in tandem with the coming hike.

On Thursday, it was announced that short-term public carpark charges will rise by 20 per cent from December.

Outside of the restricted zone (RZ) in the city area, parking will cost $1.20 an hour, up from $1.

Within the RZ, parking will cost double that - at $2.40 an hour, up from $2.

But in many areas, this will bring public carpark rates in line with private charges.

For instance, weekday parking at the Ang Mo Kio Hub costs $1.30 an hour - only 10 cents more than the new public rate.

At the Raffles City shopping mall, rates are priced at $2.20 an hour on weekdays before 6pm, which would be lower than the public rate of $2.40 per hour.

When The Straits Times contacted building developers, and private carpark operators Wilson Parking, Secure Parking, G Tech and Top Parking, most said they were studying the increased public charges closely.

A CapitaLand spokesman said it regularly reviews carpark rates at its malls, adding that these rates are set after "taking into consideration the rates at surrounding carparks as well as demand and supply".

A source at one major carpark operator, who did not want to be named, said: "We will have to match the increase; if it's too cheap, too many drivers will come in and there will be too much demand."

He added that private carparks can afford to charge a premium as most of them are indoors and motorists do not have to worry about exceeding their parking time and being fined.

Another industry source said private operators were waiting to see if there was an adverse public reaction towards the hike. "But if the Housing Board goes ahead with the increase, we will just follow the leader," he said.

In 2002, when public parking prices were last hiked, private operators raised their fees too.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority and HDB said last week that the latest fee revision was necessary to recover costs, as building, operating and managing costs for carparks have increased over the years.

Associate Professor Michael Li, a transport economist at Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School, said it was a given that the private sector would increase their rates by a quantum similar to that of the latest rise in public parking charges.

He added that costs would also have increased for these private operators.

"Everyone will follow when the Government takes the lead," said Prof Li.

dansonc@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on July 2, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

As she prepared popiah for her customers, she did not notice a man creeping up behind her.

Suddenly, Ms Noraisha Abdul Rahman, 44, felt a sharp object pierce her abdomen twice, followed by excruciating pain.

Blood gushed out, and she collapsed as a colleague screamed for help.

Her attacker was familiar to her - a man who had been courting her despite being rebuffed repeatedly.

Security guard Taib Saleh, 66, was jailed for 28 months on Wednesday for stabbing Ms Noraisha at her stall in a Kopitiam foodcourt at VivoCity on Feb 26.

He had been obsessed with Ms Noraisha and the court heard that he was suffering from a major depressive disorder.

Recalling the attack, she told The New Paper on Thursday: "I don't know how to describe the pain, but it hurt so much.

"All I could think of was my daughter and how I would never see her again."

'Spurned suitor' stabs popiah seller at VivoCity

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Madam Yuliana, The New Paper, Stomp

Ms Noraisha said she met Taib 10 years ago when they were both working in the security line.

They met again in 2014 when Taib bought food from her stall and they exchanged phone numbers.

Taib started texting her once a week and would ask about her daily activities.

She always replied, under the impression that they were just friends.

She said: "He has a wife and two children, and he is older than me by 22 years. I thought nothing would happen."

But late last year, Taib started visiting her twice a week at the stall where she worked.

His text messages also became suggestive as he kept hinting he wanted to have sex with her, she said.

She said: "That was wrong, he is a married man and I never did see him that way."

Ms Noraisha stopped replying to his texts as she tried to distance herself from Taib.

But his messages, calls and visits continued.

Earlier this year, she got her older sister and younger brother to tell Taib to stay away.

"I kept telling him I could never be his girlfriend and my siblings tried to tell him that too," she said.

But she said Taib continued to visit her at her workplace and text her.

On Feb 26, the day of the attack, she texted him several times to stay away.

She believes those messages could have sparked the attack that afternoon.

After Taib stabbed her on the left side of her abdomen, her co-worker screamed, but Taib stabbed her again.

Ms Noraisha slumped onto a chair as her blood spurted on the floor.

"There was so much blood at that point, I could not even think. I thought I was going to die," she said.

Mr Larry Liem, 40, an off-duty officer of the Singapore Police Force who was in the foodcourt, managed to disarm Taib.

Ms Noraisha was taken to the Singapore General Hospital, where she had to be resuscitated because of her abnormally low blood pressure.

Her left kidney was removed during surgery.

She also has a 15cm scar running down her stomach.

PAIN

Even today, she still feels a lot of pain and has yet to return to work.

She said her long absence from work has taken a toll on her family's finances.

Although her medical bills are covered by a social welfare organisation, she is worried about her rent and utilities.

Ms Noraisha, a divorcee, said she now depends on her 19-year-old daughter, who works in administration, to provide for the household.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Social and Family Development told TNP that its officers had reviewed Ms Noraisha's case and found that "her household income is sufficient for her family to cope financially".

When asked about Hari Raya Aidilfitri next Wednesday, Ms Noraisha said she will not be inviting anyone to her home.

"How can I? Since the incident, I can't even do anything. I regret ever talking to him."

This article was first published on July 2, 2016.
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Four schools had more than half their places filled when the first phase of the Primary 1 registration exercise ended yesterday - four fewer schools than last year.

Phase 1 is for children whose siblings are currently studying in their primary school of choice.

Henry Park Primary School had 158 out of 300 spots taken up, and and Nanyang Primary School had 197 places filled out of 390.

Both schools are located in Bukit Timah.

Horizon Primary School in Punggol and Chua Chu Kang Primary School were also well sought after.

They had 108 and 109 children signing up respectively for 210 places.

There are fewer Primary 1 vacancies in primary schools next year - 39,790 compared to 41,860 this year.

Based on figures from the Department of Statistics Singapore, the number of babies born in 2010 - who are entering primary school next year - was 37,967.

In comparison, there were more than 39,000 babies born in each of the three years before that.

Not having to ballot thanks to Phase 1 of the registration exercise has been a relief for many parents.

Administrative executive Huang Shufen's younger daughter will join her elder sister at Holy Innocents' Primary School in Hougang next year.

"It's a bit inconvenient because next year the school is moving to a temporary site in Ang Mo Kio and the girls will be in separate sessions," said Mrs Huang, 33.

"But it'll be good for them to be in the same school, and at least we don't have to go through balloting again."

Housewife Sabrina Goh, 39, whose six-year-old daughter will join her elder sister who is now in Primary 3 at Singapore Chinese Girls' School next year, said: "This time round, there is no stress. My eldest daughter just brought back the registration form last term for us to apply.

"We had to ballot for my eldest one three years ago in Phase 2C and it was very stressful."

She hopes to send her youngest daughter, who is now four years old, to the same school.

"My daughter is very happy with her friends, the school, her teachers... they have a lot of activities, it's not just about studies," said Madam Goh.

Housewife Nur Fadhillah, 34, who registered her younger son at Punggol View Primary School, said: "We live nearby so we save on transport costs. It's also quite a good school, and my elder boy in Primary 3 is doing okay in his studies."

Mrs Frances Tan's daughter will be going to Henry Park Primary School, where her brother is currently in Primary 2.

Said the 39-year-old freelance writer: "Our past impressions were that Henry Park was very academically-focused. (But) the principal emphasises character- building too."

The next registration stage, Phase 2A(1), which starts on Tuesday, is for children whose parents have joined the school's alumni association for at least a year.

ateng@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on July 2, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Singapore "strongly condemns" the terrorist attack on a cafe in the Gulshan district of Dhaka, Bangladesh the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said today (July 2).

Armed militants killed 20 civilians after taking them hostage in the cafe overnight on July 1. Many of the victims were hacked to death, according to an army spokesperson.

Said the MFA: "There can be no justifications for such heinous actions. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured a speedy recovery."

It added that there were no reports of Singaporean casualties, but urged those who are in Bangladesh to exercise vigilance.

Gunmen take hostages in Dhaka cafe

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, AFP

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has verified the safety of all registered Singaporeans in Dhaka. The Singapore Consulate in Dhaka is also in contact with the Bangladeshi authorities. Thus far, there are no reports of any Singaporeans injured or directly affected by the incident."

"Singaporeans in Bangladesh are advised to exercise vigilance and follow the instructions of the Bangladeshi authorities, and when possible, let their family and friends know that they are safe."

Singaporeans in Dhaka who require consular assistance are advised to contact the Singapore Consulate in Dhaka or the 24-hour MFA Duty Office at:

Consulate of the Republic of Singapore – Bangladesh (Dhaka)
Tel: + 880 (183) 333 2430
Email: singcon_dha@mfa.sg

MFA Duty Office
Tel: +65 6379 8800 / 8855 (24-hour hotline)
Email: mfa_duty_officer@mfa.gov.sg

candicec@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - A man who was jaywalking turned aggressive after a driver honked at him.

According to citizen journalism site Stomp, the incident took place at Bukit Batok West Avenue 6 on June 30, at around 7am.

The female driver, Ryn, told Stomp:  "The lights were in my favour and and there were many other vehicles making a turn too.

"But he said [after the video] that I should be the one giving way to him."

Jaywalker turns aggressive after getting honked at

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Stomp

An in-car camera recording shows the man making aggressive gestures at Ryn and even hitting her car after he got honked at.

Ryn added that she has made a police report.

candicec@sph.com.sg

His is not an ordinary passion.

Mr Raymond Goh clears and examines tombstones to piece together information about the historical context of the deceased's lives.

Then, he tries to connect the deceased's descendants to their ancestors' burial sites.

Mr Goh, 52, tells The New Paper on Sunday: "I help to uncover Singapore's lost history in our own backyard. Some of our cemeteries are heritage gems that are almost like living museums."

The "tomb whisperer" has been shortlisted as an Outlook Inspiration by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

He made it to the top 15 from an initial list of 50 inspiring people from around the globe. (See report at right.)

Three people will be picked as the ultimate Outlook Inspirations and results will be announced tomorrow.

Mr Goh, a pharmacist at a multinational company, was nominated for the part that he has played in discovering lost aspects of Singapore's heritage with his finds during his weekly tomb-clearing expeditions.

He looks at details such as names of the deceased, names of descendants, dates and decorative flourishes.

And one graveyard site that he has returned to, week after week, is Bukit Brown.

He says: "Of all the graveyards I've been to, the ones in Bukit Brown complex have the most variety and history.

"The tombstones can tell (Singapore's) story all the way from its founding to modern times."

Mr Goh has unearthed fascinating fragments of Singapore's past that would otherwise have remained hidden indefinitely in overgrown, abandoned cemeteries.

COMPLEX

The oldest tomb he has found in the Bukit Brown complex of cemeteries, where he focuses his work, dates all the way back to 1826, which he pointed out is "just seven years after Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles".

Two years ago, Mr Goh stumbled across the final resting places of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's maternal great-grandfather, grandfather and grandmother. Before his discovery, he had read a recent "article about Mr Lee that mentioned his ancestors' names", and he remembered them when he read the inscriptions on their tombstones.

He and his brother, Charles, 48, have inspired a community called All Things Bukit Brown - also affectionately called Brownies - whose members are all equally passionate about Bukit Brown.

There are now "over 30 Brownies conducting guided walks", estimates Mr Goh.

More than 17,000 people have gone on such conducted walks through the Bukit Brown cemetery complex since the programme began in 2012.

Ms Claire Leow, 49, who co-founded All Things Bukit Brown to preserve Bukit Brown, expresses the community's pride in Mr Goh.

She says: "We are proud of the Goh brothers, and Raymond in particular, for shining a light on our heritage and showing a way for others to... contribute to promoting our history and heritage."

Mr Goh has developed unusual methods of gleaning information from the often dilapidated tombstones.

He demonstrates how he fills the gaps made by inscriptions with flour, which sticks in place and makes it easier to read the engraved letters or characters.

But before he can examine the tombstones, he must first find them, he says, with a chuckle.

That means climbing through the branches and thick foliage in the less-maintained areas.

It also means suffering spider and wasp bites.

He says: "I sometimes get stung by insects, ants, spiders and wasps... These bites are painful (and cause) swelling and itching... and some of my tombkeeper friends have been stung by scorpions."

But this doesn't deter him from the task at hand.

And with the increased publicity he received when the Government announced plans to build an eight-lane road through the cemetery in 2011, Mr Goh found a surge in the number of requests from people wishing to find their ancestors' tombs before they were exhumed.

He says: "Some people have asked me to help with locating their ancestors' graves. Helping them is one of the most satisfying aspects of what I do."

In the wake of his BBC Outlook Inspiration nomination, Mr Goh has found people he hasn't spoken to in years congratulating him, including classmates from school and university.

He even took some of his Secondary 4 classmates from Gan Eng Seng school - where they graduated 37 years ago - to visit their school founder's tomb in Bukit Brown.

He says: "We sat around the tombstone and sang the school song, which we hadn't sung for so many years, and I felt a lump in my throat. It was a very heartwarming moment."

This article was first published on July 03, 2016.
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For one month each year, the usually empty void deck of Block 724 in Jurong West Street 72 is transformed.

Its pillars are draped with cloth, the floors are covered with carpets, and the space is lit up with overhead lights.

Every Ramadan, this void deck functions as a pop-up prayer area.

For the past 20 years, a group of six residents have turned this public space into a temporary surau (Malay for prayer hall).

Their leader, Mr Yusoff Subri Abdul Ghafoor, tells The New Paper on Sunday: "This place is more than just an area for us to pray, it represents how during this holy month, we as a community can come together to take stock and be devoted to our religion."

Muslim residents in the area gather at the surau every night to perform the special terawih prayers, which are unique to the fasting month.

Terawih can be done individually, but devotees are encouraged to perform them in large groups.

According to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore's website, there are more than 40 such makeshift prayer areas here in void decks and multipurpose halls.

Mr Yusoff Subri says these prayer areas are especially helpful to those who do not live near mosques.

The surau at Block 724 can accommodate about 200 people.

SPECIAL

"Terawih are special, and it is a shame if those who are ill or old cannot perform them with others because they cannot travel," he says.

"Since mosques are hard to get to for them, we bring the prayer areas to the people here."

The surau has a permit from the town council to conduct these sessions till 10.30pm every night for the whole month of Ramadan.

But the space is used for more than just prayers.

The residents also use it to distribute food, drink tea and have communal meals.

The surau will also be used for Hari Raya Aidilfitri prayers on Wednesday morning.

After that, while most Muslims will be visiting and celebrating, Mr Yusoff Subri and his committee will be packing up because the surau has to be cleared by the next day.

His son, Mr Muhammad Ashraf, who is part of the organising committee, will be helping out.

The 24-year-old facilities manager, who has been praying there almost every night during Ramadan since he was four, does not mind it at all.

He says: "It is important to have this sense of continuity that people can depend on, I am happy to share the reins with my father."

Taking prayer to the people

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper

This article was first published on July 03, 2016.
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Bewildered - that was how an OCBC Bank relationship manager described his reaction when Yang Yin asked for $600,000 in $10,000 bills as collateral to purportedly open an art gallery in Hong Kong.

Yet the most eye-catching piece of evidence presented in court yesterday as the trial began to decide whether the former China tour guide misappropriated $1.1 million from a rich, elderly woman, was a Chinese painting that was folded repeatedly and found stuffed in an envelope in a piece of luggage.

Yang claims he bought the painting for the elderly woman, Madam Chung Khin Chun, for $500,000. But the prosecution said such a claim only shows that the 42-year-old was lying. The day's hearing, however, was cut short after Yang's lawyer said his client had been breaking out in a "cold sweat" and was not feeling well.

Tussle over widow's $40m assets turns ugly

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, Madam Hedy Mok, Lianhe Wanbao, Madam Chang Phie Chin

Nearly two years after Yang's involvement with wealthy widow Madam Chung was first reported in this paper, he faced the court yesterday to fight criminal breach of trust charges involving $1.1 million.

In May, he pleaded guilty to 120 charges, including offences involving his permanent residency and falsification of receipts which gave the impression he was running a legitimate business here. He is also being sued by Madam Chung's niece for allegedly manipulating her aunt into handing over her assets, worth an estimated $40 million.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani told the court yesterday that Yang's claim that he withdrew $600,000 in 2012 to register a business in Hong Kong stood in "stark contrast" to documents filed in the civil suit, in which he stated it was used to purchase six paintings. The prosecution also said the withdrawal came after Yang had liquidated over $1.3 million worth of Madam Chung's unit trust investments.

See also: Ex-China tour guide claims trial to charges that he stole$1.1m from widow

Mr Ngoh Boon Leong, who was Yang's OCBC Bank relationship manager at that time, testified yesterday: "My understanding of opening business entities is that they don't normally require cash as collateral, plus the amount was indeed a bit too big, even if it's for this reason."

Also taking the stand was Assistant Superintendent Yow Kien Seng. He described how during a raid in September 2014 at a Fernvale Link flat, where Yang was staying at the time, a painting was found in his luggage.Yang said the painting by Chinese master Xu Beihong, called "Yin Ma Tu" or Horse Drinking Water, was bought for $500,000 on Madam Chung's behalf.

But according to the agreed statement of facts, the sum of $500,000 was transferred several times between Madam Chung's and Yang's accounts before it was finally deposited into Yang's father's Bank of China account in 2010.

Yang's lawyer Irving Choh, however, said the painting belonged to Madam Chung, and she had asked Yang to get it authenticated.

Madam Chung's long-time friend, Madam Chang Phie Chin, also testified yesterday. The 86-year- old, who used to live with Madam Chung, described how Yang and Madam Chung had kept in touch even after a trip to Beijing in 2008. Both women went together, and Yang was their tour guide.

A year later, he moved in to live with the widow in her Gerald Crescent bungalow. Some time later, Yang told Madam Chung, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2014, that he had to fire her long-time driver, as he had tried to strangle him. But Madam Chang said neither she nor Madam Chung saw it happen.

Appearing in a purple jumpsuit with his feet shackled, Yang, who is in remand since October 2014, showed little expression at the hearing. During Madam Chang's testimony, he was seen leaning against the side of the dock. Asked if he was well enough to continue, his lawyer said no. The trial continues on Monday.

Tussle over widow's $40m assets: A look at Madam Chung’s bungalow

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, Raymond Tan

This article was first published on July 2, 2016.
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A new cancer treatment being tested for the first time in the world in Singapore could bring hope to women suffering from tough-to-treat breast cancer.

Such women include Madam Goh, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 at the age of 39. After initial treatment, she led a normal life until 2011, when the cancer returned with a vengeance. It had spread to the rest of her body, including her liver and lungs.

Her oncologists at the National Cancer Centre tried one treatment after another to stop it but with little success. Last year, having run out of options, they referred her to the National University Cancer Institute Singapore (NCIS) as they knew of an ongoing trial there.

In the trial, doctors use the body's natural killer cells (NK cells) to stop the progression of late-stage breast cancer.

Madam Goh underwent treatment between Septemberlast year and March. The 56-year-old mother of two, who declined to give her full name, said: "My appetite has returned and I feel like a normal person now."

NK cells have been used for some time to fight cancer, but usually for liquid cancers such as leukaemia.

The trial was the first attempt to use them in patients in the terminal stages of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) breast cancer, which accounts for about one in four breast cancers here.

The results of the clinical trial at NCIS were presented at one of the top cancer meetings in the United States last month.

Dr Lee Soo Chin, a senior oncologist researcher at NCIS and the principal investigator in the trial, said there is now a follow-up trial using higher levels of NK cells. It is hoped that this could lead to longer progression-free survival.

If all goes well, the treatment could go into clinical practice for early stage HER-2 patients who face a high risk of the cancer recurring.

NK cells are part of a body's immune system but, in cancer patients, the level of NK cells is usually low. The trial took the NK cells out of the patients' blood, multiplied the numbers by about 350 times in a cell culture, made them more potent through a patented process, then put them back in the body.

Patients were also given Herceptin, a very potent standard drug to treat HER-2 breast cancer. Besides killing cancer cells, this drug increases NK cells' ability to fight the cancer. That is why the trial is meant for only this kind of breast cancer.

The whole treatment costs about $50,000.

All of the trial's 14 patients, such as Madam Goh, had exhausted all available treatments, with one having undergone 13 different treatments.

The first three patients were given one million NK cells per kg of their weight. When it was found to be safe, the next 11 were given the target 10 million NK cells per kg.

Dr Lee said the median progression-free period of 6.3 months is very good as most other treatments keep the cancer at bay for two months or less. The longest progression-free survival so far is nine months.

She has started two patients on a dose of 50 million NK cells per kg of body weight, with plans to double that dose in the hope that higher doses could lead to longer survival. The treatment is well tolerated, and patients enjoy a good quality of life.

This has been the case for Madam Goh. She has been travelling, going to Bangkok and China, and is now planning a trip to India.

This article was first published on Jul 03, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Facebook today to post a fun photo of himself with fellow ministers in a mid-air jump.

Singapore celebrates Youth Day today (July 3) with a school holiday for secondary and tertiary students tomorrow. His post was done in celebration of it.

PM Lee said: "Happy Youth Day to all the young and young at heart!

"Your dreams today can become your passions tomorrow. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because that's the beauty of being young. You can experiment, try things out, and discover what you can be. The future often looks daunting, but go forth and create your own!"

PM Lee said the photo was taken in Moscow on a trip earlier this year. In the photo with him are Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, PM Lee's wife Ho Ching, Minister Grace Fu and Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo.

With such a good attempt at the mid-air jump shot, PM Lee asked Facebook users to share their own shots, which, of course, many did.

This weekend also saw the SHINE Festival taking place along the Orchard Road stretch between ION Orchard and *SCAPE.

The festival is an annual youth-oriented event presented by the National Youth Council.

The three-day event, on till 10pm tonight, provides youth with a platform to celebrate their passion and talent, as well as a chance to be mentored by industry professionals.

This year's theme, "Your Next Stage", encourages youth to take risks and come out of their comfort zone - echoing PM Lee's wishes to youths today.

Shine Festival 2016

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times

spanaech@sph.com.sg

JOHOR BARU: A 47-year-old Singaporean man died trying to save his daughter who slipped from the edge of a waterfall in Kulai, about 50km from here.

David Cho Kah Loong died on the spot after plunging 20m off the Gunung Pulai waterfall, said Kulai Fire and Rescue Department chief Mohd Zainuddin Khairi.

He said Cho together with his wife Chua Soon Hoon, 46, and seven-year old daughter Rachael Cho Che Xin were picnicking at the popular waterfall.

With them were friends Chua Mei Chin, 47, and a seven-year-old girl named Elizabeth Choo Rong Lee, who was also injured.

Mohd Zainuddin said Cho and his wife were attempting to save Rachael who had slipped. He said Rachael suffered injuries from the fall but did not comment on her condition.

"We received a call at around 12.55pm and deployed a fire engine with five personnel and they arrived at the scene after a few minutes,'' said Mohd Zainuddin.

The body has been sent to Kulai Hospital for post mortem.

MORE clinics are under probe for possibly cheating the Ministry of Health (MOH) when claiming subsidies for patients under the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas).

Two dental clinics have already been suspended from the scheme starting this Friday.

The ministry told The Straits Times that it has asked the police to look into more questionable claims, made by an unspecified number of other clinics, under Chas.

The scheme lets private clinics treat patients who are eligible for a government subsidy, and claim the subsidy from MOH.

Last week, MOH announced the suspension of two dental clinics - Phoenix Dental Surgery clinics in Ang Mo Kio and Marine Parade - from Chas.

It had filed a police report against them for possible fraud on April 22.

It took action when told that the police had started formal investigations on the clinics.

Under Chas, the MOH has to give a clinic 15 days' notice of termination so the clinics facing suspension are on Chas until July 8.

MOH said it has "also referred other clinics to the police for further investigation".

But it would not say if the other clinics are dental or general practice (GP) establishments.

About 1,500 clinics are on the Chas scheme.

The possible cheating cases surfaced through regular audits by the ministry as well as from a patient's complaints.

In the case of the two clinics facing suspension from Chas, the MOH spokesman said: "While we were auditing the clinics, we also received a patient complaint that Phoenix Dental had submitted claims for procedures which had not been done for the said patient."

Patrick Tseng, Singapore's chief dental officer, said: "MOH takes a serious view of fraudulent claims and unlawful practice behaviour, and we will take necessary action if we suspect any such activity."

The audits have turned up cases of non-compliance but many are unintentional or administrative errors, such as entering the wrong date for a procedure or not getting patients to sign the consent form.

The ministry spokesman said the MOH will recover any subsidies paid out through incorrect claims.

Last year, Chas paid out $167 million in subsidies to general practitioners and dental clinics for treating 650,000 Singaporean patients.

salma@sph.com.sg

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BY 2019, roads outside almost all primary schools here will have flashing lights indicating a reduced speed limit of 40kmh during school arrival and dismissal hours.

More than 170 schools islandwide will have this feature, up from the 10 in the pilot programme introduced in January last year as part of the enhanced school zone scheme.

A spokesman for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the initiative was being expanded as it had proven effective and garnered positive feedback from the public.

"Surveys conducted at the 10 pilot locations by the LTA show that motorists would slow down their vehicles when approaching these stretches of roads," she said.

The signs are one of several features designed to boost road safety near schools.

Aimed at encouraging motorists to drive more carefully outside primary schools, other features include red textured road surfaces, chevron markings and road humps.

The safety of children in school zones came under the spotlight in 2013 after two young brothers died when they were hit by a cement mixer truck in Tampines.

A tender to implement the flashing signs at various school zones has been called.

It is expected to be awarded in the fourth quarter of this year, with works expected to commence in the second quarter of next year.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) transport consultant Gopinath Menon said the signs and other features of the enhanced school zones had worked well.

"Even visitors I bring from overseas are impressed," added the senior research fellow at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NTU.

"A lot of work has been done by the various agencies to make school zones safe."

Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir Sitoh Yih Pin, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, applauded the move to expand the scheme.

"This is certainly a good initiative. Safety is paramount and no stone should be unturned in ensuring the safety of our students," he said.

Eric Leck, who has a daughter in Primary 2, said the move was an important one to ensure the safety of primary-school pupils when crossing the road.

"Some children have to cross the road without being accompanied by their parents or guardians," noted the 43-year-old engineer.

azhaki@sph.com.sg

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TWO pre-schools have moved into conserved buildings in Still Road with almost a hundred years of history after a combined $5 million makeover.

Pat's Schoolhouse Katong is housed in a heritage building at 26 Still Road South while Odyssey The Global Preschool is opening a 21,000 sq ft concept campus at 25 Still Road some way across the street on July 16.

Both pre-schools are under the Busy Bees childcare group and are leasing the space.

Rabiatul Adawiah - director of business development, curriculum, audit and compliance at Busy Bees Singapore - told My Paper that renovations for both campuses cost "close to $5 million in total".

"We took care to preserve the unique facade and features of the two conservation buildings while transforming them into aesthetic and safe pre-schools," she added.

The buildings have a rich history. A spokesman for the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said both conserved buildings were once part of a large estate built by Moona Kader Sultan, a wealthy Indian cattle merchant from South India, shortly after he bought the land in 1917.

He named the estate Karikal Mahal after his home town.

The land was sold in 1947 to Lee Rubber, which converted 25 Still Road South into a hotel.

"The mansions, built in the ornamented Victorian style, are excellent examples of grand bungalows in the Katong area dating from the pre-war years," said the spokesman.

He added that the buildings - important architectural and community landmarks - enhance the heritage stock of the Joo Chiat Conservation Area.

Asked what was special about the two pre-schools in terms of curriculum offerings, Ms Rabiatul said Pat's Schoolhouse "is renowned for pioneering the Bilingual Immersion (English and Mandarin) core programme, and celebrates childhood and creativity in an art- and language-rich environment".

Odyssey The Global Preschool applies an "innovative research-based curriculum specially aimed at exploratory and self-guided learning", inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and benchmarked against international best practices.

"For the first time, we are extending the Odyssey curriculum to infants with the launch of Bambino Odyssey, focusing on left- and right-brain stimulation in the early years," said Ms Rabiatul.

Odyssey's Still Road branch will also be home to an atelier, an indoor herb garden and an outdoor music garden.

The URA spokesman said it is "pleased that the two heritage buildings have found new life as childcare centres to ensure the buildings' continued relevance in our present time".

"Not only will they serve an important need of the community, especially for young families with children, but hopefully the beauty and charm of these grand old dames will also become a memorable part of the children's formative years, helping to bridge this precious heritage to our future."

lydialam@sph.com.sg

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SEMBAWANG will soon be home to a 12ha integrated sports and community hub with unique attributes - it will be located in a lush setting that celebrates the area's greenery and heritage.

Focusing on the themes of water, sports and health, as well as nourishment, the hub is expected to have a swimming pool in a natural and rustic environment, multi-play courts and an eco-friendly hawker centre with efficient energy lighting and water-saving fittings.

Other ideas include community gardens and forest trails.

The new community space will also include Admiralty House, now gazetted as a national monument.

It was built by the British in 1939 and had served under British rule as the residence of the flag officer for the Malayan area.

The house is now occupied by Furen International School, a private education institution, which will vacate the premises in 2020.

Effort is being made to preserve the natural greenery surrounding the hub, which will be a five-minute walk from the Sembawang MRT station.

While approximately 200 of the 761 trees on Admiral Hill, where the hub will be located, will be removed or relocated to make way for the development, another 1,000 will be planted in the area.

There are also plans for a senior care centre providing services such as day care and physiotherapy for the elderly.

A completion date for the hub has yet to be announced, though certain facilities are expected to be up by 2019.

azhaki@sph.com.sg

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The Boy Who Lived lives again, bringing with him a new wave of Pottermania, nine years after the release of the seventh - and supposedly final - Harry Potter book.

J.K. Rowling's saga, which started with an orphaned boy wizard, continues on July 31 with Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Parts I and II, a script book of an upcoming, sold-out London play based on a story by Rowling, playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany.

Its Singapore distributor, Pansing, anticipates a demand of about 100,000 copies for the eighth story in Rowling's Harry Potter series - more than the demand for all three books in the Hunger Games series combined.

Booksellers here are already gearing up for the arrival of the new book with special promotions and planned launch parties. Some are seeing sales of previous books in the series pick up.

A Pansing spokesman says the response to the new book, which it expects to be the biggest title of the year, has been "very enthusiastic". Orders have been rolling in from booksellers since May.

"We're excited about it... We hope new readers will pick up the series and be fascinated by the world of Harry Potter and fans will continue to be enthralled by it," he says.

The story picks up 19 years after Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows and features a grown-up Potter - now a Ministry of Magic employee - and his middle child Albus Severus, who struggles to come to terms with his family's legacy.

When the hotly anticipated seventh book Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows was released in 2007, Penguin Books Singapore brought in about 300,000 copies - half for sale here and the other half in Malaysia - according to newspaper reports then.

It was the series' biggest launch.

Popular, which has 28 bookstores here, is already in the throes of Potter fever, with staff donning wizard hats.

Customers can also snap a photo of themselves with life-sized standees for the book, which are out in some of its stores, and stand a chance to win prizes.

A Popular spokesman says pre- orders, which started pouring in from mid-April, have been "overwhelming".

They are now in the thousands, about five times that of other "well-acclaimed book titles".

Those who pre-order a copy of the latest book from now until July 31 will enjoy a 10 per cent discount.

Home-grown brand Times, which has seven bookstores here, has been encouraged by the response it received since preorders opened on May 26.

Meanwhile, Books Kinokuniya started getting inquiries about the new book as early as February, when news about it broke.

It has been taking reservations for the book since early April, says its children's books buyer Jane Low. Customers who have pre-ordered the book stand a chance to win a Harry Potter chess set.

Bookstores declined to reveal the number of copies they have ordered, but Kinokuniya has asked for a quantity "comparable" with its previous orders for the rest of the series, while Popular will have "sufficient stocks to meet the demands of customers".

Both have seen sales of previous Harry Potter instalments spike since the eighth book was announced, with Popular selling five times the usual number.

For Kinokuniya, "the fever seems to be growing by the day", says Ms Low.

And when July 31 rolls around, some bookstores - including Kinokuniya's Ngee Ann City main store and Jem outlet, and 15 Popular branches - will open at 7.01am to coincide with the international release of the book.

Fans can expect a little bit of magic then, with booksellers here going all out to celebrate the launch.

Kinokuniya will throw its HP8 Magical Party at all four stores, with plans that include a cosplay contest and prize giveaways.

A selection of limited quality, "highly coveted Harry Potter premium merchandise, which we have specially sourced from overseas" will be up for sale too. Kinokuniya is also working with patisserie Paul Singapore to come up with a Harry Potter-inspired treat for early-bird customers on the day of the launch.

Fans looking for a party can also head to Popular's flagship store at Bras Basah Complex. Those who pre-register for the bash will receive goodie bags, while those queuing at other stores will get special gifts.

More details of the party and gifts will be released on the Popular website and its Facebook page. Times and MPH Bookstores will announce their launch plans and promotions at a later date.

But for MPH, Potter fever looks to be muted so far. Its merchandising manager Matthias Low says MPH, which has three stores here, has yet to see serious inquiries about the new book that have resulted in a confirmed preorder.

"We are taking a cautious approach of our initial stock commitment with the distributor," he says. "After all, this is just a script book of a West End stage play."

MPH has sold massive numbers of Rowling's books, with her seven Harry Potter books selling an average of 10,000 copies each over the years. The final Harry Potter book enjoyed "huge sales", but that, notes Mr Low, was in 2007 - "almost a generation ago".

Sales have since flatlined and, since the release of the last Harry Potter film in 2011, MPH has "hardly sold any copies of Harry Potter".

This article was first published on Jul 05, 2016.
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Most parents of children with special needs want new laws to promote the rights of their children, and better pre-school education for them, a survey has found.

The survey polled 835 parents with special needs children aged nine and below and was commissioned by the Lien Foundation, a philanthropic house.

Findings released yesterday showed that close to three-quarters of parents polled agreed that new laws are necessary.

The poll also asked parents about challenges faced in raising their special needs children, and how the public acts towards them (see chart on key findings). Of parents with children in pre-schools, fewer than half felt their children had adequate support from the pre- schools - be it from teachers, the curriculum or facilities available (see chart).

Close to half of the parents of pre-schoolers also said it was difficult to enrol their children in pre-school, usually because there were pre-schools that were unwilling to admit the child, or because of inexperienced teachers.

On a broader level, 77 per cent of the respondents supported the idea of inclusive education, an approach that caters to both children with and without special needs.

The Lien Foundation said laws could help promote inclusiveness and suggested that the Compulsory Education Act, which makes primary school education a must, be extended to special needs children.

It said in a statement: "This would set a baseline of access to education for these children and ensure a commitment to their education needs."

Its chief executive Lee Poh Wah said Singapore is an exception among places that came up tops in education rankings, such as Hong Kong and South Korea, "because unlike them, we have yet to introduce laws to support inclusion in education".

Lien Foundation programme manager Ng Tze Yong added that the committee behind the 2012-2016 Enabling Masterplan - which guides the development of policies and services for people with disabilities - had recommended that children with special needs be included under the Act by 2016. But no update on this was given in a progress report released in April, he said.

Parents of children with special needs, while noting that it could be more inconvenient for their children to attend mainstream schools, said they wanted their children to socialise with their typically-developing peers.

Ms Sally Kwek, 39, founding editor of an online parenting magazine, moved her nine-year-old daughter out from a primary school - after staff asked that she hire a shadow teacher to help the child cope, which was too expensive to do so - to a special education school.

"She has friends, but she's less exposed to what life will be like when she grows up in the real world. That in itself is also a disability," she said.

Children with and without special needs stand to benefit from more inclusive education, she added. The former would better understand what is socially acceptable; the latter would learn how to respond to people with disabilities.

Weight-management coach Lawrence Ng, 44, who has a son with autism, hopes teaching can be differentiated to suit children's varied learning styles.

For Mr Izaan Tari Sheikh, 32, an executive director in a bank, his able-bodied daughter learns alongside special needs children in a pre-school. He said: "I have not seen the teachers showing any less attention to my child than to those with special needs. She also seems to show more concern for others."

KEY FINDINGS

28 per cent regard Singapore as inclusive

About half felt their key service needs were being met - in transportation (58 per cent), medical and dental (55 per cent) and childcare (54 per cent)

43 per cent wanted more financial help from the Government, and close to 60 per cent of those with a monthly household income of $7,000 to $9,900 felt this way

Four in 10 think their special needs children spend too little time in the community outside school; among these, 31 per cent said it is difficult to spend time in public spaces as they feel judged by others

Around one in three have heard adults directing insensitive remarks at their special needs children

Almost half said their special needs children do not have friends without disabilities

61 per cent said they or their spouses are the primary caregivers; among this group, two in five quit their jobs to take care of the child

This article was first published on July 5, 2016.
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A jealous woman who was angry that her boyfriend kept nude photos of his ex on his laptop decided to publish them online.

Freelance copywriter Yeo Hui Qi alias Yeo Min Ping, 29, was sentenced to a month in jail yesterday after a court heard how she had uploaded a folder of the woman's photos into a thumb drive before putting 48 on an image-storage site five months later, in a folder titled "Naughtiness".

They featured the other woman topless and naked and included her face. Yeo even used the victim's real name when she created a fake profile.

She also created fake profiles in the victim's name on two other websites, including a dating site.

Yeo pleaded guilty to one of three charges of transmitting an obscene object by electronic means from her home in Yishun Street 61 on Feb 10, 2014.

She is out on $10,000 bail, pending an appeal against her sentence.

District Judge Lee Poh Choo said "on the spur, she (Yeo) destroyed another totally innocent lady's life", adding that what she had done was "absolutely despicable".

The harm done to the victim could not be calculated, she said, and the victim had to "suffer this for the rest of her life'' as her pictures would always be circulated in her real name. She said Yeo's use of the victim's name also revealed "the extent of her viciousness".

Yeo did not say why she did this. "If it is to punish her, for what? She did nothing to you,'' the district judge told Yeo.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Si En said the victim had sent photos of herself to Yeo's 32-year-old boyfriend when they were in a relationship from 2011 after meeting in a university overseas. After he graduated in December 2011 and returned here, they kept a long- distance relationship until 2013.

Yeo and the man entered into a relationship in mid-2013. In September that year, she found the photos of his ex-girlfriend on his laptop. They have since broken up.

"She was angry and jealous as the witness was keeping his ex-girlfriend's sexually explicit photos," said DPP Tan. The court heard that the obscene photographs uploaded by Yeo are still available on pornographic websites.

Yeo's lawyer Lee Ping asked the court to call for a pre-sentence report or impose a short detention order (SDO), a community-based sentence.

DPP Tan said there was a degree of pre-meditation in Yeo's action and neither probation nor SDO was warranted on the facts of the case. The district judge agreed with her.

Yeo could have been jailed for up to three months and/or fined for the offence.

This article was first published on Jul 05, 2016.
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The Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) has ruled that a US$43 million (S$57.8 million) spat between parties based in the United States and Singapore is an "offshore" case - paving the way for foreign lawyers registered with the SICC to argue in the dispute.

International Judge (IJ) Henry Bernard Eder found the case had no "substantial connection" with Singapore - a key requisite under SICC rules to qualify for offshore status.

He said the various claims and counterclaims in the case are all concerned with the provision of services to three liquified natural gas projects in or off Queensland, Australia.

"The vast majority of these services and the issues relating thereto have nothing whatsoever to do with Singapore," IJ Eder said in judgment grounds released last week.

The case is the first ruling by the SICC on what makes an offshore case, which means a party involved may be represented by foreign lawyers of their choice.

The SICC was launched last year to deal with transnational commercial disputes. Opposing parties involved may come from different countries to have cases heard here.

In this case, defendant Teras Cargo Transport (America) LLC had signed a contract with Bechtel Oil Gas and Chemicals and Bechtel International Inc for the provision of services and equipment in relation to three liquified natural gas projects in Australia.

US-based Teras Cargo had then subcontracted the work to Singapore firm Teras Offshore Pte Ltd.

Disputes arose and Teras Offshore took Teras Cargo to court, seeking US$29 million in claims while Teras Cargo denied liability and counterclaimed for about US$14 million.

As a preliminary issue, Teras Cargo, through lawyers Chew Kei-Jin and Tham Lijing, applied for the case to be treated as offshore, arguing there was an absence of a substantial connection to Singapore.

Teras Offshore lawyers Peter Doraisamy and Andrew Lee countered, among other things, that all its witnesses and relevant documents are in Singapore and even Teras Cargo had a (small) operational office here.

IJ Eder held that such factors showed some connection of the "action" with Singapore in a "procedural and administrative sense" but, taken together, were not "substantial". He noted that the claims of the plaintiff, made up of some 75 individual bills ranging from less than US$1,000 to more than US$2 million, relate to work done in Australia.

He said the court would be concerned in the main hearing to evaluate the "factual bases" from the evidence and this "action" bears no substantial link to Singapore.

The judge was mindful that, given the SICC's role to resolve international commercial disputes, "a parochial insistence that parties appoint Singapore qualified lawyers (even when there are are only a handful of coincidental or procedural connections with Singapore) would be anomalous and self-defeating".

He added: "However, the question whether or not an action is an 'offshore case' must be determined by reference to a particular action; the focus must be the 'action' itself and whether it can properly be said that the action has no substantial connection with Singapore."

This article was first published on Jul 05, 2016.
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Factory activity shrank for the 12th straight month in June as the lacklustre global economy continued to weigh on Singapore's beleaguered manufacturing sector.

Elsewhere in the region, manufacturing experienced a small lift in some economies but analysts say the uptick will be short-lived and that long-term prospects remain anaemic.

Singapore's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) - an early indicator of manufacturing activity - came in at 49.6 last month, down slightly from the 49.8 reading in May. A reading below 50 indicates contraction.

The fall came as domestic and export orders shrank alongside declines in employment and production. The data is compiled by the Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management, from a monthly poll of purchasing executives at about 150 industrial companies.

Manufacturing, which makes up a fifth of the economy, has been hit hard by tepid global growth and ongoing restructuring. The industry has been in recession for over a year, according to some economists.

There will be "no light at the end of the Singapore manufacturing tunnel" in this half of the year, said OCBC economist Selena Ling.

"Domestic business confidence is likely to remain subdued in the near term, especially in the wake of the Brexit-induced uncertainties," she added.

DBS economist Irvin Seah said PMI readings are expected to "inch gingerly higher in the coming months" due to seasonal effects, as manufacturers ramp up production to meet orders for the year-end festive season.

However, there could be fewer orders this year than last year.

"Without a sustained improvement in global demand, it is still a bleak outlook for the manufacturing sector after all," added Mr Seah.

Manufacturing showed tentative signs of life elsewhere in the world. Key data in the United States showed positive signs, while South Korea and Taiwan - Asia's industrial bellwethers - logged expansionary PMI readings for June.

"Look closely, however, and it's doubtful there'll be much follow- through," said Mr Frederic Neumann, co-head of Asian economics research at HSBC, in a research note. "China is softening again, global new export orders continue to contract, and new orders in Asia aren't improving. It all feels wobbly. And Brexit isn't helping."

China's official manufacturing PMI edged down in June to reach 50, from the 50.1 logged in May and April.

A separate private survey of China's manufacturing activity - the Caixin Manufacturing PMI - fell to 48.6 last month, from the 49.2 reading in May.

This article was first published on Jul 05, 2016.
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