Residents of Block 203, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, are not overly concerned about the possible discovery of two more active tuberculosis cases, as most have already been screened and received the all-clear.

However, some believe neighbours who have not been screened should do so for everyone's peace of mind.

"We can't force people if they don't want to help themselves, but they are being selfish and putting other people at risk," said Mr Ahmad Huzaimi, 25, a medical information officer.

His family of three went for the screening organised by the Ministry of Health (MOH) at the block's void deck from June 16 to 19 and received letters last week saying they were in the clear.

A former odd-job labourer who wanted to be known only as Mr Ng, 55, said he wished everyone would get tested: "It's okay if I get it, but what if I spread it to my sister and her children?"

Out of 10 residents The Straits Times spoke to last night, nine had gone for screenings with their families and received letters saying their chest X-rays and blood tests were normal. About 350 people live in the block.

Madam Ceng Hui Yang, 70, said in Mandarin: "I've already tested, so I'm not worried. I don't really visit the neighbours anyway."

On June 16, the MOH revealed that six cases of multi-drug-resistant TB had emerged from Block 203, with the first case dating back to 2012. Asked if she was concerned given the new suspected cases, Madam Ceng said she has faith that the Government will contain any spread of the disease.

Institute of Technical Education student Muhaimin Yasman, 18, said his mother was worried when news first broke about the TB cluster at the block, but she is "not so scared now that the results stated that she's okay".

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper

Only storekeeper Johan Samah, 48, said his family of five had not gone for the screening. "There's nothing for me to check. Nobody is sick, why would I check? If they are sick, then I'll worry," he said.

Ministry officers, grassroots volunteers and staff from the TB Control Unit have visited 93 per cent of households in the block.

All residents who reported symptoms have been screened and assessed by the TB Control Unit.

Letters encouraging residents to get tested will also be sent to those who have not been screened.

This article was first published on Jul 05, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singaporean writer O Thiam Chin is an avid runner who runs one full marathon every year. It is fitting then that the 38-year-old's circuitous route to literary success has been a long and at times arduous journey.

He barely scraped a pass for English in secondary school, was rejected several times when he applied for writing jobs and made short-lived forays into film-making and poetry writing.

Through it all, he kept on writing. "I felt this desperate need to tell stories. I had to do it somehow, whether it was through an article, poem or anything else. Something had to come out," he tells The Straits Times.

No one would have imagined that O, who was raised by Mandarin- speaking hawker parents, would one day become one of the country's leading contemporary authors.

He beat three other writers - Sebastian Sim, Balli Kaur Jaswal and Wong Souk Yee - to clinch last year's Epigram Books Fiction Prize.

The win netted him a $20,000 cash prize and publisher Epigram Books has published his first full- length novel, Now That It's Over, which chronicles the unravelling of two relationships, set against the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

He researched parts of the novel while on a 2007 holiday to Phuket and wrote it between 2010 and 2014. He started work on it while on the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in 2010.

The book is a non-linear narrative that flashes back and forth in time and features a gay relationship.

But he is not concerned that it will turn readers off. "I based the material off dynamics I've seen in both married and gay couples. Relationships are complex. They carry with them so much joy and pleasure, but also complications and sorrow. There are all these secrets, different expectations and interior lives that we all have," says O, who is single.

He has penned five short story collections, of which the most recent, Love, Or Something Like Love, was up for the Singapore Literature Prize in 2014. It lost to writer Amanda Lee Koe's Ministry Of Moral Panic. He also received the National Arts Council's Young Artist Award in 2012.

Winning Singapore's richest literary award is quite the feather in his cap, but he admits it came with great expectations. "Now, people know who I am, so they will read and judge my writing. All eyes are on me. They expect me to write top-notch stuff," he says.

He used the prize money to pay his home loan and other expenses and is now living off income from freelance writing assignments and grant money from the arts council.

"It's not really possible to survive as a full-time writer," he says. "I can carry on like this for one or two years at most. After the announcement, I jumped back into writing again. Then I realised this is the part that doesn't change. Writing still goes on painstakingly and slowly for me."

He is working on a new story collection that will have a "more fantastical bent", due out next year.

O was first exposed to stories by his English teacher in Townsville Primary School in Ang Mo Kio. His most vivid recollection was a retelling of The Twits by acclaimed English author Roald Dahl in class.

"I was so fascinated that this story was about two ugly and detestable people, which made it even more compelling. So I went to read the book," he says.

As a student in Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, he would be late for school because he was hooked on the radio plays broadcast at noon on the Rediffusion radio station.

Following the plays regularly, however, taught him storytelling elements such as cliffhangers and how to "carry a story forward to compel listeners to tune in, and craft it in a way to hold their attention, and keep them in suspense".

O studied English and literature in school, but scored C6 grades for both subjects at the O-level examinations ("A lot of memorisation that killed my love for reading", he recalls).

He took up a diploma in mecha- tronics at Temasek Polytechnic, as he had no idea what to pursue then.

His National Service stint marked a turning point, as he had to travel to Pasir Laba Camp near Tuas for his military training.

Failing in order to succeed

The public transport rides of more than an hour gave him time to read the Pulitzer and Man Booker Prize winners. He counts American writer Raymond Carver and Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto as two of his biggest literary influences.

"Carver taught me that a sentence may look deceptively simple, but it takes a lot to pare it down to what you want to convey. I try to emulate Yoshimoto in my work as her stories are sad, soulful and beautiful."

He got a job in a telecommunications company after national service, but did not enjoy working with telephone systems and left three months later.

"After 21/2 years of reading, I knew I wanted to do something dealing with words, so I looked for marketing communications and public relations jobs," he says.

He eventually joined Mediacorp as a marketing and communications executive and was asked to star in an episode of Crimewatch by a show producer.

"He told me, 'You look like a failed IT entrepreneur who lost a lot of money.' All I did was make a call on the phone, loosen my tie and look dejected," recalls O, mimicking the action and laughing.

In 2000, he enrolled in a part-time English language and literature course at the Singapore Institute Of Management. "I wanted to be able to go into a text, understand and dissect it - to learn those kinds of skills," he says. He later started writing for magazines and online publications, and even applied to be a journalist at Singapore Press Holdings, but was rejected thrice.

Hoping to expand his repertoire, he wrote a screenplay and directed a short film about a mother who may have possibly killed her child. "It was so terribly conceived. I think it won a merit prize at a competition and was screened at a film event, but I didn't even go to see it. I'm my own worst critic," he says.

He also feels the same way about his first self-published short story collection, Free-Falling Man (2005), which he wrote while holding a full-time job as a marketing communications manager.

"I'm trying to destroy any copy of it that I can find now. It was one of my first attempts at fiction writing and it was cringe-worthy."

Such is the author's candour and self-deprecating humour. He flashes a broad smile and often breaks out in nervous laughter when he answers questions.

Looking back on his career, he says: "I believe that sometimes, you have to fail, fail and fail. I tried fiction-writing because I had failed at almost everything else. So it sounds like it's my concubine, right? But actually, it's my one true love."

This article was first published on July 05, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Despite seeing that a pupil was in school uniform, a tobacco retailer in Ang Mo Kio went ahead to sell the 14-year-old cigarettes. 

For that, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has revoked the tobacco retail licence of Song Hui Kiosk.

"It will no longer be allowed to sell tobacco products," said the HSA in a statement today (July 5). 

The errant retailer was caught via HSA's ground surveillance, said the authority. 

Five other errant tobacco retailers who sold tobacco products to minors under 18 years of age also had their licences suspended. 

The outlets are Shivaranjani Minimart, 26 Foodloft, Al Kaaba Mini-Mart, Sin Hup Lee Store, and O A Jalil. 

The suspension is for six months.

Anyone caught selling tobacco products to persons below the age of 18 is liable to a maximum fine of up to $5,000 for the first offence and up to $10,000 for the second or subsequent offence. In addition, the tobacco retail licence will be suspended for 6 months for the first offence and revoked for the second offence.

If any outlet is found selling tobacco products to minors under 18 years old in school uniform or to those under the age of 12, their licence will be revoked.

From 2013 to date, 22 tobacco retail licences have been revoked and 32 were suspended by HSA.

maryanns@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - A Bangladeshi national who tried to enter Singapore illegally by swimming across the Straits of Johor has been arrested.

In a statement on Tuesday (July 5), the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that the man was first sighted by Police Coast Guard officers walking along the shoreline towards Singapore at about 3am on Sunday (July 3).

The coast guard then informed ICA officers at Woodlands Checkpoint, and officers from the Land Domain were immediately deployed to search for him.

The 36-year-old was successfully located and arrested at about 3.35am.

Preliminary investigations showed that the man had attempted to swim to Singapore from Johor, and landed at the shoreline where he was detained.

Investigations are ongoing.

ICA stressed that it takes a serious view of attempts to overstay, enter or depart Singapore illegally.

Overstaying or illegal entry are punishable by a jail term of up to six months and at least three strokes of the cane. Meanwhile, those who are caught attempting to illegally depart from Singapore may be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

seanyap@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - The recent spate of bomb blasts in a number of Muslim-majority countries were against Islam and do not represent Muslims around the world, Minister Yaacob Ibrahim has said.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (July 5), the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs strongly condemned the recent series attacks, describing them as "senseless acts of terror" which ignore the sanctity of human life.

"The attacks on Muslim majority cities and countries, claiming lives of Muslims during the Holy month of Ramadan, confirm that their heinous acts are against Islam and do not represent Muslims all over the world," he wrote.

In the post, Mr Yaacob expressed shock and sadness at the recent incidents in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Turkey, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

In Saudi Arabia, at least seven people were killed in three suicide bomb attacks, including one at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, which is considered one of Islam's holiest sites. These attacks came just days after gunmen stormed a cafe in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Friday (July 1), taking diners hostage and killing 20 of them.

Malaysia's police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, also confirmed on Monday (July 4) that the grenade attack on a nightclub in Puchong, near Kuala Lumpur, was the first successful attack by the Islamic State group on Malaysian soil.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

AFP, Reuters

Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam also took to Facebook to express his thoughts on the recent attacks, where he also highlighted the recent suicide truck bomb attack which left more than 200 dead in attack.

"The holy month of Ramadan is meant to be a period of charity and compassion. Instead, ISIS sees Ramadan as an opportune time to take away innocent lives, declaring that they would make it 'a month of pain for infidels everywhere.' Even Muslims have not been spared. Our hearts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones," he wrote.

In another Facebook post, Singapore's top Muslim leader, Mufti Mohamed Fatris Bakaram, said that the attacks were committed by "misguided people" who blemished the religion of Islam.

"The fact that the attacks took place during Ramadan ... show clearly these attacks have nothing to do with Islam. These are outrageous and evil attacks against humanity," he wrote.

In his post, he also pointed out instances in Singapore of Muslims coming together to help others, as well as Singaporeans from other religious faiths joining in communal iftars (breaking of fast) held at mosques.

"This is the embodiment of the true teachings of Islam and all religions. This is the spirit that we should continue to harness that can help further strengthen us as a society," he urged.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has issued a travel notice reminding Singaporeans to remain vigilant when travelling overseas and register with the foreign ministry so that they are contactable should a need arise.

MFA also called on travellers to stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times. "Factor recent developments into your travel plans and activities."

The ministry also reminded Singaporeans to take precautions to ensure their personal safety, follow the instructions of local authorities in an emergency, and to stay in touch with family and friends.

Singaporeans overseas who do require emergency consular assistance can call the MFA duty office at +65 63798800/8855, email mfa_duty_officer@mfa.gov.sg, or get in touch with the nearest Singapore overseas mission.

Gunmen take hostages in Dhaka cafe

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, AFP

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AFP, The Star/ANN, NSTP

Art expert rubbishes ex-tour guide's claims about cost of works he had bought for Madam Chung.

A painting which Yang Yin claimed he had bought for $500,000 was dismissed by an art expert yesterday as nothing more than a cheap fake that would have cost $200 in a night market.

Madam Lim Sew Yong, chairman of Raffles Fine Arts Auctioneers, also rubbished a set of five other paintings the former tour guide from China said he had bought on behalf of a widow for $600,000.

Madam Lim valued them at $2,000 to $3,000 altogether, and told the court that it would be "stupid" for anyone to pay much more.

Madam Lim was taking the stand on the third day of Yang's trial, in which the 42-year-old is fighting charges that he dishonestly misappropriated $1.1 million from Madam Chung Khin Chun, a wealthy widow he met in 2008, and a year later moved into her Gerald Crescent bungalow.

Tussle over widow's $40m assets turns ugly

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

He claims that he used the money to buy paintings for Madam Chung, a known art lover.

But yesterday, as he stared on impassively, the court heard that the paintings were worth far less.

The prosecution called on Madam Lim, who set up Raffles Fine Arts Auctioneers in 1992. She had been asked to look into the paintings bought by Yang Yin.

One was titled Horse Drinking Water, which Yang claimed was by renowned Chinese artist Xu Beihong and cost $500,000. It had been folded several times and stuffed into an envelope, which was found in Yang's luggage during a police search.

Madam Lim said it was an imitation based on two original works by the artist. "If this were to be sold in the pasar malam, China night market, it would be worth about 1,000 yuan - equivalent to $200," she said.

Madam Lim said she knew the artist's wife, who told her that the original paintings were done on double-layered paper. The painting Yang had was not, and it also appeared "relatively new".

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani asked if an original would have been "folded up like a roti prata?". Madam Lim said no, adding it should have at least been rolled up and kept in a box.

"As a collector I would not treat the painting in this manner."

As for the other pieces, Madam Lim said they were neither masterpieces nor coveted by high-paying collectors. Two were original while the others - including one of a woman lying on a couch, were either lithographs copied by machines or of "not very high quality".

Yang's lawyer Irving Choh argued, however, that value of art is not a science and it is up to the buyer to decide how much he is prepared to pay. In the market, it is "willing buyer, willing seller".

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

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The Straits Times, Raymond Tan

Mr Choh also highlighted the testimony of Mr David Fu, director of auction house 33 Auction, who said the painting of the woman lying on the couch was bought by Yang for $8,960 at an auction in 2011.

But when DPP Vaswani asked Madam Lim if she would believe anyone claiming to have bought the paintings for $600,000, outside of an auction, she said no. And if someone did, "that person would be stupid".

Also taking the stand yesterday was Madam Chung's relationship manager at OCBC for the period 2009 to 2010.

Mr Huang Yi Yao, 34, told the court how the widow, now 89, had asked, in August 2009, for Yang to be made a joint holder of her accounts.

He said Madam Chung did this because she was getting old, and wanted someone to help run her financial affairs. That did not mean Yang had any share in the money, he added. "The accused can only operate the account as Madam Chung sees fit," said Mr Huang.

Her accounts included unit trust investments, which were "substantial", he explained. He told the court that as he went through the investments with Madam Chung and Yang, he noticed how the latter seemed interested in them.

He "leaned forward", recalled Mr Huang, and he "opened his eyes bigger".

The trial continues tomorrow.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The co-founder of socio-political website The Real Singapore (TRS), Yang Kaiheng, began his jail term yesterday.

Yang, who was unaccompanied, surrendered himself at the State Courts at about 10.15am.

The 27-year-old, who started the now-defunct TRS with his wife Ai Takagi, 23, was sentenced to eight months in jail last Tuesday for deliberately sowing discord between Singaporeans and foreigners through a series of online articles.

Yang had asked the court to defer his sentence till yesterday to give him time to settle matters relating to his ramen business and to visit his wife in prison on Monday.

He was charged with six counts of sedition, in what is hitherto the most serious case of sedition in Singapore.

Two more charges - one of uploading a seditious Facebook post, and one of failing to give documents to the police - were taken into consideration during the sentencing.

Takagi, an Australian who had pleaded guilty to four counts of sedition from the start, was sentenced to 10 months in jail.

She was 12 weeks pregnant when she started her sentence in April.

Yang had claimed trial, but pleaded guilty midway.

The Real Singapore duo arrested for sedition

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The New Paper, The Straits Times

His jail sentence is shorter than Takagi's as she had authored the seditious articles, while he had failed to amend or remove them although he controlled the website and its contents, the district judge had said during the sentencing.

The court also found Yang had exploited nationalistic sentiments by publishing articles that promoted hostility towards foreigners residing or working in Singapore, purely for financial gain.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Incidents of lift getting jammed likely due to objects getting stuck in gap: Town council

Debris left behind by contractors after renovation works could be the reason why an HDB lift malfunctioned and resulted in several residents being trapped inside.

Mr Liu Yu Zhu, 33, who lives in Block 511A, Yishun Street 51, was leaving for work about a week ago when the lift got jammed two floors down from his seventh-floor flat.

He was stuck inside for 20 minutes before another resident managed to help him pull the doors open and get him out.

Nee Soon Town Council (NSTC) said there were two reports filed about the same lift - on June 21 and June 22- getting jammed, though on one of the occasions, the lift was empty.

An NSTC spokesman said the stoppages were likely due to debris or objects getting stuck in the gap separating the lift carriage and the walls.

The Straits Times understands that several flats in Mr Liu's block are undergoing renovation. Keys were given to residents in April.

This is the third incident in recent weeks where contractors have been linked to issues in new housing blocks. On Sunday, The Straits Times reported how a 61-year-old woman twice found her home in Punggol flooded by sewage, prompting the HDB to advise contractors not to put unwanted materials or debris into waste pipes.

Meanwhile, it was reported last week how rubbish chutes from the second to eighth floors at Block 817A Keat Hong Link were stuffed with litter. The HDB found that refuse handling equipment attached to the central chute on the ground floor had malfunctioned.

An HDB spokesman said the problem was caused by the improper disposal of bulky refuse and renovation debris, which caused the chute to get jammed.

Mr Liu, who works in a meat processing factory, said: "I hope they repair the lift, so that people won't get trapped in it again."

Fellow resident Dennis Ang, 43, said the lift at the block malfunctioned on June 21. He saw about 10 people gathered at the lift landing on the ground floor at about 7pm.

Two seniors and two young children seemed to be trapped inside and a few people were trying to pull the doors open, but failed.

Mr Ang said an elderly woman trapped in the lift was "quite hysterical", pulling at the door and shouting "Let us out" in Mandarin.

Mr Ang went to get help from the management office and four of them were freed about 15 minutes later. "This is a new block and it's not fully occupied," said Mr Ang, a father of two young boys who moved into a fifth-floor flat last month.

He said he is worried his children might get trapped in the lift. "What if they shout for help, and there is no one to help them? " he said.

On Thursday last week, he noticed that the digital information display at the lift said it was overloaded, when it was, in fact, empty.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Woodlands residents stranded for 4 hours after all 3 lifts break down

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Stomp

See also:

Elderly man dies after falling on his head in lift mishap in Pasir Ris

Woman dies after being trapped in faulty lift for 30 days

A teenager who admitted to sexually abusing two young boys at a welfare home yesterday pleaded to a court not to send him for reformative training.

The 16-year-old told Principal District Judge Bala Reddy that he had "enemies'' at the Reformative Training Centre (RTC) and that he was worried about being involved in fights there.

The thin-looking accused, who was unrepresented, said he did not wish to mix with "bad company" and be like them. Asked by the judge if he knew what RTC was, he said "reformative training".

The judge replied: "Yes. Those who go there must come out as good persons, reformed."

Asked why would he fight with people at the centre, the accused said he had heard that there were "many bad people in RTC''.

Earlier, he had said: "Many of the people hate me."

He asked the court to give him a chance by calling for a probation report so that he could spend Hari Raya with his family. He said he regretted his offences and promised to be a better person in future.

He had been referred to the home by the Ministry of Social and Family Development because his parents, who are divorced, are unable to care for him.

He pleaded guilty to three of nine charges - two of sexually abusing the boys, an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old, as well as committing an obscene act on the older one who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and borderline IQ.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jesintha Veijayaratnam said the 11-year-old boy was getting ready to sleep on Oct 31 last year when the accused, his dormitory mate, repeatedly signalled to him and pointed at his private parts.

The boy understood the accused wanted him to perform a sexual act. He ignored him but was forced to give in as a result of the accused's persistence. They went to the toilet where the boy performed sexual acts on the accused.

In the older victim's case, the court heard that when he went to the toilet one afternoon between September and December 2014, the accused repeatedly called out to him to go to him in the shower area. At first, the victim declined. He eventually gave in out of fear. The accused made the victim perform a sexual act on him.

Between September 2014 and last October, the older victim had performed a total of seven sexual acts on the accused.

The prosecutor had asked for an RTC suitability report to be called. She said the accused had systematically targeted two vulnerable children for his own sexual pleasure.

The offences were committed at a welfare home, which is supposed to be a "safe haven" for young people at risk, she added.

The judge postponed sentencing pending probation and RTC reports.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

It was a car crash in the dead of night. But it still brought together some residents of Geylang Serai.

Mr Muhamad Rizal, 21, was hanging out with his friend near Block 414, Eunos Road 5, yesterday when he heard a crash at 3am.

A Mazda Biante multi-purpose vehicle had swerved into the left lane to Sims Avenue and hit a counterweight supporting an overhead Hari Raya decorative banner.

The left side of the vehicle was damaged.

Mr Rizal and his friend rushed towards the sound, ready to help any injured victims.

"I have a medic background as I was trained in the army," said Mr Rizal, a helper at Seah Im Food Centre.

"It was a shocking moment. I thought someone might have been injured," he said.

Fortunately, the car driver appeared unhurt and told Mr Rizal he was fine.

A police spokesman said a 59-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Under the law, first-time offenders face disqualification from driving for at least a year and a maximum fine of $5,000 or six months' jail.

The sound also surprised Ms Nur Aisah, 21, who was at home at Block 414, putting up Hari Raya decorations with her family.

Geylang Serai residents rush to help victims of 3am car crash

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The New Paper

'SHIVERING'

"I started shivering when I heard the noise," said Ms Nur Aisah, who ran to the scene with her cousin.

"We wanted to help in case (the driver) was injured," she said.

The cousins were joined by Mr Ridwan Iskander and his friend Mohd Riduan,who were also alerted by the sound of the crash.

"We just tried to guide the oncoming cars away from the crash," said Mr Ridwan.

The banner had drooped to the left, obstructing traffic.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) sent a fire engine, a Red Rhino and an ambulance to the scene. Firefighters removed the dangling banner.

An SCDF spokesman said the driver was assessed by paramedics and declined to be taken to the hospital.

This article was first published on July 06, 2016.
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This year's Hari Raya Puasa will be a special one for Madam Jurina Johari and her family.

From as early as 9am on Sunday, their one-room rental flat in Sembawang was inundated with well-wishers offering help and donations.

This was due to a video The New Paper posted to its Facebook page on Saturday night.

It was part of a series on breaking fast during Ramadan and it showed Madam Jurina, 42, making a simple version of nasi lemak - without fish or chicken - for iftar.

Tears welled in her eyes as she described how she copes.

Madam Jurina, who has suffered from chronic kidney disease since she was 17, lives with her 60-year-old mother and her two sons. She is in the process of finalising her second divorce.

Mr Muhammad Shafiee Junadi, 22, is serving his national service. Mr Muhammad Shahirul, 21, is autistic.

TNP first spoke to her in May after she had been robbed of her last $50 at the time. That loss meant her family went hungry.

Woman with kidney disease celebrates Hari Raya, thanks to strangers

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The New Paper

With more than 378,000 views and 6,000 shares, the video also inspired more than 900 people to contact TNP, asking how they could help.

People kept dropping by the home on Sunday. The last guests left at 11pm.

Donations came in the form of cash, bread, eggs and rice.

Items such as curtains, a coffee table, a dining table and even a refrigerator were offered.

Madam Jurina, who had to quit her job as a part-time assistant pharmacist just before Ramadan to care for her autistic son, told TNP: "For the first time, my family will get to bask in the Hari Raya atmosphere that we have longed for.

"I am so moved… I have no words."

Her voice cracked with emotion as she said: "I can't wait to cook Hari Raya dishes for my sons and mum.

"I can finally make my house look grand."

Some gifts like boxes of chicken and beef had to be kept in her neighbour's refrigerator, as Madam Jurina's faulty refrigerator door meant it could not chill properly.

The generosity of strangers has left her stunned.

She said: "This has never happened to me before. I was so overwhelmed that I was unable to speak."

Madam Jurina shared some of her "blessings" with a neighbour whom she is especially close to.

The neighbour, who has five young children, shared food with Madam Jurina in the past.

"This time, I returned her kindness. It's the least I can do," she said.

When TNP returned to the flat on Monday, a smiling Madam Jurina said: "So many people came here yesterday. They gave us all this kueh. It looks like I can open a stall at Geylang Bazaar."

One of the many visitors was Madam Suharti Nazib, 38, who was there with her daughter to donate groceries.

She told TNP: "Even though the (video) was just a short part of her life story, it really touched my heart."

SADDENED

"It really saddened me to see what she's been through, especially during the month of Ramadan," the assistant boutique manager added.

Other parents of autistic children also reached out.

Mr Sarifudin Sapari, 51, whose son is autistic, collected $1,450 from family and friends.

He said that during Ramadan, helping the less fortunate is especially encouraged.

Also stepping up to help was Madam Noreen, 37, who has two children with autism.

"I understand how hard it is as I've gone through many obstacles raising my two lovely special kids," she said.

A special education teacher is also connecting Mr Muhammad Shahirul with the Association for Persons with Special Needs (ASPN) Centre For Adults, to help him find work.

Madam Jurina now hopes to resume her medication for her kidney condition, which she had put off in order to feed her family.

"In the past, I would have to think twice about seeing the doctor. Now I can go with a peace of mind and hope to get better," she said.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
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A theatre boss being chased for payment by cast members of Singapura: The Musical has finally broken his silence, a year after the production closed without explanation.

Around 30 local musicians have since been seeking payment from Mr Ed Gatchalian, musical director and founder of the Manila-based 4th Wall Theatre Company.

Some even attempted to obtain legal recourse, but failed, while promises of payment never materialised.

But Mr Gatchalian finally responded to attempts to contact him yesterday after 33-year-old keyboardist Jordan Wei, who claimed he is owed more than $1,400 in unpaid wages, posted about the issue on Facebook, bemoaning a lack of "integrity" from the theatre company.

In a copy of an e-mail exchange obtained by The Straits Times, Mr Gatchalian claimed that about 80 per cent of the theatre expenses for the cast and crew have been paid so far - all out of his own pocket, despite him being under "no legal obligation" to make payment.

Mr Wei said: "Contracts were signed and everything was going well. We got paid for all the shows up till about mid-June, that's when things started going awry.

"The music director, Ed, promised that we would be paid and kept giving explanations. Some musicians and actors believed him, others didn't as they said the stories didn't add up."

The reasons for the show being cancelled were unclear, with organisers blaming fire safety issues. It was later revealed that the wardrobe staff had refused to work because they had not been paid.

Mr Gatchalian cited conflicts with local ticket-seller EventClique and Singapore-based private equity company Asiasons Capital as reasons for the lack of reimbursement. He also said: "You can continue attacking or even suing The 4th Wall Theatre Company as that is your right. But please understand that this is not an exclusively Ed Gatchalian issue."

Mr Wei responded: "He (Mr Gatchalian) states in the e-mail his reasons (for non-payment), but I find it odd that he chooses to e-mail me out of the blue. Couldn't he have e-mailed us earlier to let us know what was being done?"

The musical was cancelled abruptly, with rumours that the cast performed at times to an almost empty Capitol Theatre. The show ceased production on July 3 last year after running for about two weeks.

Mr Wei said that while delays in payment are common in the industry, he usually manages to get his money in the end. "But this incident has been the longest so far," he said.

This article was first published on Jul 06, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

She may not have given birth to little Daniel, but she can justifiably claim to know him better, and love him more, than his own mother.

After all, Madam Masita Hussin, 51, was his main caregiver for two years and seven months of his brief life.

Tragically, his own mother was one of two people who made his life a living hell until his death on Nov 23 last year, a month short of his third birthday.

Zaidah, 41, was sentenced to 11 years' jail yesterday and her boyfriend, Zaini Jamari, 46, to 10 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for causing Mohamad Daniel Mohamad Nasser's death after a month of sustained abuse.

The two cleaners had earlier each pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Daniel and three counts of ill-treating him.

Madam Masita told The New Paper that the loss of Daniel, whom she cherished as one of her own children, has made this Hari Raya Aidilfitri a solemn occasion.

Instead of joining in the festivities, she will stay home to mourn his passing.

See also: Father of abused toddler: 'I could not be the father he needed'

And instead of dressing him up in a new baju kurung, as in previous years, she will visit his grave at Lim Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery this morning to recite him a silent prayer. Madam Masita, who is diabetic and moves around in a wheelchair, broke down more than five times as she spoke about Daniel in her one-room rental flat in Yishun last Monday.

Toddler dies from abuse: Caregiver says he was terrified to see mom

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The New Paper

The housewife took him in when he was just a month old to care for him. And when he learnt to speak, he called her ibu, which is "mother" in Malay.

Madam Masita, who has three grown-up children between 19 and 29 years old, and a two-year-old grandson, said she had longed to care for a toddler again.

"I love children and kids bring joy wherever they go. So I asked around if anybody knew of any children who needed looking after."

One of her friends, Ms Puspawati Abdul Razat, 50, told her about Zaidah and Daniel. They were then living in a cramped storeroom at an industrial building in Ubi Road, hardly a suitable place to raise an infant.

Madam Masita immediately agreed to be Daniel's "guardian" and Zaidah handed over her baby in January 2013.

She said: "Zaidah seemed so sweet and polite when we first met. Daniel was swaddled in a blanket and was healthy.

"I was overjoyed to receive him. Zaidah also promised to pay me $250 a month for taking care of her son. But I didn't care about the money. I just wanted to care for the boy."

Without her knowledge, Zaidah and Zaini later moved into Ms Puspawati's one-room rental flat at Block 19, Telok Blangah Crescent.

Madam Masita said Zaidah initially visited Daniel at her home about once a month and to pay her.

But the visits became less frequent over time and the payments became less regular as well.

Madam Masita said she never asked Zaidah to pay her what was due because she was happy to care for Daniel for free.

She said: "He was such a cute boy, very well-behaved, and I doted on him. He never asked for toys, but we bought them for him anyway because we loved him to bits.

"We threw a party to celebrate his first birthday and invited Zaidah, but she did not come. I don't know anything about her family background."

REFUSED TO LEAVE

She added: "When Zaidah did show up, she would take Daniel home on Friday afternoon and return him on Sunday evening. I'd tell him she was his mummy.

"But he looked terrified whenever she appeared at my doorstep and refused to go towards her. We had to persuade him to go out with his mother."

In August last year, Ms Puspawati told Madam Masita that Zaidah wanted her son back because she had stopped working and could care for him.

"I was devastated, but I knew that I had to give him back. Daniel refused to leave with her, and I had to coax him. I didn't know where they went after that. I wasn't aware they were living with Puspawati."

Madam Masita and her family tried to contact Zaidah so they could visit Daniel, but she had changed her phone number and their Facebook messages went unanswered.

After they put up a Facebook post looking for Daniel, Ms Yusnita Mohamed Idrus, 41, who said she was his babysitter, replied to Madam Masita's second son, Mr Irwan Shah Kasim, 21.

Last September, she took him to their flat for a tearful reunion.

Madam Masita said: "I don't know why Zaidah refused to let me see Daniel. The visit lasted only a few hours, but I was overjoyed to see him. It was the last time I saw him alive."

Mr Irwan was at home on Nov 23 last year when a tearful Ms Yusnita called to say that Daniel had died after being abused by Zaidah and Zaini.

He said: "I couldn't believe my ears and immediately broke down. It seemed unreal, and I passed the phone to my mother."

HYSTERICAL

Madam Masita said between sobs: "I almost fainted when I received the terrible news. When Daniel was with me, even one mosquito bite was enough to make me worried. I was hysterical and the days that followed passed by in a blur."

Yesterday, after the couple were sentenced, Madam Masita cried as she clutched Daniel's favourite pair of shoes and pacifier which she had kept to remember him by.

She told TNP outside court: "I didn't expect them to abuse him so badly. What kind of mother was she to do that to her own child? Even animals wouldn't do that to their young. If she did not want him, she could have just returned him to me."

She finds it very hard to forgive Zaidah and Zaini.

"We Muslims believe in the afterlife. When we meet again one day, I hope that Daniel will still remember me - his ibu who loves him very much," she added.

Two-year-old Daniel was abused for about a month until his death on Nov 23 last year. This is what happened to him the day before, based on court papers:

Between 10am and noon, Daniel refused to eat when his mother Zaidah tried to feed him.

She slapped his face thrice and passed the bowl of food to Zaini.

As Daniel still refused to eat, they slapped him.

Zaidah hit his back until he fell. When he did not get up, she forcefully stamped on his chest.

She yanked his left arm to make him stand. Daniel swallowed about three spoonfuls of food and refused to eat any more. She ordered him to stand in a corner.

At about 8pm, he was made to stand near the bed. When the tired toddler rested his hand on the bed frame, Zaidah slapped his face several times. Zaini joined in.

DPP Poh said: "The deceased then lay down on the floor and closed his eyes. (Zaini) then took him to the refrigerator and force-fed him two spoonfuls of dried chilli.

"As the deceased was still weak and did not respond, (Zaini) took him to the toilet and washed his mouth. He then punished the deceased again by making him stand in the living room."

Daniel was still standing about 45 minutes later. He was so tired, he almost fainted.

When Zaidah saw this, she shouted at him, pinched his body and cheeks. She slapped him several times. She thought Daniel was pretending to be weak and told Zaini, who also slapped him several times.

When a blow missed and landed on his daughter, Zaidah got angry. She kicked Daniel's chest and stomach several times. Zaini also kicked his stomach, and the boy hit his head on the floor when he fell.

Zaini then forced dried chilli down his throat, causing mucus to flow from his nose. He took the toddler to the toilet and washed his face, and ordered him to sleep.

The next morning, he tried to wake Daniel, but he was motionless. He alerted Zaidah. They tried to rouse the boy, but failed.

Ms Puspawati and her niece called an ambulance and Daniel was taken to Singapore General Hospital. He was pronounced dead about an hour later.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
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Father of Daniel, the toddler who died after being abused by his mother and her lover, blames himself for boy's death

Today's Hari Raya Puasa celebrations would have been his son's fourth.

Mr Mohamad Nasser Abdul Gani was hoping it would be his first celebration with Mohamad Daniel, who was born while he was in prison.

He was also planning to buy his son new clothes and take him to visit their relatives together. But Mr Nasser, who turned 42 yesterday, will be celebrating neither his birthday nor Hari Raya this year.

With tears streaming down his face, he told The New Paper yesterday in Malay: "Daniel only had three Hari Rayas in his short life and I was not there to celebrate any with him.

"Now I never will."

See also: Little Daniel's caregiver says: 'If she didn't want him, she could have returned him to me'

Daniel died last November, a month short of his third birthday, after a horrific torture campaign by his mother, Zaidah, 41, and her boyfriend, Zaini Jumari, 46.

Mr Nasser was present in court yesterday when Zaidah was jailed for 11 years, and Zaini for 10 years with 12 strokes of the cane.

But he left the courtroom angry. He broke down more than seven times when he spoke to TNP.

"Yes, they get 10, 11 years. But the years will go by in the blink of an eye, and they will get back to their lives," he said.

"Meanwhile, my son remains dead. It is not enough."

Brother of man whose 2-year-old was abused by mum & boyfriend 'wants to clear his name'

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Manaf Al Ansari, The Straits Times

During the court proceedings, he fixed his gaze on his ex-wife, who turned to glance at him once before looking straight ahead again. He said: "All I could do was stare at her. If I could, I would have asked her, 'Why? Why did she have to hurt my son like that?'"

The last time they spoke was in October 2012, two months before he started an 18-month jail term for drug-related offences.

She went to tell him she was pregnant with his son. Her next words shocked him.

"She told me: 'You will never get to see him. Until the day I die, you and your family will never get to see him.'

"True enough, I never did," said Mr Nasser, before breaking down again.

Mr Nasser said they had met through mutual friends in October 2011.

Toddler dies from abuse: Caregiver says he was terrified to see mom

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The New Paper

RUSHED MARRIAGE

They rushed into a relationship and a few weeks later, he took Zaidah home to seek his family's approval to get married. But his hopes were dashed.

His brother, Mr Abdu Manaf Al Ansari, said: "My family, especially my father, rejected the idea of my brother marrying Zaidah because no one knew her background and her family."

So the couple decided to get married in Batam, Indonesia, in early 2012.

Their union did not last long.

Mr Nasser said he caught Zaidah with another man - Zaini - in May that year and he divorced her soon after. A few months later, Mr Nasser starting serving his jail sentence.

Not a day has gone by without him regretting his actions, he said.

"I blame myself. If I could turn back time, I would stay away from drugs, then maybe Daniel would still be here.

"Instead, I was not there when he was born. I could not be the father he needed to protect him."

The hope of meeting Daniel once he got out helped Mr Nasser survive prison, which he said was a dark time for him.

Again, his hopes were dashed. After his release, he spent a fruitless year searching for Zaidah and Daniel.

The next time he heard about Daniel was last November when the police called to tell him about Daniel's death.

When asked why Zaidah would so viciously abuse the child she carried to full term, Mr Nasser paused before answering: "She was taking it out on my son. She was crazy and hit him out of anger.

"Maybe it was because I divorced her, I will never know. But he did not deserve to be hurt like that. He was a child. What did he know? What did he do wrong?"

After the case ended, Mr Nasser went up to Madam Masita Hussin, 51, who had taken care of Daniel for most of his life, to thank her.

He said: "At least my brother and I know that in his short life, Daniel was in the care of people who loved him."

Losing the opportunity to be with his son has shattered him, Mr Nasser said.

"My birthday and Hari Raya... Nothing means anything to me any more because I have lost my son."

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
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If you happen to miss a phonecall with numbers that begin with '999' on your mobile, do not call it back.

It is not the police calling you, it is a phone scam.

Do not call it back as you will be connected to the Police emergency hotline at '999' instead.

The Singapore Police Force posted an advisory on its Facebook page to the public to beware of phone numbers with '999X XXXX'.

The police said that some members of the public had received unknown missed calls starting with the numbers '999X XXXX' on their mobile phones.

When they made a return call, they would be connected to the Police emergency hotline at '999' instead, said the post.

"Members of the public are advised to ignore such calls from unknown origins, where Caller ID spoofing technology may be used to mask the actual phone number and display a different number," said the police in the post.

They may call the Police hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness should they have any related information.

'999' should only be called if urgent police assistance is required, said the post.

spanaech@sph.com.sg

Volkswagen Singapore is ready to fix the first batch of vehicles affected by the global diesel scandal.

The 18 Tiguan crossovers and two Caddy commercial vans will have their engines reprogrammed so that they meet Euro 5 emission standards at all times - and not just when they are being tested.

Volkswagen Group Singapore (VGS) managing director Ricky Tay said the firm is awaiting approval from the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) before proceeding further.

He said 956 vehicles in Singapore are affected, including 300 unsold Touran MPVs which have been mothballed since the Government ordered the sale of affected models to be halted when the scandal broke last October. "We will probably have to sell these at a discount or ship them out," Mr Tay said of the unsold cars. "The new model Touran is already here."

The 956 vehicles here are part of about 11 million VWs affected worldwide by the saga, which involved the use of "cheating" software that makes vehicles meet emission standards when they are tested. They revert to a far dirtier mode when driven normally on the road.

As well as the 300 unsold Tourans, the affected cars here include 314 Caddys, 304 Tourans, three Golfs, nine Passats, one Scirocco, seven Sharans and 18 Tiguans.

In a joint statement, the NEA and LTA said: "The National Environment Agency is verifying emissions reports provided by the German Transport Authority and Volkswagen Group Singapore before authorising VGS to proceed with the technical fixes for the affected vehicles.

"NEA will then work with LTA to closely monitor the rectification of all affected vehicles by VGS to the emission standards stipulated in the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations."

Mr Tay said most of the affected vehicles will be fixed by engine reprogramming, but a small number will require new air restrictors to be fitted to meet the Euro 5 emission standard. "It will take less than 30 minutes per car," he said. "But we can't guarantee that owners will come in when they are informed."

Volkswagen is setting up a website for customers to check if their cars are affected. Progress on the recall will be posted there as well.

Volkswagen hopes to finish fixing all the affected cars by end of the year. Mr Tay admitted: "We need to regain customers' trust."

Meanwhile, businessman Sanjay Samnani, 44, the first Volkswagen customer here to sue the German manufacturer and demand that it take back a Touran he bought last April, has lost his case. Mr Samnani said he is filing an appeal.

This article was first published on July 7, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singapore-based airlines will have to comply with two new safety requirements that are expected to be in place in less than five years. Both rules aim to avoid a recurrence of what happened to Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 more than two years ago.

The first is that local carriers have to implement means to "recover flight recorder data in a timely manner", a Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) spokeswoman said in a response to BT queries.

The second requires them to equip planes with a "distress tracking system to autonomously transmit position information at least once every minute when in distress".

CAAS is working towards implementing them by Jan 1, 2021 "or earlier", said the spokeswoman.

A third requirement - CAAS's normal flight tracking requirement, where air traffic controllers receive data on a plane's location every 15 minutes - kicked in on July 1.

All three are part of a global regulatory push aimed at avoiding a repeat of the MH370 tragedy. The aircraft disappeared more than two years ago and has yet to be found. Search operations for the missing plane are expected to end next month.

CAAS's moves are in line with those first put forth by the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in 2015, when it unveiled a blueprint called Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) to strengthen agencies' responses during emergencies.

It fleshed out ideas for normal and distress tracking of planes, especially when they travel over oceans.

Distress tracking is when air traffic controllers receive information of a plane's location at an interval of at least once a minute versus once every 15 minutes for normal tracking.

Such initiatives are viewed by the industry as crucial in preventing delays in search-and-rescue operations when flight mishaps occur.

Flight MH370's final moments and the aircraft's exact whereabouts are still unknown - more than two years after the plane vanished on March 8, 2014. Search operations are expected to end in August, throwing investigations into one of modern aviation's biggest mysteries into limbo.

The problem is that locating and retrieving flight data recorders from an ocean crash can be a difficult and lengthy affair. For example, those from Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009 were retrieved only two years later.

"Very accurate information must be provided in a timely manner and to the right people to support search and rescue, recovery, and accident investigation activities," said satellite communications firm Blue Sky Network in a report on the GADSS initiative.

There is thus a need to ensure that the global aviation industry can get up to speed with the pace of change, said Mary McMillan, vice-president of aviation safety and operational services at Inmarsat, in an interview with BT. The satellite communications company helped narrow down the search area for MH370 and is in talks with ICAO to determine requirements for distress tracking and flight data streaming, said Captain McMillan.

"Technology has improved greatly since MH370, or even since AF447. We need regulators to push for this so that we can put more and more airplanes into the skies safely," she said.

Local regulators thus play a crucial role in ensuring that the industry is kept up to speed, as airlines are often preoccupied with day-to-day problems, said Con Korfiatis, partner in Heidrick & Struggles, whose expertise is in the aviation industry.

"ICAO can't drive local policing and dictate what each carrier does. So local regulators have an important role to play to roll out these initiatives," he said.

While all local air operators satisfied the 15-minute normal tracking requirement for their ground capabilities by July 1, just under 3 per cent of Singapore-registered aircraft are still not equipped with such systems, said the CAAS spokeswoman.

"CAAS is working with the air operators to ensure that the remaining aircraft are scheduled for upgrading as soon as possible. In the interim, continued operations of these aircraft have been allowed as mitigation measures have been put in place," she said.

Low-cost carriers are understood to have had to make significant investments to comply with this regulation. This is because they have more single-aisle planes, which might not have the necessary equipment and technology.

Jetstar Asia and Tigerair have told BT that they have aircraft tracking systems in place, with Jetstar Asia's spokesman saying it is "being progressively rolled out to each of our A320 aircraft".

National carrier Singapore Airlines is already making investments in this area, and also in others to meet ICAO's requirements.

A spokesman told BT that it is in the midst of upgrading the battery life of underwater locator beacons from 30 days to 90 days.

As for distress tracking, it is awaiting further details from ICAO before making investments in this area.

"Singapore Airlines is supportive of the efforts to improve flight-tracking capabilities as they will improve overall flight safety and security," said the spokesman.

This article was first published on July 07, 2016.
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A judge made it clear that defaulting motorists who fail to settle fines at the night courts must expect heavier sums when the case is referred to the day courts.

Noting that night courts set fines between $400 and $600, she slapped a $600 fine per charge - the lower end of the range imposed in day courts - on a motorist who pleaded guilty to 26 parking offences.

"When his 26 charges were escalated to the day court, Court 14, the principle of calibration must surely dictate that the accused can no longer avail himself of the lower range of fines accorded by a (timely) plea of guilt," said District Judge Sarah Tan Yin Tze in judgment grounds released on Tuesday.

Chng Eng Pin, a bankrupt labourer, had pleaded guilty to the parking offences over 21 months at various places, including one offence of not supplying the particulars of the offending driver of the car which Chng owned.

Chng did not take up the offer to compound the 2010-2012 offences earlier under the regulatory framework and neither did he enter a plea at the night court or pay via electronic machines under an existing automated traffic offence management system.

Night courts, set up in 1992, are meant to deal with the high volume of traffic and regulatory offences heard at the State Courts. They operate from 6pm onwards, four days a week.

"One must naturally expect a higher range of fines in (the day court), usually between $600 and $800 per charge," said Judge Tan.

She warned that the fines cannot be discounted just because of the sheer number of charges Chng faced as this would mean "incentivising offenders to delay and accumulate more charges".

Chng, who defended himself, cited his financial difficulties, among other things, in mitigation but the judge found his circumstances neither exceptional nor extreme enough to make a difference.

She pointed out that his claims had to be seen against the persistent offence pattern.

The judge also rejected his grown-up son's bid to pay $4,000 first and the balance a month later.

The judge was not convinced by his reason that he needed his father to handle family problems.

Judge Tan said instalment payments are very rarely granted and to allow this would be to "assail the calibrated composition and court fine structure in place".

The judge added that if offenders had the easy way out by being able to pay court fines in instalments, they may be lulled into complacency and procrastination and lose the focus and incentive to attend to their summonses and compound their cases early (the "why pay now when you can pay later" mentality).

The judge ordered that Chng serve 26 days in jail should he default in payment.

"The (fines and default jail terms) imposed are not unreasonable or excessive, much less manifestly excessive," the judge added.

Chng, who is appealing the sentence, is currently on bail.

This article was first published on July 7, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

When The New Paper first asked Madam Rozana Anuar, 65, about the crowd she was expecting at her home yesterday, the cleaning coordinator warned: "You may not be able to enter the flat."

And that was exactly what happened at her first-storey maisonette at Pasir Ris on Hari Raya Puasa, as relatives started streaming in from about 5pm.

People came and went, but the crowd never thinned for the next few hours.

There were about 50 people in the evening and more were expected to show up.

"Every year, we have to act as valet drivers for our relatives. Many of them come and somehow, we manage (to find parking lots for them)," said Madam Rozana's son Rizal Rais.

For close to a decade now, Madam Rozana's home has been the "headquarters" for relatives to visit during Hari Raya.

It is also where her extended family of 22 break fast almost every day during Ramadan.

The four families, who span four generations, live just a stone's throw from each other. Madam Rozana lives with her husband, her mother, her daughter Masyita and her helper.

Two doors down from Madam Rozana is her sister-in-law's family. Another sister-in-law lives a block away with her family.

Mr Rizal, 39, lives in a fourth-storey flat in an adjacent block that faces her maisonette.

Madam Rozana said: "You know a flying fox? Maybe (my son's family) can attach that (to our flat) and they can zoom down."

Mr Rizal, a football coach, joked: "How about a fireman's pole?"

Welcome to Hari Raya HQ

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The New Paper

So Close

They live so close by that sometimes they just shout for each other through the windows.

Mr Rizal's wife Nazrah Hanani, 37, added: "When my boys are playing (at my mother-in-law's place), I can hear them from my room."

Mr Rizal said: "Sometimes I will hear my son shout, 'Daddy, can you please throw a ball down?'"

It was a conscious decision that the extended family made to live in the same neighbourhood.

Madam Rozana's family moved into the maisonette first, in 2002, followed by her sister-in-law's family a few months later.

In 2006, her other sister-in-law's family moved in.

Mr Rizal moved into a nearby block in 2007, but 2½ years later, he moved to his current flat to be closer to his parents.

Part of his decision to join this "kampung" in Pasir Ris - he used to live in Bedok and Tampines - stemmed from his own childhood experience.

"I spent a few years of my childhood in a kampung in Kaki Bukit. I was there till about six or seven years old. Old enough to know how it felt like back then," he told TNP.

Adding that it would be a heathy environment for his children, two sons aged eight and 10, to grow up in, Mr Rizal said: "I think kids nowadays can be in a bubble of sorts. Most of their interactions are through social media or YouTube on their iPads."

Another perk of living close together is not having to plan family events.

"We can have spontaneous sleepovers or movie nights with our cousins," said Ms Masyita, 33, who is a teacher.

Madam Rozana's cooking skills are a bonus that everyone in the extended family appreciates.

"My neighbours are used to seeing me carry plates of food in the lift," Mr Rizal said with a grin.

Madam Nazrah, a primary school teacher, said she asks her mother-in-law for help whenever she has to cater food for school events.

"My excuse for not learning to cook is that she is too good at cooking," she added.

This family does not deny that they have had their share of squabbles, but Madam Rozana said it is much like any other family.

The more important thing is that nobody takes this closeness for granted.

"Even though we live so close to each other, we don't take it for granted. Each time we meet, we can talk and talk," she said.

Mr Rizal said: "Having meals together every day may seem like a small thing to others, but to us, it's very special."

He added: "They say familiarity breeds contempt. But I think for us, it's really the opposite." 

Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid Al-Fitr marred by deadly attacks in 2016

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AFP, Reuters

This article was first published on July 07, 2016.
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Flyers and letters warning that bomb attacks will be carried out at a number of locations in Batam and Bintan in the Riau archipelago have surfaced, an Indonesian news website has reported.

Text messages with the warning have been circulating and photos of the purported flyer have appeared on social media, but it is not known whether or not they are a hoax.

According to Batam Today, the flyers claim that attacks would occur at the Batam Center Ferry Terminal and Nagoya on the island of Batam, as well as Bintan Telani and Tanjung Pinang on the island of Bintan.

The attacks are reportedly meant to target travellers from Johor and Singapore.

The letters also mention that the militants planning the attacks had arrived in Riau two weeks ago.

Read also: Islamic State says Dhaka cafe slaughter a glimpse of what's coming

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Twitter, Internet screengrabs, AFP, Reuters

Tanjung Pinang district police chief Kristian Siagian confirmed the existence of the flyers and said that investigations by the authorities are ongoing.

"In the aftermath of the bomb attack on the police headquarters in Solo, we have increased security measures in Tanjung Pinang, especially around vital targets such as police headquarters and ferry terminals," he said.

Meanwhile, Bintan police chief Febrianto Guntur Sunoto urged residents to remain calm.

"We hope that residents do not panic. We have acted on the information and law enforcement officers have increased security levels here, especially at the locations that were mentioned in the flyers," he said.

On July 4, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a travel advisory due to the recent spate of terrorist attacks on civilian targets such as international airports and areas popular with tourists and locals.

Citing the Dhaka and Baghdad attacks, MFA advised Singaporeans to eRegister their whereabouts when travelling.

seanyap@sph.com.sg

Read also: Blasts are just the beginning of IS attacks in South-East Asia, expert says

ISIS activities in Southeast Asia

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BHM, The Star/ANN, Royal Malaysian Police, Utusan Malaysia, AFP, Reuters, YouTube screengrabs