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Three provision shops which have evolved with the times

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Viewers who watched Singapore film-maker Royston Tan's Channel 8 telemovie, The Provision Shop, last week might find lots to reminisce about.

The nostalgic portrayal of a traditional, mom- and-pop shop was filmed at Tee Seng Store, a 60-year-old shop in Rosyth Road. The old-fashioned store still has a zinc roof.

But quaint as they are, provision shops are becoming an endangered species in Singapore. The cruel reality is that they have been losing business steadily to hypermarts, minimarts and supermarkets.

In 1986, the number of businesses registered with the Singapore Provision Shop Friendly Association was 1,262, but that figure is a mere 110 today.

Mr Goo Kem Suaa, 80, head of the association, thinks that provision shops will eventually be "eliminated" from the retail scene.

The reasons include high rents and a lack of successors. Well-educated children of provision shop owners usually choose not to continue the family business, he adds.

While supermarket chains are convenient and efficient, Mr Goo laments the loss of ren qing wei (human warmth in Chinese) associated with traditional provision shops.

For example, some shops used to extend credit to customers to pay their children's school fees.

Like other former provision shop owners, Mr Goo recalls sending crates of free soft drinks to customers during Chinese New Year.

But there are some provision shops that are forging new paths.

The Sunday Times checks out long-standing provision shops to find out their history and what they are doing to keep abreast of the competition.

Where quinoa shares space with wooden clogs

At Pin Pin Piau Kay & Co in Tiong Bahru, you can buy quinoa, white wine vinegar, bottled jalapeno peppers, Korean sea salt and noodles for Vietnamese pho.

These cosmopolitan foodstuffs are sold alongside traditional local wares, such as cha kiak (wooden clogs) and sapu lidi (brooms made of twigs) - items stocked at the provision shop since it started in 1938.

In this gentrified neighbourhood, the third-generation owner Rodney Goh, 61, has kept pace with the changing profile of his customers as Western, Vietnamese, mainland Chinese and Filipino residents moved in over the years.

He is sensitive to changes in demand, no matter how specific. For example, a few months ago, he began to stock more of a particular brand of iced lemon tea favoured by construction workers who worked nearby.

While he caters to new customers, he remains mindful of his regulars, who are mostly seniors used to personalised service at old- style provision shops.

"Older folks still need the personal touch. I know what kind of soap powder they use, what brand of rice they eat. Some have knee problems and don't like to walk so much. We'll get what they want and take it to their car," he says.

Pin Pin Piau Kay & Co still does deliveries, like provision shops used to do, within a 5km radius. His wife and a worker help out in the shop.

Part of the 1,100 sq ft property, which he owns, has been converted into a music studio for piano lessons, a business run by the eldest of his three children.

As a young man, he worked in a bank for eight years, where he came into contact with many business owners. Drawn to their dynamism, Mr Goh, who has five siblings, decided to go into business and started helming the store at the age of 28.

As the eldest son, he also felt he needed to help his parents as his late father was in poor health at the time.

The shop's heyday was in the 1980s, when it supplied ships with essential items and saw about 200 customers daily.

Now, Mr Goh says, business is quieter, but "still profitable".

The shop's location opposite Tiong Bahru Market is vital. His customers often buy fresh produce such as vegetables, fish and pork from the wet market, then pop over to buy "dry stuff" at his store.

"We complement each other. As long as the wet market is here, I have business," he says.

He adds that if the wet market ceases operations or if major supermarket chains move in next door, he will have to close shop and maybe rent out the space.

Otherwise, he will continue the business. "I'm still healthy and I still want to work, otherwise I'll feel bored."

The next new product on his shelves? Rice with a lower glycaemic index than usual, which he reckons will go down well with health-conscious customers.

Staying traditional to reflect store's history

Mr Ramasamy Thevarvadivelu. Photo: The Straits Times.

You can see why tourists love taking pictures of provision shop ARV Stores in Changi Road.

Established in 1956, it is an old-school provision shop seldom seen in Singapore these days.

Pails of spice powders and sacks of dried goods such as onions and potatoes are on the floor, sold by weight.

Shelves are lined with canned goods such as tins of ghee and Milo, while packets of snacks hang overhead from metal hooks fixed on wooden beams.

In the air, the scent of curry powder, turmeric and garam masala lingers.

The store was founded by the uncle of the current owner, Mr Ramasamy Thevar Vadivelu, 80.

It moved to its location from the present-day Joo Chiat Complex around 1980. It used to be known as Gurunathan Store, before it changed its name about nine years ago.

The older name now shares the same signboard as the current name. In fact, it is in a bigger, shocking pink font.

This is because Mr Vadivelu values the shop's history. He has kept the look of the shop mostly unchanged over the years and also its opening hours. For the past 60 years, he has been starting work at 5am and knocking off at about 7pm.

He says in Tamil: "It's not like a supermarket. If it looks changed, people will not know it was Gurunathan Store. After my son takes over, he can modernise it."

He did make one concession to the times, though. He abolished the traditional tin-can pulley system for collecting payment about 10 years ago, when money was stolen from it.

Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Mr Vadivelu is a Singapore permanent resident. His wife and three children live in India. His youngest child, Mr V. Vivekraja, 23, looks after the family's business interests there, which include two stores. His wife takes cares of the family's farmland and property.

Mr Vadivelu, who flies to India regularly to visit his family, has, for the past 12 years, hired a store manager, Mr Somasundaram Mariappan, 38, to help him.

Mr Mariappan, who was his boss' translator during the interview, says business has declined over the years, while rent has almost doubled.

Customers are mostly elderly regulars. One of them is housewife Kismet Jan Mohd Hussain Khan, 69, who first came to the store as a nine-year-old child accompanying her grandmother.

Now, she occasionally brings her three-year-old twin grandsons here, too.

She goes to the shop a couple of times a month to buy food such as coriander powder, cooking oil and raisins.

"They know you, whatever items you want, you can get here. The prices are lower than those at shopping centres, where they will not reserve items for you," she says.

Family-run mart with vegetables, healthy fare

Teo Chuan Kee Minimart stocks household goods and foodstuff as well as fresh vegetables. Photo: The Straits Times.

Unlike most provision shop owners whose children are unwilling to join the business, Mr Teo Koon Hwee, 70, has four family members working with him at Teo Chuan Kee Minimart in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4. They are his wife; the eldest of their three sons, Derrick, 43; Derrick's wife; as well as another son, Benson, 42.

The brightly lit, air-conditioned shop is modern and clean, but it was originally set up as a zinc- roofed store in the Thomson Road area by Mr Teo's grandfather more than 100 years ago.

In the 1980s, the store was moved to its present location at the bottom of a low block of flats in Ang Mo Kio.

Its goods spill outside the shop, with shelves displaying bread, tidbits and dishwashing liquid lining its exterior.

Derrick, who is part of the fourth generation working in the store, remembers helping out at the provision shop as a Primary 4 pupil, arranging goods on the shelves. After national service, at the age of 21, he joined the family business.

The shop has changed with the times, he says, installing air-conditioning and bright lighting so it is more like a minimart than a sundries store.

While traditional provision shops are evocative of old Singapore, Derrick says: "Nostalgia is one thing, but if there is no airconditioning, who will come in?"

To meet the demands of health- conscious customers, the store stocks items such as red rice, wholemeal wraps and preserved kelp.

About six years ago, it started carrying fresh vegetables for sale. It also has a refrigerated section stocking perishables such as butter and fishcake.

Derrick says his three teenage children will probably not take over the business, what with its long hours, stiff competition and narrow profits.

His father, Mr Teo, says "business used to be better".

He adds: "There may be customers, but we earn less because of the intense competition and rising costs."


This article was first published on July 24, 2016.
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Drive your car and get paid...for ads

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A local advertising agency is reviving the idea of turning private cars into advertising billboards.

While the idea has failed in the past because few car owners were willing to use their cars to advertise products or services, local start-up Adogo claims it has no problems recruiting drivers and already has 1,000 signed up.

"Some of the drivers are Uber and GrabCar drivers," said Adogo managing director Max Lin.

"We are now targeting advertisers more."

The ad agency, which was formed last November, said that 150 cars are already plying the roads carrying advertisements.

"The service meets the demands of advertisers and helps drivers earn passive income," said Mr Lin.

Advertisers pay Adogo $160 a month to advertise on the rear bumper and $280 to extend advertising to the doors.

Drivers get $50 a month for "renting out" the rear bumper space and $150 a month for the bumper and side doors.

Mr Lin said it is cheaper to advertise on cars than taxis, and that the agency's drivers clock at least 1,500km a month.

He added that advertising on cars is also more eye-catching. "When you see a private car with stickers, it captures your attention more than stickers on taxis. What was the last ad you saw on a taxi?" he said.

It costs $500 per month to advertise on taxis, according to rates published by Moove Media, a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro.

Taxis are required by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to travel at least 250km a day, or 7,500km a month.

Mr Lin said the agency's six clients - including a car workshop, a maid agency and a mall - bought between $15,000 and $120,000 worth of ads each.

Sales executive Calvin Wong, 34, who signed up with Adogo two months ago, receives $50 a month for carrying ads for car workshop ACMA Engineering Works and Trading on the rear bumper of his four-year-old Toyota Vitz hatchback.

"People come up to me and ask if I own the company," he said.

Business owner Lionel Lee said he is not bothered by the image of his nine-year-old Honda Jazz being used as an advertising billboard.

"A car is just a tool to get from point A to point B," said the 23-year-old.

"Besides, the ads pay for about three weeks of petrol."

But not all drivers are open to the idea. When The Straits Times polled 10 private car owners, eight rejected the idea outright, one was neutral and only one was willing.

"You are not kidding me, right?" said a lawyer who drives a Porsche and declined to be named.

"I don't want people, including my clients, to think that I am a cheapskate."

Adogo said its services do not run foul of the law.

"Everything we are doing is legal and approved," said Mr Lin.

LTA said it does not regulate the display of ads on private cars, but the driver has to ensure safety is not compromised by covering the headlights or signal lights, for instance. The stickers cannot be obscene or offend religious sensitivities, it added.

Police told The Straits Times that in 2011, they dropped a rule requiring vehicle owners to get approval before putting ads on their cars.

"The idea is good but private cars might not move around enough to give exposure and persuade potential advertisers to buy space," said editor Julian Kho of online car trading and news site sgcarmart.com.

"Incentivising drivers is a must. Petrol rebates are attractive to drivers - no one wants to pay full price for petrol," he added.

ADVERTISERS PAY

$160 a month to advertise on rear bumper

$280 a month for bumper and side doors

DRIVERS GET

$50 a month for bumper ad

$150 a month for bumper and side doors

tohyc@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on July 25, 2016.
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Singapore government to monitor impact of Pokemon Go on society

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While Singapore fans of Pokemon Go cannot wait for the game to be launched here, the Government has said that it will monitor the game's impact on society.

The game, which has taken the world by storm, uses augmented reality technology to allow players to "see" virtual Pokemon characters as they view their surroundings through their smartphone cameras.

Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim gave his comments in response to questions yesterday about whether the Government will introduce any guidelines for the game, given that it has caused problems in other countries ranging from criminal trespass to traffic accidents, as players hunt for the characters.

"We have to study very, very carefully whatever is brought into Singapore," he said, stressing that it must not harm lifestyles or the way things have been done here.

Dr Yaacob was speaking to reporters at the National Deaf Games at the Singapore Badminton Hall.

"We will monitor the situation, how this particular game is being played and... its impact on society," he added.

"And if it's really something which we should be concerned about, I think MDA (the Media Development Authority) will definitely decide on what are the things we can do best, if the game is really needed here, how... we can do it in such a way that it becomes a win-win situation."

Pokemon Go is available officially in more than 35 countries.

Japan, where it was launched last Friday, has already issued a safety guide warning of heat stroke, dubious strangers and other risks.

Indonesian officials have even called the game a security threat, while some in Egypt and Russia have claimed that the game is a plot by spy agencies.

linyc@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on July 25, 2016.
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Banks 'unlikely' to pay phone scam victims

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Victims of phone scams who hand their money over to crooks impersonating bank staff are unlikely to be compensated, lawyers warned yesterday.

Last Monday, OCBC Bank reported a sharp rise in scams involving conmen impersonating its employees; around 30 customers are believed to have been duped, losing tens of thousands of dollars.

However, lawyers told The Straits Times that such victims would be liable for the money they lost due to the voluntary nature of the transactions.

"If they did so fully aware of the advice and warnings, then it becomes their responsibility," said Mr Rajan Supramaniam, a lawyer at Hilborne Law. "In helping with police investigations, the bank will provide all relevant information. But it will not compensate the victims for their losses..."

OCBC has lodged a police report about the scam and advised those who lost money to do the same.

DBS has also been affected, though POSB, Citibank, UOB and Maybank said they were not aware of any phone scams in which their staff were impersonated.

All the banks advised their customers not to reveal personal details or confidential information, such as PIN numbers, over the phone.

They also urged customers to check the legitimacy of the caller, by calling the banks' main lines.

Mr Supramaniam explained to customers who have been cheated that the starting point for seeking legal recourse is to make a police report.

"They can also pursue the issue with the bank, by going through a lawyer," he added. "I have handled cases involving a wrong transfer of money."

Mr Shashi Nathan, a partner at WithersKhattarWong, said that seeking compensation from the bank depends on the facts of each case.

"The bank might have a protocol to check before any transactions are made, usually for larger amounts. Failure to follow such protocol means the bank was negligent to the customer, and the victim can make a claim for negligence."

He also explained that the bank and police both have to trace where the money went, and find the origins of the soliciting of information.

"Criminals these days are very sophisticated, and most of the time they are based outside of Singapore," said Mr Nathan.

"It is especially hard to track due to the multitude of transactions."

fabkoh@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on July 25, 2016.
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Relocate top primary schools for more equal access: Study

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Relocate the top primary schools so that access to them can be more equal in the long run - this is one of the suggestions arising from a study done by two Raffles Institution (RI) alumni last year.

Another is to reduce the priority given to groups such as children of alumni as well as parent volunteers and community leaders.

These proposals arose from a study that showed that better primary schools tend to be located in more affluent estates.

The study was done by Mr Deepak Warrier, 21, who will be going to New York University next month to read economics, and Mr Pu Liang, also 21, who is studying computer science and machine learning at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States.

Mr Warrier said: "Our study started from the initial observation that many of the supposed brand-name schools are in the Bukit Timah area.

"But previous research has shown that their presence doesn't have much impact on nearby property prices - in other words, the presence of elite schools makes little difference."

The duo measured schools by the number of awards they had received from the Ministry of Education, and placed them in three clusters based on the cost of homes in their locations.

The schools were given a ranking based on the number of awards they earned from 1990 to 2014.

These awards recognise academic and non-academic achievements, including school performance, teaching and administrative processes, as well as co-curricular activities.

Housing price data was gathered in July last year from the Singapore Real Estate Exchange portal, which tracks home prices.

Out of 190 primary schools, 33 were in Cluster 1, which had the highest property prices.

These schools, mostly in the Bukit Timah and East Coast areas, were on average ranked about 40 places higher than their counterparts in Clusters 2 and 3.

The next two sets of 100 and 57 schools were placed in Cluster 2 and 3, respectively, with the latter having the lowest housing prices.

Mr Warrier said there were some outliers such as Rosyth School, which was highly ranked but located in a Cluster 2 neighbourhood.

There were also some schools in Cluster 1 which were not as highly ranked but are in expensive estates.

"But the trend - that the best primary schools are concentrated in expensive estates, perhaps for historical reasons - still held overall. This creates inequities as the primary school registration system gives high priority to home-school distance," Mr Warrier noted.

"But the good news is that there is little significant difference in school quality between Clusters 2 and 3. This means that the neighbourhoods with the mid to low property prices have a range of school types.

"It's not the case that the cheapest neighbourhoods have all the lower-ranked schools," he said.

He and Mr Liang worked on the research and paper over a few months last year.

They submitted the paper to the Singapore Policy Journal in September last year, and it was published earlier this year.

The journal, which was started in 2014, is run by students at the Harvard Kennedy School.

The publication invites students and researchers to write thoughtful analyses of Singapore policy.

"There are inherent inequalities in a cohort of students with different resources. Schools cannot amplify these differences," said Mr Warrier.

"In the US, for instance, public schools are funded by local property taxes - a school in a wealthy district gets more resources," he said.

"By and large, we're doing better than other countries. But we still shouldn't be magnifying inequalities by allowing children with wealthier and more well-connected parents to get into better schools," he added.

ateng@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on July 25, 2016.
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ERP rates to increase by 50 cents for 2 gantries on Northbound CTE from Aug 1

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SINGAPORE - Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates for some gantries will be revised from Monday, Aug 1.

Two gantries on the Northbound CTE after PIE will have its rates increased by 50 cents.

From 6pm - 6.30pm, rates will be increased from the current $0.50 to $1.

From 6.30pm - 7.30pm, rates will increase from $1.50 to $2.

And, from 7.30pm - 8pm, rate will rise to $1 from the current $0.50.

Rates will decrease by $1 for two gantries on the MCE westbound before the exit to Maxwell Road and on slip road to Marina Coastal Drive.

From 7.30am - 8am, rates will be $2, down from the current $3.

The rates for the other gantries will remain unchanged, said a statement by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

The changes come after the LTA completed its quarterly review of traffic conditions on ERP-priced roads and expressways.

The next ERP review will take place in November 2016 for the fourth quarterly rate review of 2016, said the statement.

spanaech@sph.com.sg

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Singapore to further boost money laundering controls amid 1MDB-linked probe

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SINGAPORE - Singapore's central bank said it will enhance controls against money laundering and take swift action against banks following damaging findings that financial institutions in the city-state handled money flows linked to Malaysian state fund 1MDB.

"There is no doubt that the recent findings have made a dent in our reputation as a clean and trusted financial centre," Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, said at its annual news conference on Monday.

"MAS is determined to fix the problem, working together with the industry."

Menon said the central bank will bolster its enforcement, conduct rigorous investigations and take swift action against errant financial institutions.

The comments came after authorities in Singapore announced last week that they had seized $240 million of assets in an investigation of 1MDB-related fund flows for possible money laundering.

They also said they found problems at three major banks: top local lender DBS Group Holdings Ltd, the world's largest private bank UBS AG, and UK-based bank Standard Chartered.

An onsite inspection of another Swiss bank, Falcon PBS, owned by one of the world's leading sovereign wealth funds - Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), in April 2016 found "substantial breaches" of anti-money laundering regulations, the MAS said.

Last week's announcement came after Singapore's central bank said in May it was closing down the Singapore operations of Swiss private bank BSI AG for serious breaches of anti-money laundering rules, the first such action in 32 years.

Menon said the central bank would not go into the details of its ongoing investigations into banks and other financial institutions, but it shows that the financial sector is particularly vulnerable to money laundering and illicit financing risks.

The MAS will also take a different tack when it comes to money laundering offences, potentially naming and shaming banks for larger breaches, Menon said, deviating from its past practise of conducting investigations on other offences in private.

Menon said the central bank is exploring the use of machine learning algorithms to identify manipulative trading behaviours in capital markets or to detect money laundering transactions.

"It is neither realistic nor desirable to expect the MAS to police every single transaction or activity in our financial markets," he said.

"The responsibility lies with every FI (financial institution) to instil high standards of risk management and proper conduct at all levels."

Between 2013 and 2016, the MAS conducted 608 inspections of financial institutions, he said, a six-fold increase from 2010 to 2013.

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Razer boss "astounded" by Singapore government's attitude towards Pokemon Go

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As Pokemon Go continues its launch worldwide, Singapore is one of the territories still eagerly awaiting - and dreading it at the same time.

Razer founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan criticised the Singapore government on Facebook today, after Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim said that the government will monitor Pokemon Go's "impact on society."

"If it's really something which we should be concerned about, I think MDA (the Media Development Authority) will definitely decide on what are the things we can do best […] in such a way that it becomes a win-win situation," the Minister said.

While it's the same non-committal attitude that Singaporean authorities hold over pretty much anything in the MDA's purview, Min-Liang took issue with the government potentially cracking down on the game:

The government extols how it wants to support the gaming industry and cultivate creativity in the country. Newsflash: No one's going to be creative in a place where you're going to arbitrarily ban games because it offends some of your sensitivities because you're still living in the 19th century.

In case you missed it, gaming is an artform, it's also now the biggest medium for creative expression - far outstripping movies and music. And try as you might, you're not going to get very far censoring and banning games willy-nilly because gamers, will always find a way - to game (ba-dum-tss) the system.

Min-Liang references previous controversies like the government banning first-person shooter game Counterstrike for excessive violence and science fiction game Mass Effect over a same-sex kiss scene. The bans have since been lifted.

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As a Singaporean, I've been incredibly astounded at the schizophrenic attitude the Singapore government has to gaming....

Posted by Min-Liang Tan on Sunday, 24 July 2016

Both games share with Pokemon Go a media furore that was blown way out of proportion in Singapore and abroad, and demonstrate how "concerned citizens" tend to overreact with such fads. Such a concerned citizen wrote to The Straits Times about Pokemon Go just a few days ago.

Like many games and products for younger audiences before it, Pokemon Go has been blamed for everything from people playing the game inside the United States Holocaust Museum to, erm, hiding satanic verses in its code (I'm not including a link because I can't find a website that looks sane enough).

Razer recently rode on Pokemon Go with the launch of RazerGo, a location-based chat app that's meant for use with augmented reality games.

Read also:
Singapore government to monitor impact of Pokemon Go on society
Fans eager for launch of Pokemon Go here, but trespassers beware
Indonesia bans police, troops from playing Pokemon Go
Humour: Fired over a game

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SCDF warns against fire safety companies claiming to act on behalf of authorities

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SINGAPORE - Aggressive and forceful - that is how some companies selling fire safety-related products are approaching members of the public. Some have even threatened people with fines if they do not purchase any products.

In a statement released on Monday (Jul 25), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) clarified that contrary to the claims some salespeople have made, it was not involved in the sale of fire extinguishers or insurance policies.

According to SCDF, the employees of such companies would persuade members of the public to purchase their products, fire insurance policies or to sign up for fire safety talks and training seminars.

In some instances, they also presented the Civil Defence Emergency Handbook to give the impression that they were representing the SCDF.

Read also: 10 scams that are happening in Singapore now

SCDF said that while it does make house visits to talk to residents about SG Secure to raise awareness about crisis handling, it has not authorised any company to sell anything on its behalf, and added that members of the public should "exercise caution when dealing with such person or company".

Officers who make such visits must display a warrant card, NS Identity Card or letter of authorisation.

Households in Singapore are not legally required to own a fire extinguisher, and there are no penalties imposed on those who don't have one.

 

on Facebook

ALERT ON UNAUTHORISED BUSINESS ACTIVITIES AND IMPERSONATION OF SCDF OFFICER The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)...

Posted by Singapore Civil Defence Force on Monday, 25 July 2016

ljessica@sph.com.sg

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Manatees head to Caribbean in first ever repopulation scheme

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SINGAPORE - Singapore's zoo said Monday it will send two manatees to Guadeloupe as part of the world's first repopulation programme for the animal, which became extinct on the French Caribbean island in the early 20th century.

Males Kai, seven, and Junior, six, will be the first manatees - which are also known as sea cows - on the island since the species died out.

Another 13 manatees of both genders from zoos around the world will follow the pair to the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, a 15,000 hectare (37,000 acre) protected bay, the Asian city-state's zoo operator said.

Any offspring from the group will be reintroduced into the wild as part of the repopulation programme.

The species is listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, with the West Indian variety becoming extinct in the Caribbean due to overhunting.

During the 30-hour journey, the mammals, from the River Safari park next to Singapore's main zoo, will be placed on canvases in custom-built open-top crates lined with thick sponge and periodically sprayed with water to keep their skin moist.

"We have been very successful in breeding manatees in our care for the past 20 years. We are very happy that this success will now contribute to restocking part of the species' historic range in the Caribbean where it has been extinct for the past century," Cheng Wen-Haur, deputy chief executive of zoo operator Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said in a statement.

A gentle creature which can grow to up to 4.5 metres (15 feet) in length, the manatee's natural habitats are warm coastal waters, mangrove swamps and estuaries where they graze on plants.

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Burglar climbs into Eunos flat, chokes woman when she finds him in bedroom

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It was the wee hours of Sunday (Jul 24) morning when a woman awoke to find a stranger in her Eunos Crescent bedroom.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the man had broken into the home by climbing up from the first floor, and entered the second storey flat through a window which had no grilles.

When he saw that the 27-year-old woman had seen him, the man choked her and hit her on the face.

Shin Min reported that the victim suffered injuries and scratches on her face and was hospitalised as a result.

The woman, who lives with her 76-year-old grandmother, reportedly lost her credit card and mobile phone to the burglar. He is also alleged to haven taken $500 cash from the elderly woman's purse.

The younger woman's boyfriend called the police after learning about what happened when she called him for help after the incident.

Her grandmother was reportedly sound asleep throughout the ordeal, and knew nothing of the incident until the police showed up.

Police later arrested a 28-year-old suspect after he answered a call made to the stolen phone.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

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Sexualised games at NUS orientation: Students re-enact rape

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AsiaOne update (July 26, 5.30pm): In a statement today, National University of Singapore repeated that it does "not condone any behaviour or activity that denigrates the dignity of individuals, and that has sexual connotations".

"As is the practice each year, before the start of this orientation period at NUS, the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) had conducted sessions with the students involved in organising and leading orientation activities...OSA went through with the student leaders the do’s and don’ts of orientation, as well as banned activities," it said.

It added that it was "very disappointed that despite these efforts, instances of offensive and completely inappropriate orientation activities that were not submitted nor endorsed have surfaced". It said it is "carrying out thorough investigations" and that "strong disciplinary action will be taken against those found responsible".

It did not specify what kind of punishments will be meted out, nor make any mention of punishments meted out in the past.

-----

One was asked whose bodily fluids she would like to drink, while another watched her peers re-enact an incestuous rape scene.

These were just two examples of the sexualised activities that hundreds of freshmen were made to participate in some of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) orientation camps in the past two months.

Some students said they attended the camps to make friends, but they were instead pressured to take part in increasingly sexualised activities.

A 19-year-old freshman whom we shall name Chloe told The New Paper that she left the room after she became uncomfortable during an activity called "burning bridges" that required her to answer inappropriate questions.

The questions touched on taboo subjects such as which man's bodily fluid she would want to drink, who among them is the sluttiest, and who would never get married and die alone, she said.

"Every time I didn't take part, I was so scared that the orientation group would write me off as a prude and ostracise me," said Chloe, who requested not to be named for this reason.

She added that the camp's cheering and chanting was also sexualised, with references to the male anatomy, that made her blush.

A forfeit previously done at camps in NTU and NUS in 2008, where one person pretends to be a pole while the other pole-dances. PHOTO: Stomp

"(The cheers) were so senseless. I hated them, but apparently it's tradition that has been passed down from previous batches," she said.

This perhaps explains why there have been complaints over the past decade, mostly from women who feel sexualised or harassed by the chants and games, some of which involve close contact.

That they are still happening today despite the complaints, and the universities promising to investigate and take action against offenders, imply that nothing much has changed.

Another 19-year-old freshman, Kim (not her real name), told TNP that she was grabbed from multiple directions by different students during a game that involved soap and water.

"I didn't even know where they were touching. It was so physical. I ended up in pain, and it was a scary experience," she said.

UNCOMFORTABLE

One of the forfeits for a game required a male and female freshman to re-enact a rape scene between a young man and his younger sister, which was even uncomfortable to watch.

"The girl had to lie on the floor, then the guy pretended to kick open a door and say, 'Kor kor (big brother) coming.' The girl had to respond, 'Mei mei (little sister) don't want'," Kim said.

"He then kicked open her legs and did push-ups while lying on top of her.

"The girl looked very uncomfortable and covered her face throughout the whole thing."


Photo taken at Singapore Institute of Management-University of London’s (SIM-UOL) orientation games in 2011. PHOTO: Wanbao reader.

The incident traumatised Kim, who said that she wanted to cry during many of the activities.

"Why in the world would they have such ideas? I wanted to get out so badly.

"A group of us girls wanted to leave, but the orientation group leader stopped us and told us to finish playing the game."

The orientation group leaders are seniors in NUS, and the camp attended by Kim was organised by the NUS Students' Union two weeks ago.

On its website, the union says that it "strives to work towards upholding its vision of being a representative, inclusive and credible institution to promote, safeguard and uphold students' interest and welfare in NUS".

TNP was alerted to the activities by a reader, who said in an e-mail that there were "incidents of sexual harassment" during the camps, as well as the "trivialisation of rape".

The reader also cited the NUSWhispers Facebook page, which had posts about a cheer that "simulated a group of guys ejaculating on a girl's face".

Other participants of the camp that TNP spoke to confirmed this.

A spokesman for the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) labelled such activities "alienating rather than bonding", and criminal lawyers said police reports should have been made.

TNP asked NUS why it had been unable to tackle the problem of inappropriate activities during such camps despite numerous complaints over the past decade.

An NUS spokesman did not address the question, but instead said that it is currently looking into the issue.

"At NUS, orientation activities serve to welcome freshmen and integrate them into the university community and campus life," said the spokesman.

"Participation in orientation camps and activities is voluntary. Our student leaders are constantly reminded to develop meaningful orientation activities that will help forge new friendships among our freshmen.

"Student organisers of orientation camps are also thoroughly briefed on the guidelines for orientation activities.

"The NUS Office of Student Affairs (OSA) has recently received feedback in relation to some inappropriate orientation activities.

"It is currently looking into the feedback and working with the faculty concerned. Freshmen are also advised to report inappropriate orientation activities to OSA, so that the office could look into their concerns.

"The University takes violations of the Student Code of Conduct very seriously. Disciplinary action will be taken against students who breach these guidelines."

But the students TNP spoke to said the damage had been done.

Photo taken at Singapore Institute of Management-University of London’s (SIM-UOL) orientation games in 2011. PHOTO: Wanbao reader.

Kim said: "All I wanted was to make new friends. I wonder why we even have such activities?

"But the camp is over, and we cannot do anything about it."

Lawyers: Such activities could be against the law

Instead of building a culture of respect and consent, such sexualised activities will promote a culture of rape and bullying.

Ms Jolene Tan, 33, programmes and communications senior manager for the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware), said such activities are uncalled for, and that more should be done to protect the students.

"Such activities are very inappropriate, and promote bullying, the objectification of women, and is an unhealthy trivialisation of sexual violence," she told The New Paper.

"They are alienating rather than bonding, and potentially traumatising to anyone there who has experienced sexual assault previously."

PRESSURED

She added that new students feel pressured to take part or be left out, resulting in many choosing not to voice their discomfort.

"Even if they are uncomfortable, they won't say it because they don't want to be a spoilsport.

"The whole culture needs to change. There needs to be a policy in institutions that is explicit about harassment."

A survey of 500 young people aged 17 to 25 conducted by Aware in 2014 found that one in three had experienced sexual assault or harassment, said Ms Tan.

The reported behaviours included unwanted sexual remarks, receiving of unsolicited pornography, and rape and other physical sexual assaults.

Lawyers told TNP that such activities outrage the modesty of women, and police reports should be made by individuals who feel violated.

Criminal lawyer Ravinderpal Singh of Kalco Law said such activities could easily be considered to be a violation of the Penal Code, which criminalises any word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

"If the woman takes offence and feels outraged, she can make a police report," he said.

"The school can also be liable if it is negligent, and fails to provide a safe environment."

He added that the school has a duty to ensure the well-being of all students.

"You cannot evade liability even (if students sign) a form," he said.

"There definitely should be checks done by the school to ensure that such things do not happen."

Another criminal lawyer, Mr T.M. Sinnadurai of Regent Law, said: "The words they used are gross and could be considered offensive. In my opinion, it is wrong.

"Even if there is no physical touching, it is still a violation."

The father of a 20-year-old girl said that if his daughter were placed in a similar situation, he would immediately make a police report.

"I would be outraged if someone did something like that to my daughter," he said.

"No one should be forced or pressured into such activities, and a police report should be made.

"A school is a place where you have to learn to get your morals right. If the school teaches these things, then it is the wrong place to start your learning."

Controversies go way back

Orientation games at local universities have courted controversy for a decade, but the replies to the media have been similar each time.

The activities have also become raunchier, with this year's games at the National University of Singapore (NUS) being the most lewd and explicit.

In 2006, The Straits Times (ST) reported that activities involving lip contact and the washing of armpits at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the NUS orientation games left students flustered.

This was followed by a similar report in 2008, in which ST quoted an NUS student who sat out an activity where male students did push-ups on top of female students.

In 2011, The New Paper reported that a girl cried after orientation games at the Singapore Institute of Management-University of London became too close for comfort.

The activities were similar to those at NUS in 2008, with male students leaning over female students on the ground.

In 2014, NUS was again in the spotlight after complaints that a male student was stripped to his shorts before being blindfolded and bound with tape, as female students licked whipped cream off his neck.

Each time, the replies from the universities to queries follow a similar pattern.

The universities would highlight the guidelines in place and that they do not condone such behaviour. They would then promise to investigate and take action against anyone who breaches the rules.

They also mention that participation in the camps is voluntary. But freshmen say they feel pressured to take part for fear of being ostracised.

In recent years, the institutions have implemented channels for feedback.

Yet, a decade on, nothing has changed.


This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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Murdered engineer's kin troubled by reports of impersonator

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The parents of murdered engineer Cui Yajie, who are believed to have arrived in Singapore from China yesterday, are alarmed by reports that a man had impersonated the father to get donations, said a lawyer representing the family.

Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported on Sunday that a man claiming to be Ms Cui's father solicited donations at a Chinatown food centre on Saturday.

Lawyer Chung Ting Fai said the family was troubled by this impostor, and want to get their side of the story out. They are expected to issue a statement or speak to reporters soon.

Ms Cui, 31, a Chinese national from Tianjin, was reported missing two weeks ago and her decomposed remains were found in Lim Chu Kang last Wednesday.

She graduated from the University of Southampton in Britain and worked at semiconductor firm MediaTek. She was last seen in Fusionopolis Walk in Buona Vista at about 9.15pm on July 11, close to where her firm is located.

Leslie Khoo Kwee Hock, 48, who works in a laundry business, has been charged with her murder.

The Singaporean is accused of killing her between 8am and 10.11am at Gardens by the Bay East in Marina Bay on July 12.

Yesterday morning, Khoo was seen by reporters taking part in a crime scene re-enactment at the park, accompanied by two plainclothes police officers. His feet and hands bound with black restraints, Khoo was seen talking to the officers but quickly hid behind them once he spotted the media, Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday.


This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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7 in 10 NTU undergrads found jobs early

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Seven in 10 students from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have secured jobs even before they graduate this week, according to a preliminary survey conducted last month.

About 5,000 graduates took part in the survey and 70 per cent said they would be employed.

About 18 per cent of the graduates were offered jobs with their internship companies, so the majority were accepted by companies they had sought independently.

The proportion is similar to a preliminary survey last year for the class of 2015, where more than half of the graduates had secured jobs.

More than 9,000 students will graduate from NTU this year in 18 convocation ceremonies that started yesterday.

They make up the 25th class of NTU graduates since the university was inaugurated in 1991 with the merger of Nanyang Technological Institute and the National Institute of Education.

In the silver jubilee convocation address yesterday, NTU president Bertil Andersson said as a university that started out with just three disciplines, NTU sought to be interdisciplinary, adding subjects other than engineering and applied science, to cater to the diverse aspirations of Singaporeans.

Said Professor Andersson: "The institution guides students towards professional success with new programmes to prepare our students for work."

Three of these programmes, the Renaissance Engineering Programme, the University Scholars Programme and the History programme, saw their pioneer groups graduate yesterday.

Presiding over the convocation ceremony was Mr Wee Cho Yaw, UOB chairman emeritus, who is Pro-Chancellor of NTU. Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung also attended the ceremony.

Two luminaries were also conferred honorary degrees by the university for their contributions to science and art.

Master potter and Cultural Medallion recipient Iskandar Jalil, 77, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters for his art and teaching.

Professor Sir David Payne was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering for his pioneering work in optical fibre communications, essential in modern telecommunications.


This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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A peek into 100 HDB homes

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Cookie-cutter, confined and sterile - this was the impression Singapore permanent residents Eitaro Ogawa and Tamae Iwasaki had of Housing Board flats a few years ago.

After the husband and wife documented more than 100 HDB homes for their upcoming book, however, they now regard these abodes as vital spaces where Singapore culture is lived and breathed in rich and diverse ways.

Their book, HDB: Homes Of Singapore, hopes to present the country's public housing flats in this light.

Planned for release next year, the book is a joint effort with Mr Tomohisa Miyauchi, a senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore's department of architecture.

It features in chronological order the flats that the trio have visited and photographed since 2013, to capture a portrait of life and culture in Singapore.

Mr Ogawa, 42, who has been living and working here since 2001 as a fine art printer, says: "The book is not about presenting nice home interiors. It is about how culture happens in our homes through the way we live."

The couple came up with the idea for the book in 2008, when they were considering buying an HDB flat.

The semi-detached house they were renting near Seletar Airbase was going to be redeveloped and they needed to find a new home. However, they had reservations about public housing.

Ms Iwasaki, 43, an art educator, says: "We shared our concerns with friends and they invited us into their homes. The flats look the same from the outside, but inside, the difference was dramatic."

The couple found their friends' homes to be authentic representations of their distinct personalities and style, and it turned their view of HDB flats on its head.

Inspired, they bought a four- room flat in Bukit Panjang and decided to share their experience in a photo book that subverts stereotypes about HDB flats.

The idea, however, languished because of their inexperience in publishing. It took a fortuitous meeting with Mr Miyauchi in 2013, shortly after he arrived in Singapore to teach, to get the project on its feet.

The three of them were guests at an exhibition and were chatting casually when the couple's idea came up in conversation.

Mr Miyauchi, 39, who has published books and periodicals on architecture and urban planning, says: "I thought the idea of visiting HDB flats and talking to people is a good way of understanding more about the country, which is important to me as an architect and educator."

Their aim was to photograph 50 HDB homes and they relied on the help of friends to find willing participants. Occasionally, they knocked on the doors of strangers.

Photographer Deanna Ng, 40, who lives in a three-room flat in Potong Pasir, was introduced to the trio through a mutual friend.

She says: "I have always photographed things that are Singaporean - the markets, Singapore as a Garden City, but nobody was doing what they were. For them to be Japanese and so interested in the subject, I was happy to invite them into my flat."

At each flat they visited, Mr Miyauchi, who studied film in school, would take the photographs while Mr Ogawa and Ms Iwasaki would chat with the occupants to find out more about them.

Mr Miyauchi says the project is not voyeuristic - the occupants are often not pictured - but rather, a celebration of how people here live.

He says: "What was interesting to see, for example, was how every home had its sacred area, whether it was a shrine for worshipping gods, or a shelf to show off a collection of toys, or a place above a grandfather's desk that has pictures of his children and grandchildren."

When they neared their goal of 50 homes, they were inspired to keep going and upped the target to 100. They have since surpassed that number, photographing flats of all types and ages around the island.

They had planned to publish the book last year, in time for Singapore's Golden Jubilee celebrations, but they were unable to meet the deadline. Earlier this year, however, a selection of their pictures was included in an installation at the Singapore Pavilion at the prestigious 15th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice.

They plan to release the book by next year and are in the midst of raising US$38,000 (S$51,737) through crowdfunding website Indiegogo to print 2,000 copies of the book. They have so far raised about 40 per cent of the sum, with a little more than a week left.

Mr Ogawa says they are committed to publishing the book, even if the total sum is not raised, although there is "good reason to be optimistic".

He says: "This project had always been beyond us. But what we prayed for has worked out. This book would not have been possible if people did not open their homes to us and that is the beautiful part of involving so many people."

- To donate, go to www.indiegogo.com/projects/book- project-hdb-homes-of-singapore


This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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Sluggish growth amid Brexit, financial services gains to ease

McDonald's says no 'conclusive evidence' to confirm origin of worms in Filet-O-Fish packaging

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McDonald's Singapore said it has found no "conclusive evidence" to confirm the origin of tiny worms a customer found wiggling in her Filet-O-Fish burger packaging last Friday (July 23).

Ms Patricia Yong, director of operations for the Singapore fast food chain, told AsiaOne in a statement on Tuesday (July 26) that "given the high temperatures at which our food is prepared, it is highly unlikely that larvae or eggs would have survived the cooking process."

A Facebook Post by Ms Angela Qiqi last Friday said that she noticed wiggling worms after she had finished her burger.

She posted up videos and photos of what appeared to be worms moving about in the burger packaging

Ms Yong said: "At McDonald's, food safety and quality are our top priorities and we take all feedback relating to the quality of our food very seriously. We have investigated this thoroughly and have also been in contact with the customer.

"We have also engaged two independent pest control agencies to inspect our restaurant and they have found no evidence of pests on the premises."

She said that regular monthly external pest control maintenance and checks are done and inspection done on top of this.

Packaging suppliers of McDonald's have also conducted their own investigations and confirmed that the possibility of pests being introduced to the restaurant through the packaging is "extremely unlikely" as the process of manufacturing and storage involves flat packing and temperatures between 48 - 350 °C, said the statement.

Ms Yong added: "At McDonald's, the well-being and satisfaction of our customers is very important to us, and we recognise high hygiene standards as an integral part of our business. We institute regular cleaning and checks as part of our restaurant food safety processes and take every precaution with our suppliers to ensure that our high standards for food quality are upheld."

spanaech@sph.com.sg

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10 things to know about the AGO report

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SINGAPORE - The Auditor-General's Office (AGO) released its report for the financial year 2015/16 on the proper accounting, management and use of public resources on Tuesday (July 26).

Here are 10 things to know about the report:

1. The AGO audited a total of:

- 16 ministries
- 11 statutory boards
- Eight organs of state
- Five government-owned companies
- Four government funds
- Three other accounts

Selective audits were conducted on the eight statutory boards and three government funds, which involves checks on selected areas like financial irregularities, excesses, extravagance, or inefficiency.

2. The Housing Development Board (HDB)

Inadequate financial controls were found in HDB's carparks which were outsourced to commercial operators. There were many instances were vehicles were not charged parking fees and motorists had evaded payment by manipulating the carpark system.

The AGO said that these problems could have been detected if HDB compared the monthly reports of these carparks from the operators with data from its carpark system.

HDB was also slow in making final payments to contractors handling construction and upgrading projects, which was unfair as it could affect the cashflow of these contractors, AGO revealed, with delays of up to 3.3 years uncovered.

3. Land Transport Authority (LTA)

A potential $13.93 million was under-collected by LTA at the toll booths at Tuas and Woodlands Checkpoints, resulting in potential loss of revenue.

The report also said there was a lack of effective system at the immigration booths to ensure motorists paid their fees.

4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)

MFA overpaid telecommunication providers $109,868 and wasted $80,744 as it failed to unsubscribe to lines that were no longer needed. It added that MFA did not carry out proper verification of invoices to ensure that amounts billed were correct.

5. The Ministry of Law

Only one officer from the Public Trustee's Office under the Ministry of Law handled assets belonging to deceased persons. Discrepancies in the recording of assets received from nursing homes were also discovered by the AGO. There were no independent checks or proper accounting, resulting in the risk of misappropriation.

6. Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)

Calling NYP practices "a disregard for financial controls and proper governance", the AGO highlighted conflicts of interest in transactions between the Polytechnic and its subsidiary, Nanyang Polytechnic International Pte Ltd.

NYP board members with vested interests in a subsidiary were involved in the evaluation and decision-making process on matters relating to the same subsidiary. Market rates were also not charged to the subsidiary for using NYP's premises, resulting in hidden subsidies and excess funding totalling $8.38 million.

7. The Ministry of Education (MOE)

Controls by MOE, Nanyang Technological University, and the National University of Singapore to recover tuition fees and study loans were inadequate, AGO said.

The recovery of loans, carried out by third-party agents, were not timely.

Prompt action was also not meted on scholars who did not serve their required bonds in 16 cases out of 30 scholarships tested, AGO said.

8. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY)

The National Arts Council (NAC) paid a consultancy fee of $410,000 for the construction of a bin centre costing $470,000. This means the consultancy fee took up 87.2 per cent of the total cost of the construction.

The AGO labelled the expenditure as "inadequate assessment on the reasonableness of the exceptionally high consulting fee."

Explaining that the construction of the bin centre was complex, MCCY acknowledged in a ChannelNews Asia report that the cost assessment could have been "more robust".

47 out of 164 variation works were carried out for the Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall before approvals were given, with delays in obtaining approval amounting to 3.5 years

9. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) had overpaid its Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) officers allowance, amounting to about $2.63 million over a span of over seven years from 2008 to 2015.

This was due to an unauthorised approval to increase the VCS officers allowance from $2.80 per hour to $3.60 by the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs, who were not authorised under legislation to do so.

10. What happens now?

After the report is submitted to the President and presented in Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee will deliberate on the report and may call upon the public sector entities to account for the lapses where it deems necessary.

grongloh@sph.com.sg

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Johor proposes ferry services to Singapore

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JOHOR BARU - The Johor state government has suggested the setting up of a ferry service as an alternative mode of transportation for commuters travelling to and from Singapore.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the proposal was to help ease the traffic congestion at the Causeway and the Second Link faced by road users and commuters who travelled between Malaysia and Singapore via Johor Baru.

He said the ferry terminal would offer services from Kong Kong in Pasir Gudang to Singapore's Changi Ferry Terminal, which offers ferry services to Tanjung Belungkor in Desaru in Johor and Batam, Indonesia.

"The proposed ferry terminal, which includes water taxi services, would enable those staying in the east of Johor Baru like those in Pasir Gudang and working in Singapore to cut down on travel time," he said on Tuesday (July 26).

Mohamed Khaled said this when attending the Johor Baru-Singapore Taxi Services Terminal Management Hari Raya open house.

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Fans at bus stops to cool you down? Cool!

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A six-month pilot scheme is under way to see if the wait at bus stops can be made cooler and more comfortable for commuters, even in Singapore's sweltering heat.

Since last month, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been testing out the use of electric fans at five bus stops, and is studying the feasibility of installing them at others, The Straits Times has learnt.

"The fans aim to improve ventilation at the bus stops and provide commuters who are waiting for their buses a reprieve from the heat," an LTA spokesman said in response to queries.

Commuters can activate the fans using switches, and the devices will be powered to run for 15 minutes at a time.

The bus stops with the fans can be found along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, near Ang Mo Kio MRT station; Block 270, Bukit Panjang Road; Serangoon Road near Tekka Centre; Block 302, Tampines Avenue 2; and Tiong Bahru Road, near Tiong Bahru Plaza.

These bus stops were chosen for the pilot because of the higher levels of commuter traffic.

Bus stops of different heights were also taken into consideration, to test different types of fans, the LTA said.

For example, at the high-roofed bus shelter along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, bladed oscillating fans are mounted on pillars to provide more coverage, while at the low-roofed bus stop in Tiong Bahru, linear-type fans are used instead.

The LTA said the trial will be evaluated based on commuters' feedback on the effectiveness of the fans.

The electric fans are part of the authority's ongoing efforts to improve the commuter experience at bus stops. In January, another trial was launched to improve the display of arrival timing boards, through the use of electronic paper (e-paper) technology.

Such technology, which mimics the appearance of ink on paper - similar to e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle - is being tested out at information boards at 11 bus stops.

As for the fans, commuters interviewed said they provide a welcome respite during the hot weather, or when the bus stops are crowded during peak periods.

Madam Mary Goh, 60, a retiree, also pointed out that letting commuters decide when to switch on the fans is a good idea.

"It will help save electricity, especially when there are fewer people at the bus stop, like during the night," she said in Mandarin.

But polytechnic student Awad Ruzaini, 18, suggested automating the process.

"Instead of switches, how about sensors which can detect people at the bus stops, so the fans turn on automatically," he said.


This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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