Only just over half of complaints filed with Case resolved last year, compared to 78 per cent in 2014

A couple were due to move into their new Telok Kurau condominium apartment in April, but four months on they are still living in rented accommodation, and $63,000 out of pocket.

Mr Matthew Alan, a permanent resident and his Singaporean wife, hired an interior design company to renovate their newly-bought condominium unit on Feb 2, shortly before their daughter was born.

When they visited the flat just before its expected completion date in April it looked more like a demolition than renovation, Mr Alan said. Debris from knocked-down walls littered the floor, cabinets lay uninstalled and wooden panels were stacked haphazardly.

They are not alone in their misery. The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received 1,447 complaints against renovation contractors last year, just 15 fewer than in 2014.

Home renovation contractors were the fourth most complained about industry here last year, behind the vehicle, electrical and electronics, and beauty industries.

What is worse - among the cases filed with Case, only slightly over half were resolved last year, compared to 78 per cent in 2014.

Case executive director Seah Seng Choon said the fall was down to "more complaints involving higher contractual value and complex issues where parties were unable to reach a settlement" as well as "complaints where companies decline mediation as a means of dispute resolution".

The most common complaints pertained to failure to honour contractual obligations and unsatisfactory services.

Affected homeowners told The Sunday Times they believed that the contractors knew that their clients would not take legal action against them because of the expense involved.

From January to July this year, Case received a total of 800 complaints - including one from Mr and Mrs Alan.

The couple say they paid 90 per cent of the total cost of $70,000 to interior designers from Sense Ideas Design progressively over four weeks. The renovation was due to last six to eight weeks.

Mr Alan, 33, a podiatrist, said: "We shortlisted five companies and we didn't choose this one because it was the cheapest. It was because they seemed to get our concept."

They had wanted to be able to move into the home to give their daughter a conducive "health conscious" environment to play in, complete with a small gym area and a rock-climbing wall.

The interior designers initially asked for an extension in the completion of the project, but eventually sent a text to the couple saying they were in financial difficulty, and could not continue, said the couple.

Making a police report, visiting the Member of Parliament for their area and going to Case did not help their situation. They turned to a debt recovery company, but have yet to receive a cent back, they added.

Mr Alan's 33-year-old wife, a sales manager, who did not want to be named, said: "The first couple of weeks, we had sleepless nights. There was tension. But now, it's like we have to move on."

Mr Alan said they have sent a letter of demand to the company through a lawyer and are waiting to hear back from them. They extended their lease on the Guillemard Road condominium apartment that they have been renting.

On top of the monthly rent, they have had to fork out close to another $50,000 to get another contractor to finish the job. Calls and e-mails to the interior designers by The Sunday Times went unanswered.

Another homeowner, who wanted to be known only as Ms Kasthuri, 27, a regulatory affairs specialist, lost $28,000 to a renovation contractor, who she did not want to name.

She and her husband had been referred to a contractor and arranged to meet him at a showroom. However, when they got there, only his colleague was there, so they discussed their ideas with him.

The man they spoke to left the company shortly after, but as he already knew what they wanted and was able to give them a quotation to do the job within their budget of $30,000, they hired him.

For the first month, they would check on the progress of their flat in Sembawang after work and see progress.

"A month later, everything seemed to stop. We saw the same loose wire hanging in the kitchen every time we went," she said.

They set up an appointment with the contractor, and started getting suspicious when one day, after arranging to meet, the contractor did not turn up, despite many calls.

Eventually, the contractor told them that he could not continue as he was taking care of his fiancee's father, who was was dying, even sending photos of the patient in hospital.

"We felt sorry, but that didn't mean he could just not complete what was in our contract," she said.

When the couple took him to the Small Claims Tribunal, the judge told the contractor to pay the couple $6,000, which he allegedly did not.

Ms Kasthuri's parents-in-law eventually paid another contractor $20,000 to complete the renovation.

Mr Adrian Wee, a commercial litigation lawyer, said that every month, his firm sees three to four cases of homeowners whose renovation contractors go missing or leave the project incomplete.

He said that when those who have lost $40,000 or less check with him, he would ask them to reconsider, as the legal fees may not justify the risk and cost.

He advises being stricter in payment terms.

"For example, if the work is 40 per cent done, you'd want to have paid 45 or 50 per cent, at the maximum, not 80 per cent."

Advice for home owners

The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) gives this advice to home owners looking to protect themselves against errant contractors.

• Consider an accredited contractor from CaseTrust (www.casetrust.org.sg). While this does not guarantee that there will not be any problems, consumers are assured of the availability of dispute resolution measures.
• Consider using a model agreement, such as the one on Home Renovation provided by Case (https://www.case. org.sg/pdf/model_renovation per cent20(1).pdf).
• Payment for services should be rendered progressively as the renovation continues. Do not make full payment upfront.
• Know your dispute resolution avenues. Besides Case, consumers can also lodge a claim via the Small Claims Tribunals. Note details like claim amount limits and one-year time limits.
• The contract agreement should reflect clear, itemised billing and listing of products and services.
• Obtain different quotations before committing to a service package so that you will be less vulnerable to misrepresentation, overcharging and pressure sales tactics.

jalmsab@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Aug 21, 2016.
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In its heyday, California Fitness revolutionised the fitness scene in Singapore. Almost 20 years later, the chain has gone bust. Jalelah Abu Baker traces the rise and fall of the once-popular mega-gym.

California Fitness was once the talk of the town with three floors of top-notch equipment in the heart of Orchard Road, and those cool glass walls which gave gawkers a chance to admire the lean bodies exercising within.

Introduced here as a tie-up between American fitness guru Ray Wilson and a Hong Kong-based property company, it was considered revolutionary when it entered the Singapore market in January 1998. The mega-gym made fitness fashionable.

Close to 20 years later, the chain, which had four branches in Singapore, has completely shut down as its owner, JV Fitness, lacked the finances to keep it running, according to officially appointed provisional liquidators.

JV Fitness had chalked up losses of more than $25.6 million as at June 30 this year, said a report by its provisional liquidators Ferrier Hodgson. JV Fitness was already $21.7 million in the red in January last year, and had been losing money since 2013, financial statements show. But it kept the chain going by signing new members and getting them to pay their fees up front.

Two of its branches - in Orchard Road and Raffles Place - closed abruptly earlier this year. Its two remaining branches, in Novena Square and Bugis Junction, which were opened officially by action star Jackie Chan in the mid-2000s in a tie-up with the famous Hong Kong actor, shuttered on July 20.

A report in Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post(SCMP) on the same day said that a branch in Beijing was the only one still in operation, but on a temporary basis.

Up until its closure, California Fitness here had kept mum about any financial difficulties. In fact, a spokesman, responding to queries, said in March: "We have been in Singapore for more than 18 years and we have strong financial backing. We are proud of our stability and will continue to offer reliable and quality services for our members."

Financial troubles plaguing the company became public knowledge, however, when all 12 branches in Hong Kong were shut amid a winding-up petition and other court action. It is estimated that the firm owes HK$130 million (S$22.5 million) in rent and other operating costs, said SCMP.

California Fitness' history in Asia started when Canada-born Eric Levine founded the first branch in the region in Hong Kong in 1996. At the time, he had just sold off a chain of fitness centres he had built, which had gained mainstream appeal particularly in California, according to a report by Forbes in 2008.

He focused his attention on Asia, opening branches in Singapore, Hong Kong and China. At one point, the chain had expanded to two dozen health clubs across Asia.

The chain reportedly broke even in just two months of its opening in Singapore, with 4,000 members, according to Mr Levine then. While it is not clear when he exited the chain in Asia, it appears to have changed hands along the way.

Most recently, it has been run by JV Fitness, whose Singapore business registration lists a JV Fitness (BVI) Limited under a British Virgin Islands post office box .

Hong Kong media reported that problems had plagued the finances and sales tactics of the chain months before its closure.

In Singapore, as early as May 1998, The Straits Times reported on two customers' claims that the gym pressured them to sign up. Their claims were followed by several similar ones over the years.

There were also other criticisms levelled against the chain - cancellation of lifetime memberships, random membership terminations, overcrowding and misrepresentation. Business experts have pointed to poor cash flow management and failure to keep up with fitness trends as possible reasons for the eventual demise of the chain.

California Fitness' practices - which have now left consumers high and dry following the chain's closure - prompted the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) to call them "questionable".

Said the consumer watchdog's executive director, Mr Seah Seng Choon: "Case will discuss with the (Government) and the relevant stakeholders to look into protection for consumers' pre-payment."

GYM CHAIN'S FORTUNES OVER THE YEARS

• January 1998: The first California Fitness gym opens here in Somerset, in a tie-up between a Hong Kong property company and American fitness guru Ray Wilson.
• April 1999: The second outlet at Republic Plaza opens.
• October 2005: Well-known Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan opens Bugis outlet, known as a California Fitness Jackie Chan Sport Centre, to fanfare after investing in the chain.
• November 2006: The second California Fitness Jackie Chan Sport Centre opens.
• February 2011: California Fitness' Orchard branch moves from Somerset to Ngee Ann City.
• February 2016: Its Orchard branch on the eighth level of Ngee Ann City ceases operation due to "variable business strategies and decisions".
• July 16, 2016: California Fitness closes its Raffles Place outlet "until further notice". The Sunday Times learnt that the unit was repossessed due to failure to pay rent.
• July 20, 2016: Provisional liquidators from insolvency management firm Ferrier Hodgson send a media statement that California Fitness' owner, JV Fitness, "does not have adequate liquid resources to continue its operations and therefore all outlets in Singapore will be closed from today until further notice".
• Aug 12, 2016: JV Fitness was already $21.7 million in the red in January last year, according to a liquidation report presented to court. It is also revealed that around 27,000 members are owed $20.8 million in unused gym access and unredeemed personal training sessions.

jalmsab@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Aug 21, 2016.
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A few months ago, Ms Kwan Yuling got her pocket picked while checking out some stalls on her way to a neighbourhood coffee shop in Serangoon North.

She was probably an easy target, the 34-year-old says with a sigh.

An operation to remove a brain tumour three years ago has affected her mobility, and she has to move around with a walking stick.

"Whoever did it probably took advantage of my condition. I didn't realise it. But I lost my IC, ATM card and $170 in cash meant to settle my utilities bill," she says in Mandarin.

It is a small fortune to Ms Kwan who earns just over $300 a month, working part-time in a social enterprise.

"My heart ached but I don't hate the pickpocket. Everyone makes mistakes.

"Anyway, I can always earn the money back," she says simply.

The absence of rancour is admirable for someone who has been dealt so many bad cards in life that griping should be her birthright.

Fair, bespectacled with hair cropped neat and short, Ms Kwan is sitting at the void deck of an HDB block in Serangoon North Avenue 1. Home, which she shares with her mother in a nearby block, she says shyly, is too messy to receive visitors.

She grew up in a one-room flat in Bukit Merah, the younger of two children of a contractor and a factory worker.

"I was five years old when I was diagnosed with leukaemia," she says, referring to the cancer which usually starts in the bone marrow.

Although her memories of this period are hazy, she remembers frequent trips to the hospital where she was subjected to a whole host of treatments, from bone marrow extractions to radiation therapy.

Home was not exactly a happy haven for the former student of Serangoon Garden South Primary.

Her brother - older by a decade - was a ruffian and no stranger to boys' homes.

Quarrels often erupted between her mother and her father, who did not believe in sparing the rod when she did not do well in her exams.

"He owed a lot of money to loan sharks and also had another family," she says.

Things came to a head when Ms Kwan's health woes landed her in hospital when she was 14.

"My mother was visiting me one day when the hospital served me my meal. She ate it instead, but choked on a piece of fish," she says.

This apparently led to a stroke, and her mother spent a couple of years rehabilitating in hospital.

During this time, her father and brother left the home. "I've never seen them since," she says.

No relatives stepped forward to help. "They looked down on us," says Ms Kwan, who spent two years at the Institute of Technical Education in Geylang Serai studying English and basic electrical skills after completing her primary school education.

Social workers placed her in a girls' home in Marymount, where she spent two years helping out in the kitchen.

"I didn't have any friends. The other girls didn't like to talk to me," she says, adding that she went home to live with her mother after the latter was discharged from a rehabilitation hospital in Ang Mo Kio.

To get by, mother and daughter found work at McDonald's in United Square, working alongside each other six hours a day for $3.50 an hour.

Her next gig, secured with the help of the girls' home, paid more: $1,200 a month as a sales assistant at Metro department store, first at Marina Square and later at Paragon.

Friends were not easy to come by.

"I just did my own thing. I didn't have time for friends," she says quietly, trying to sound cavalier to mask her hurt. "After work, I'd just go home for dinner and watch TV."

Jobs were not easy to keep either, probably because she has only primary school education and was self-conscious and shy.

However, she felt no bitterness.

"I wasn't sad. If I lost a job, I just told myself I had to jia you (try harder in Mandarin).

"I'd look through the newspapers or approach sales promoters in shopping centres to find out if they needed sales assistants," she says.

Over the next decade, she worked at a number of sales jobs, pushing everything from strollers to babies' clothes to shoes.

Things took a bleak turn in 2013 when she was working as a shoe promoter in Hougang Mall.

She was on a ladder, getting a pair of shoes from a high shelf when she lost her balance and fell 2m, hitting the side of her head.

Unknown to her, two tumours had grown in her brain causing a build-up of fluids - probably a late effect of the radiation she had when she was a child.

This in turn affected her vision and caused frequent migraines, as well as mobility issues on the left side of her body. "My left arm and leg didn't have any strength but I didn't see the doctor," she says.

Her fall saw her admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), where doctors inserted a tube from her brain to her stomach to drain the fluid build-up in her head.

The next month, she went through a seven-hour operation during which doctors took out the bigger of her two tumours, roughly the size of a golf ball.

She could not eat, drink, walk or talk for a couple of months after the procedure and had to be fed through an intravenous tube.

Ms Eileen Ho, a senior medical social worker with TTSH, says Ms Kwan was more concerned about her mother's well-being than her own condition during this period.

"Because she was not able to work, she constantly requested social assistance to support her mother. She was afraid her mother would not be able to cope," says Ms Ho.

Ms Kwan's concern for her mother also propelled her to work hard at her rehabilitation, which took several months. "I told myself I had to recover. I wanted to be normal like everyone else," she says.

Her fighting spirit impressed Ms Zhou Lifeng, a nurse clinician at the National Neuroscience Institute.

"Initially, she was a bit depressed but she was very obedient because she really wanted to recover. She is very strong. She thinks positively, doesn't worry excessively and has a natural instinct to want to do well," says Ms Zhou.

Gradually Ms Kwan regained her ability to eat, talk and walk.

However, she now speaks with a slight slur and has to move around with the aid of a walking stick.

When she was able to, Ms Kwan signed up for vocational training so that she could get a job and start earning her own keep again.

It took a while but with the help of SG Enable - an agency which helps people with disabilities - she landed a job as a kitchen assistant with social enterprise New Rasa Singapura last November.

Ms Josephine Ng, director of New Rasa Singapura, says that Ms Kwan was initially fearful and apprehensive about working again because of what she had gone through.

"But she was able to conquer her fear and she tries her best," says Ms Ng. "She's like a kid in many ways, always trying to gain approval and make friends.

"She likes giving the people here little presents and cards. They like having her around."

Her positivity and determination so moved Ms Ho and Ms Zhou that both of them nominated her for this year's Singapore Health Inspirational Patient Award.

Says Ms Ho: "We hope that her courage and positive attitude will help to encourage many.

"She has certainly encouraged us as health workers. She made us feel that our efforts to help and support her are worthwhile."

Adds Ms Zhou: "You know, it's been three years since her operation and rehabilitation.

"But, without fail, she sends us a 'thank you' card each year. She has so much gratitude and appreciation for people who have helped her."

Ms Kwan says she draws a lot of comfort from a book about Nick Vujicic - a well-known author and motivational speaker born without limbs - given to her by a manager at SG Enable.

"Like him, I must try and try and I mustn't give up. And when I fail, I must get up and try again," she says.

Envy and self-pity are not guests she entertains.

She says: "I don't feel jealous about other people. Everyone has challenges and problems.

"I do feel a bit sad about my health problems sometimes, but they're beyond my control."

She has no time for flights of fancy either. Asked if she dreams of getting married, she crinkles her nose.

"No one wants someone with a tongkat," she says, using the Malay word for walking stick.

"No one will marry me lah, so I don't even think about it. Anyway, I can take care of myself."

She would rather dream of visiting Universal Studios Singapore in Sentosa. "I hear there are many cartoon characters there. I've seen the place on TV, but I've never been there," she says. Her favourite TV programme, she lets on, is BENGpire, which recommends things to do and places to eat after dark.

Asked how she gets on with her mother, she quips: "She just sits at home and looks like a pretty vase."

But, she adds quietly: "She's already 66, so I pray for her health."

What rattles her sometimes is the prospect of growing old friendless and penniless.

"I'll try to work harder and make more friends," says Ms Kwan, who has three confidantes with whom she shares her joys and woes.

"I just have to live life and take things one step at a time."

This article was first published on Aug 21, 2016.
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Former president S R Nathan remains critically ill and unconscious, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

Mr Nathan had a stroke on July 31 and is being treated at the Singapore General Hospital.

He is restful and well cared for by doctors and nurses, said Mr Lee, who visited Mr Nathan on Friday and gave an update on his condition before starting his National Day Rally speech.

"His family has been touched by many of your good wishes," Mr Lee said.

Singapore's sixth and longest-serving president, Mr Nathan, was head of state from 1999 to 2011.

During Mr Lee's Mandarin speech last night, he praised Mr Nathan as a "shining example" of a head of state who united all Singaporeans.

As president, he looked after the interests of all Singaporeans, proactively reached out to all races and got to know them well, Mr Lee said.

Singapore leaders visit S R Nathan in hospital

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The Straits Times

This article was first published on August 22, 2016.
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"Your grades do not define you," said Mr Jack Cook.

That was Debbie's defining moment.

Debbie, a perfectionist, always had the best academic results in her earlier years at school. However, when studying economics at junior college, she was thrown off balance.

Despite putting in more effort - hard work as well as getting extra coaching from her teacher, Mr Cook - Debbie just could not grasp the subject.

She could not understand nor accept the poor grades she got for her economics examination. She felt ashamed and guilty, so much so that she avoided her teacher and did not visit the school after graduation.

A few years later, when Debbie heard that Mr Cook was retiring and leaving Singapore, she plucked up the courage to visit and bid him farewell.

Mr Cook greeted Debbie with a big smile and warmly welcomed her.

She asked him sheepishly if he remembered her as the only student who had scored a D in his economics class.

Mr Cook simply replied: "I hope that you didn't let the D define you." In that moment, Debbie learnt a valuable lesson about self-worth.

She realised that her apprehension and fears were unfounded and unnecessary. Her teacher remembered her well and fondly, not for her grades, but for her attitude, efforts and character.

"I am always pleased to see students return to visit and stay for long chats, especially those who supposedly did 'badly' in my subject," said Mr Cook.

"It meant that they didn't hold it against me; but more importantly, they weren't holding it against themselves and had moved on.

"Many of the happiest, most fulfilled people I've met have had their moments of self-doubt and failures as students. That setbacks are there to be learnt from is a terrible cliche, but true."

This episode changed Debbie's perception about herself and her values. She realised that her focus on academic excellence had set her up for failure precisely because she was so afraid of failing.

Debbie learnt that people had different talents and strengths. The key was to accept and work on one's weaknesses, and develop one's strengths.

She understood that it was more important to be resilient, enjoy learning and pursue it passionately.

Later, Debbie became a teacher and her experience shaped her approach.

At a secondary school, she noticed that a student, Dan, was struggling with mathematics and science but was incredibly gifted in art.

Debbie spoke to Dan's parents during a parent-teacher meeting, encouraging them to recognise his talent and not focus only on his grades.

She was confident that Dan could be a successful artist in the future.

Dan was encouraged because his teacher recognised his talent and did not penalise him for aspects he struggled with.

Over time, he honed his artistic skills and was also motivated to do his best in his academic subjects.

Every child is unique. Forcing them into areas that are not their forte is more likely to destroy rather than build them up.

Our job as parents is to help them identify their gifts and preferences and help them bloom.

Another way we can help is to guide them to discover and access the different paths that their talents and passion can lead to.

As parents, we also need to be careful about the implicit signals we send our children through what we say and ask. When the child comes home with a test, is the score the focal point?

Do you discuss how the results were achieved, acknowledge any progress or talk about how to tackle the challenges?

Dr Carol Dweck, psychologist and professor at Stanford University and a pioneering researcher in the field of motivation, says: "Praise the process that kids engage in: their effort, their strategies, their focus, their perseverance, their improvement.

This process praise creates kids who are hardy and resilient." In other words, focus on the process, not the end result.

Dr Dweck cited the results of a game she created which rewarded process. "We got more effort, more strategies, more engagement over longer periods of time, and more perseverance when they hit really, really hard problems."

This means that by focusing on the process, we are actually increasing our children's chances of success in life.

Just like Mr Cook and Debbie, we all need to look beyond academic success for our children. As parents, we must not let grades define our child but, instead, focus on their attitude, effort and strengths.

Above all, show them that we love them unconditionally, that we accept them for who they are, regardless of their grades.

This article was first published on AUG 22, 2016.
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Singapore's Constitution will soon be changed to ensure that ethnic minorities are elected as president from time to time.

Individuals who want to run for president will also have to meet stricter requirements.

Announcing the impending changes, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the Government accepts in principle the recommendations of the high-level panel to review the elected presidency.

The Constitutional Commission, which started its work six months ago, submitted its report last week. The Government is studying the report and it will be released "soon", said Mr Lee.

Detailing the process by which the law will be changed, he said the Government will publish a policy White Paper on the exact proposed changes.

Following that, it will introduce a Bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution to include the changes to the elected presidency.

The details of these changes will be debated in Parliament after that, and at least two-thirds of the 89 elected MPs must vote for the amendment before it can be passed.

While Mr Lee did not go into the details of the specific changes recommended by the commission, he spent significant portions of his three speeches - in English, Mandarin and Malay - making the case for reform.

The commission, first announced in January, was tasked to examine three areas of review. These are raising the eligibility criteria for candidates, strengthening the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), and ensuring minorities are elected from time to time.

The last issue was the most contentious and during the public hearings, some experts said such a tweak was necessary to ensure minority representation. Others were concerned that doing so would be affirmative action at best and an unmeritocratic move at worst.

Last night, in his starkest comments to date on the issue, Mr Lee said it is important that Singapore ensures that minorities regularly have a chance to become president so they feel assured of their place in society.

Race, he said, still matters in Singapore despite progress in race relations the past 50 years.

This puts minority candidates at a disadvantage, especially now that presidential elections are hotly contested.

Thus, if changes to the law are not made, said Mr Lee, minorities may ask if they are truly equal and the Chinese majority may become less sensitive to the needs of other races.

Reforms must therefore be implemented now while society is united, he said.

Such periodic political reviews are essential to Singapore's survival, argued the Prime Minister.

While the political system here is good, some aspects of it need to be updated, he said.

"If the political system malfunctions, we fail to produce good leaders whom we trust and work with, or we can't work together among ourselves and we are divided, then all our best laid plans will come to naught," he added.

He pointed to anxieties and pressures in other countries that had led to deep fault lines between the haves and the have-nots, and to a mistrust of political leaders.

For instance, Britain had voted to leave the European Union for complex reasons that included socioeconomic inequality and a lack of faith in the political class.

Such a situation can also happen in Singapore unless its politics unite the country and uphold multiracialism, he added.

Besides ensuring ethnic minority representation, changes to give more weight to the advice of the CPA have been proposed and will be incremental and straightforward, he said.

Also, the criteria for someone to be a candidate for president should be raised to ensure that the president, who safeguards reserves and senior civil servant appointments, has the right experience.

Mr Lee argued that the president has to make critical economic and policy decisions sometimes, which is why Singapore needs the best qualified person for the job.

The current criterion of having had experience running large, complex companies with paid-up capital of $100 million is out of date and thus has to be updated, he said.

PM Lee speaks at National Day Rally 2016

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charyong@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on August 22, 2016.
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The cafe at Duke-NUS Medical School's foyer draws a congregation of people of many backgrounds, from Imperial College London to Nanyang Technological University, and from former investment consultants to religious studies graduates.

All are there grabbing a bite before the next medical class starts.

On Aug 12, Duke-NUS Medical School enrolled its 10th batch of students. The latest batch has 61 students.

Unlike the typical undergraduates studying medicine fresh from pre-university, these students are pursuing medicine after a first bachelor's degree in a different field.

While 80 per cent of the students are Singaporeans or permanent residents, the rest come from all over the world.

Some join the school after spending years honing their craft in another field. Others even held senior positions in their companies, leading comfortable lives before choosing to heed their calling to join the medical profession.

Duke-NUS Medical School's former vice-dean of education Robert Kamei noted that the diversity of students brings varying perspectives to the medical field. "They've thought about medicine and sciences in a different way."

During their time in school, students work together in teams of six or seven throughout the year.

Having a spectrum of backgrounds in each team means that students bring different ideas and thoughts, Dr Kamei explained.

Students graduate with either a Doctor of Medicine after four years or a Doctor of Philosophy, which takes four to five years to complete.

This article was first published on AUG 22, 2016.
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The playing field between taxis and ride-hailing services such as Uber and Grab is "not quite level", said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, adding that the Government will look further into this.

The taxi sector is still subject to some extra rules - for example, cabbies must clock a minimum mileage daily and statutory requirements make operating taxis more expensive, he said.

"But then I remind the taxi drivers - you also enjoy some advantages. As drivers told me, they can 'sweep the floor'... that means you can pick up from the kerb. Uber and Grab cannot," he added.

"There are other advantages too. We will progressively sort all these things out. But I think we all know that we can't stop progress," he said at his National Day Rally.

He cited apps such as Uber and Grab as examples of how industries and jobs are being disrupted by technology and globalisation. He said that while Singapore must embrace disruption to stay ahead, it will help incumbents adapt.

Mr Lee said of Uber and Grab: "You open an app, it matches you to the nearest car... no need to book a cab by phone, no need to hail a cruising cab along the street." He said the apps also analyse travel patterns, and adjust fares to match supply and demand.

Despite the disruption these apps have caused worldwide, and the taxi industry saying its business has been hit, commuters are benefiting - "better service, more responsive, faster", he added.

Noting that cabbies in cities such as London, Sydney and Jakarta have staged protests seeking the blockage of these new services, Mr Lee said Singapore could close itself off, ban Uber and Grab, and impose restrictions to protect the "old ways".

"But we will be left behind and our commuters will lose out, and our economy will suffer. The other way is to embrace change, let the disruption happen... but help the incumbents, and especially help the taxi drivers, to adapt to the changes."

Mr Lee said this is being done, by updating rules to foster fair competition, while protecting commuters, and requiring drivers - whether cabbies or those under Uber or Grab - to have proper insurance and clean records.

In April, new regulations were announced, requiring Uber and Grab drivers to obtain a vocational licence by the first half of next year. Cars used for private hire must also be registered and be marked with a decal for easy identification.

Mr Lee said he knows quite a few cabbies who are anxious about their livelihoods. He said he told cabbies at a grassroots event: "I said you can also drive for the other side. They said yes but we have to work hard. But they can still make a living."

Taxi drivers here have been level-headed about the competition and made useful recommendations to level the playing field, he said. Some also welcomed the competition, which has caused taxi firms to take drivers "more seriously", responding with better offers and new technology, he added.

Mr Lee said: "Even Uber and Grab are going to be disrupted, and the next round may be no drivers - driverless cars running a taxi service." Next year, Singapore will start a trial of driverless taxis in one-north.

National Taxi Association executive adviser Ang Hin Kee said requirements such as taxi availability standards - that require cabbies to clock a minimum mileage and ply the roads during peak hours - should be reviewed.

"The private-car hire services should adopt similar vehicle standards (as taxis) on safety and emissions," he added.

PM Lee speaks at National Day Rally 2016

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This article was first published on August 22, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be on medical leave until Aug 29, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement today (Aug 22).

PMO said that PM Lee had taken ill due to a temporary drop in blood pressure because of prolonged standing, exhaustion, and dehydration, and doctors have confirmed there were no cardiac abnormalities and no stroke.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will cover PM Lee's duties in his absence.

grongloh@sph.com.sg

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The qualifying criteria for presidential candidates must be updated, as these are no longer in line with the great responsibilities that the President faces, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

"The weight of the job has increased," he said in his National Day Rally speech last night.

Currently, candidates must have either held key appointments in the public service, or had experience in the private sector running large and complex companies - defined in the Constitution as companies with a paid-up capital of $100 million.

But this criterion is "out of date", he said.

"Look at what the President is protecting," he said, citing figures on how the economy and reserves have grown in the last 25 years.

For instance, the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) official foreign reserves were $351 billion last year, up from $48 billion in 1990.

The companies used as a benchmark, such as Singtel and DBS, have also grown much larger.

Today, $100 million is "the wrong number", said Mr Lee.

"It is too small for a company to be considered even... the same kind of responsibility as (what) the President is doing here."

There are now also many more such companies: 2,000, compared with just 158 in 1993.

So running such a company is no longer comparable to the responsibility of being the President, he said, adding: "We've got to update this benchmark."

Having the right qualifying criteria is crucial because the President has the mandate to decide on the national reserves and key appointments, stressed Mr Lee.

The President must ensure that the government of the day does not fritter away Singapore's carefully accumulated reserves, and that the people appointed to key posts are capable, upright and will uphold the system.

He must, thus, have the right experience to decide whether the Government's budgets and spending proposals are sound and justified, and to judge the candidates for public-sector appointments.

These are "real and difficult choices" that the President must get right, said Mr Lee.

He raised the example of the global financial crisis in the late 2000s, when the Government sought the approval of then President S R Nathan to draw from the reserves for its annual Budget.

The Government wanted $5 billion to save businesses and jobs, and to guarantee all bank deposits in Singapore by backing them with $150 billion of Singapore's reserves.

"We were not certain whether the plans would work, whether they would be sufficient," he noted.

"The President had to judge whether the Government got it right, whether our recommendations were sound."

Mr Nathan and the Council of Presidential Advisers were briefed by the ministries and MAS.

He consulted the council, thought it over carefully, and gave the Government permission - which turned out to be the right thing, said Mr Lee.

Because of that intervention, Singapore's economy bounced back quickly once the outlook changed, and jobs were saved.

"So it is here that the President makes critical decisions and it is here that we need the President to be competent, be on top of the job, to be capable.

"And that is why we need the most qualified person," concluded Mr Lee.

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SINGAPORE - The changes to Cabinet and other appointments announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during National Day Rally 2016 on Sunday (Aug 21) will take effect on Aug 22, 2016.

Detailing the various changes, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement today (Aug 22) that Mr Heng Swee Keat will resume his responsibilities as Minister for Finance, taking over Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam who was covering Mr Heng during the latter's absence.

The reshuffling of portfolios will also affect Ms Sim Ann, who will relinquish her appointment in the Ministry of Finance and join the Ministry of Trade and Industry as its Senior Minister of State.

She will retain her concurrent appointment as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

PM Lee also announced yesterday that Mr Lawrence Wong will be appointed as the Second Minister for Finance, concurrently with his present appointment as Minister for National Development.

The addition to Mr Wong's portfolio is to help Mr Heng with his operational responsibilities at the Finance Ministry, said PM Lee.

This will allow Mr Heng to get ready for next year's Budget, and to lead the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE), which he co-chairs with Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran.

Mr Heng has been recovering from a stroke after he was discharged on June 25 from a six-week stay at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The Finance Minister had collapsed during a Cabinet meeting on May 12 due to a stroke caused by an aneurysm, a localised weakening of the blood vessels.

PM Lee revealed yesterday that doctors have recommended the 54-year-old politician to avoid crowds for a few more months to minimise the risk of infection.

In a post on his Facebook account yesterday, Mr Heng thanked his colleagues for their dedication to the Finance Ministry in his absence and welcomed Mr Wong's help.

"Lawrence and I worked closely together at MOE, when he led the Committee on University Education Pathways beyond 2015, a major piece of work that led to important policies," Mr Heng wrote.

"We had good robust discussions, and I look forward to more exchanges when he joins us at MOF as Second Minister."

grongloh@sph.com.sg

grongloh@sph.com.sg

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SINGAPORE - SaladStop owner Adrien Desbaillets has eased off on expansion plans for his organic food chain in Singapore because high wages are pressuring profit margins at a time when the affluent city state is grappling with low growth and slack global demand.

Instead Desbaillets is branching out in Manila, Jakarta and even in wealthy Tokyo in a worrying sign for Singapore's small, open economy.

Indeed, while the city state's economy is expected to grow between 1-2 percent for the year, analysts say the wage-cost pressures are flashing warnings of a recession.

At roughly 43 percent of gross domestic product - though below the 55 percent world average - wage costs in Singapore are now at levels which historically had preceded recessions in 1985, 1997 and 2001.

The trouble is that the higher wages are raising business costs at a time when export-oriented Singapore has been hard hit by a cooling China, subdued domestic consumption, a downturn in commodities and global uncertainty due to Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

"We would have opened two or three more outlets in Singapore if it weren't for the high wages ... and we would have taken on more projects," said Desbaillets, whose chain has 15 outlets in Singapore, eight in Manila and is due to open in Jakarta and Tokyo in October.

"We've been able to hedge our risk a little with our expansion abroad."

Desbaillets pays his Singapore staff S$1,600 to S$3,200, versus S$300-S$400 in Manila.

His business is growing, but others with less firepower are struggling.

They include the majority of the 12,000 companies that Kurt Wee, President of the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises, represents.

"We've started hearing of decisions to call it a day," Wee said.

The figures are telling.

Almost 42,000 businesses ceased in the first half of this year versus nearly 49,000 in the whole of 2015, government data shows.

Total nominal wages rose 4.6 percent per year on average over the past decade, compared with a 0.5 percent average annual growth rate of value-added per worker in that period.

And recent data showed the unit labour cost index hitting a record high of 116.7 in the second quarter.

Trinh Nguyen, Natixis' senior emerging Asia economist says this increases recession risks.

"It squeezes firms' profit margins and erodes exporters'ability to compete," Nguyen said.

"While they cannot earn more money externally ... they cannot reduce cost structures."

"TOKEN LOCALS"

Singapore is the fourth most expensive city in the world, according to Mercer, a global consultancy.

The high wages partly reflect that. But they would have been lower without the curbs on foreign workers introduced in 2011 amid disquiet over immigration.

The tighter rules also hurt productivity, recruiters say.

"Anecdotally, companies are known to have hired token locals - employees needed to meet quotas so that the company can hire another foreigner," said Lee Quane, Asia director at recruiting consultancy ECA International.

A shortage of talent in sectors like IT and life sciences means wages in those industries grew faster than the economy, recruiters say.

Simon Lee, CEO of IT company Thatz International Pte Ltd, is looking for merger opportunities to save on the cost with "HR, finance and admin."

But he remains frustrated with the tight labour market: "Maybe we are killing the geese that lay the golden eggs."

SINGAPORE - A Belgian expatriate was sentenced to five years' jail in Singapore on Monday for killing his five-year-old son last year while suffering from severe depression during a child custody battle.

Philippe Graffart, 42, was sentenced on a reduced charge of culpable homicide instead of murder, after psychiatric findings showed he had "diminished responsibility" for suffocating his son Keryan with a pillow in their apartment.

Murder is punishable by hanging in Singapore.

Judicial Commissioner Hoo Sheau Peng said she took into consideration the grievous nature of the offence, the fact that it had been committed against a vulnerable child, and the fact that the offender was the child's own parent.

"This sentence is necessary to show that the accused's actions are not to be condoned," Hoo said.

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For culpable homicide without the intention of causing death, Graffart could have been jailed up to 10 years, caned and fined - or any combination of the three penalties.

Graffart looked impassive when his sentence was read out, staring straight ahead at the judge.

Representatives from the French and Belgian embassies were present during the High Court hearing, as well as two of Graffart's former colleagues who briefly spoke to him before he was taken away to serve his sentence.

His Singaporean lawyer Ramesh Tiwary told AFP after the session that Keryan's death is something Graffart "will have to live with for the rest of his life."

Court documents showed Graffart was locked in a bitter custody battle over Keryan with his estranged French wife Gwendoline when he smothered the boy with a cushion after giving him a sedative on October 5, 2015.

After the killing he unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide by crashing his car before giving himself up to police.

The family had moved to Singapore from Luxembourg in September 2013 after Graffart, a financial executive, was transferred by his employer, European firm Nordea Investment Management.

Their marriage broke down early the following year.

At about lunchtime on October 5, 2015, Graffart was told about a development in his custody suit which left him distraught, court documents said.

That evening Graffart put Keryan to bed and prepared two sleeping pills for himself, but gave them to his son instead.

When the boy was asleep, Graffart placed a cushion over his son's head until he stopped moving.

After kissing his son goodbye, Graffart went on a drive and crashed his car on purpose on a highway after unbuckling his seatbelt. But the safety airbags saved his life.

He woke up in a hospital but left it in the small hours of October 6, when he showed up at a police station with injuries from the car crash and confessed to the crime.

Another Singaporean boat captain, along with his crew and passengers, have been detained for allegedly trespassing in Indonesian waters.

Captain Ricky Tan Poh Hui was piloting the Malaysia-flagged vessel, the Seven Seas Conqueress, in waters near Bintan on Sunday, when he was stopped by the Indonesian Navy.

According to the navy, the boat was intercepted about 7.5 nautical miles from the coast of Tanjung Berakit in Bintan. The local authorities said it is owned by Singapore-based Odyssey Marine and did not have permission to enter Indonesian waters.

The captain, his three-member crew and nine passengers, mainly recreational anglers from Singapore, are being held for investigations in a naval base in Tanjung Pinang. Mr Tan was the only one identified by the authorities.

Base commander First Admiral S. Irawan told The Straits Times yesterday that a navy vessel had spotted the Seven Seas Conqueress while on patrol.

"There was evidence of illegal fishing, such as fishing rods and fresh fish," he said. "That shows they were fishing illegally in Indonesian waters."

He added that the Seven Seas Conqueress had port clearance from Singapore, which was issued on Friday last week, and a registration certificate from Langkawi in Malaysia.

When contacted, a representative from Odyssey Marine, which was listed online as Dynamic Systems Technologies, declined to comment on the incident.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has contacted most of the next-of-kin of the detained Singaporeans, and it will continue to reach out to the others.

The Republic's consulate in Batam is also in touch with the Indonesian authorities to provide assistance to the Singaporeans.

Indonesia has increased sea patrols against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing after President Joko Widodo announced plans to beef up the country's fisheries sector in recent years.

The latest arrest comes after the acquittal of Singaporean boat captain Shoo Chiau Huat for a similar offence in Bintan recently.

Mr Shoo, 50, was ferrying seven Singaporeans and six Malaysians on board the MV Selin when it was detained by the navy near Tanjung Berakit on April 16.

His passengers were deported but Mr Shoo remains in the custody of Indonesian authorities. He was charged with immigration offences after he was acquitted last month of fishing illegally in the country's waters.

Mr Shoo's lawyer Herman Black yesterday said a pre-trial motion has been filed and the case will be heard next week on Aug 29.

"I have come to the immigration office and asked for documentation relating to Mr Shoo's detention and they have not given me anything," said Mr Herman. "So, there is no clear basis for his arrest and detention," he added.

This article was first published on August 23, 2016.
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The estranged wife of Philippe Graffart submitted a victim impact statement to the court, making various allegations against her husband and the killer of their only child.

Judicial Commissioner Hoo Sheau Peng said she took into account that the statement showed the "grief, loss and suffering experienced by the mother of the child".

But the judicial commissioner made clear that the allegations did not weigh into the sentence imposed on Graffart.

In the statement submitted through the prosecution, Mrs Gwendoline Graffart claimed that her husband had threatened to "kill my son".

Rebutting this in his mitigation plea, Graffart's lawyer Ramesh Tiwary said the allegation is misleading and completely untrue. "Our client has never threatened any kind of hurt or injury to Keryan," he said.

Mrs Graffart also alleged that her husband had threatened her, which Mr Tiwary said is irrelevant as his client is not charged with committing any offence against her.

Read Also: Expat life not as rosy as it appears

She also made various allegations regarding finances. She claimed Graffart owes taxes in Luxembourg - where the couple met and lived before moving to Singapore - and that she is liable for them.

She also alleged that his creditors have approached her for repayment. Mr Tiwary insisted that his client has settled all his taxes and did not owe her any money.

She also mentioned that she would have to spend €4,000 (S$6,100) for Keryan's last rites. Mr Tiwary said his client accepted that it was his responsibility, but this was not the place to discuss funeral costs.

Responding to a press statement by Mrs Graffart, in which she expressed shock at the sentence and disputed the account of events Graffart admitted to, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) reiterated the words of the judicial commissioner, that this was a tragic case and that the accused's actions had caused " immeasurable pain to the parties left behind".

"In deciding on the sentence, the court determined that the offence was of a serious and grave nature and had been committed by a parent against a young and vulnerable child," said an AGC spokesman.

The spokesman added that Mrs Graffart was "afforded the opportunity to convey to the court the matters that she considered relevant for the purposes of sentencing".

selinal@sph.com.sg

Additional reporting by Ng Huiwen

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This article was first published on August 23, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - Long before "selfie" was the in-thing, Mr S R Nathan had been taking photos with people he met.

This not only helped put people at ease with the president, it also endeared him to the people.

While his official photos that used to hang on walls of government buildings have long been removed, still on display are photos of Mr Nathan - a self-confessed foodie - at hawker stalls, which is proof of the man's popularity.

Mr Nathan passed away at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) on Aug 22 at 9.48pm at the age of 92. He had been hospitalised at SGH since July 31, when he suffered a stroke.

A day after his passing, tributes to the late Mr Nathan, Singapore's sixth and longest-serving president from 1999 to 2011, have been pouring in with many local dignitaries, celebrities and Singaporeans sharing their encounters with the "people's president".

Singapore's former president S R Nathan dies

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Many ministers were nervous about their first meeting with the then-president, but how Mr Nathan responded surprised them.

Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah called Mr Nathan "a President for all Singaporeans" in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

As a new Member of Parliament after the 2001 General Election, she had been worried about how to introduce herself to the then-head of state.

"I needn't have worried. He looked up, saw me, beamed, called my name and crossed the room to clasp my hands in a fatherly manner to congratulate me on being elected," she wrote.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen posted a photo of a fond memory that he had with Mr Nathan in 2002. He wrote: "President Nathan had sworn me in, when I first entered politics in 2002.

"My wife and I accompanied them on their official trip to South Africa and other nearby countries. We liked each other's company and over the years, our families became friends."

Mr Ng said he would marvel at how much Mr Nathan had accomplished in his life and yet he still wanted to do more even past 90 years old.

Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim said that her father and Mr Nathan became friends for life after working together in the Ministry of the Interior and Defence. She added that Mr Nathan was very kind to her when she was a Non-Constituency Member.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan described Mr Nathan's life as "a paragon of devotion to the national cause and care for the most vulnerable members of our community", noting that he started the President's Challenge to get Singaporeans to express their care in practical ways.

Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo remembers how Mr Nathan had the charm and wits to put anyone immediately at ease although he was President.

MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng recalled how Mr Nathan once translated a Tamil play for him throughout the show.

Marine Parade GRC MP Edwin Tong called Mr Nathan a President who made every community of Singaporeans his parish.

Singer Wang Leehom also posted a photograph he had taken with Mr Nathan and wrote: "I'll always remember your warmth, humor and kindness."

Mr Nathan, who lived at Ceylon Road, would often take walks or go jogging at nearby East Coast Park.

ONE FM 91.3 radio deejay Andre Hoeden posted on his Facebook page: "I'll miss seeing you walk along East Coast Park in the mornings. You always replied when I wished you "good morning". It made me happy to know that you were a humble man! Rest in Peace Sir!"

Mr K F Seetoh, founder of food guide Makansutra, shared one encounter he had with the former president at East Coast Park when he was on his daily run: "You wanted to try our nasi lemak but your aide said no as it would defeat the purpose of the run."

"I know you have touched many more people in your meaningful life," Mr Seetoh added.

Had the privilege of living in the same street as #SRNathan for 4 years. A great leader, Singapore will sorely miss. Rest in peace, sir!

— T-Man (@thyag1994) August 22, 2016

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Other condolences from various embassies and the international community: 

As a mark of respect to former President SR Nathan, the Union Flag is at half mast over @UKinSingapore. pic.twitter.com/DVyNTv0HTG

— UK in Singapore (@UKinSingapore) August 23, 2016

My deepest sympathies to the family of former President Nathan. He was a true patriot who served Singapore with distinction.

— Jonathan Austin (@jaustinNZ) August 22, 2016

Former President Nathan on his state visit to New Zealand. RIP. pic.twitter.com/G1nQf1blrq

— Jonathan Austin (@jaustinNZ) August 22, 2016

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Singaporean people and government following the passing of former President S.R. #Nathan

— France in Singapore (@FranceinSG) August 23, 2016

Our deepest condolences to the family of former President SR Nathan and the people of Singapore. https://t.co/CG1FlPgvhB

— Mongolian Embassy SG (@MGLEmbassy_SG) August 22, 2016

A look at the presidents of Singapore

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SINGAPORE - A Taiwan milk-tea beverage that caused quite a stir when it was launched in Singapore last month has been recalled.

The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said in a statement today (Aug 23) that it worked with the importer of the Chun Cui He brand of milk tea to recall the product.

AVA was quick to note that the recalled product did not pose a food safety risk. The product was recalled because it contains L-theanine, which is not on the list of permitted food additive in Singapore.

However, AVA advises consumers who "have any health concerns" to consult their doctor or to "seek medical advice".

Only "Just Drink - Milk Tea" has been recalled. The latte beverage from the same brand, which was launched together with the milk tea beverage, is not affected, AVA said.

Singaporeans went on a frenzied quest for the Chun Cui He milk tea and latte beverages after they were launched last month and promptly sold out.

The drinks, costing $2.80 each, made their debut at 7-Eleven stores here on July 13.

sinsh@sph.com.sg

It was a fiery initiation.

Four foreign terrorists had attacked the Shell oil refinery complex at Pulau Bukom on Jan 31 and later hijacked the ferryboat Laju, taking its five crew members hostage.

Former Commissioner of Police Tee Tua Ba, 74, was then 31 and the newly-appointed officer-in-charge of the Marine Police. Mr Nathan was then the Director of Security and Intelligence Division. He died peacefully yesterday at Singapore General Hospital. He was 92.

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"I was then a young commander, reporting directly to Mr Nathan, who had been assigned to take charge of the crisis at Marine Police Headquarters," Mr Tee told The New Paper.

The men were armed with sub-machine guns and explosives.

After they failed to blow up the oil tanks, the group - two members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and two members of the Japanese Red Army - hijacked the Laju ferry at the Bukom jetty and held the crew hostage.

After several days of tense negotiations, involving the governments of Singapore and Japan, the hijackers agreed to release the hostages in exchange for a party of guarantors to ensure their safe passage out of the Republic.

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Mr Nathan, then 49, led the 13 guarantors, which consisted of four commandos and eight other government officials, including Mr Tee. The four terrorists boarded a specially-arranged Japan Airlines aircraft with the guarantors, and left for Kuwait.

"Mr Nathan was calm, cool and clear-headed throughout the crisis. He understood the dynamics of the crisis as it unfolded, as well as the demands and pressures confronting me as commander on the ground," he told TNP.

"A firm believer and practitioner of empowerment - especially when there were no precedents or guidelines - Mr Nathan did not micro-manage.

"Instead, he was an enlightened crisis leader and gave me a lot of leeway to take initiative and exercise judgment as the commander on the ground.

"He was always prepared to listen to views, to assessments and to recommendations before finalising any plan of action," Mr Tee added.

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"Mr Nathan, I learnt later during the crisis, was assigned by the PMO (Prime Minister's Office) to take charge of the Laju hijacking and hostage situation.

"Yet, despite my young age and his seniority, he put me very much at ease when working throughout the crisis," Mr Tee said.

He also felt that apart from being an effective crisis leader, Mr Nathan was "a man of courage".

"He knew the ruthlessness and propensity of the terrorists...

"He was fully aware of the danger that would await us in Kuwait where we agreed to hand over the four terrorists to their comrades who had captured the Japanese Embassy and had held several officials hostage.

SAFE PASSAGE

"Yet, he agreed to lead the Singapore team to ensure safe passage for the four surrendered terrorists.

"Again, upon landing in Kuwait, Mr Nathan used his wit and negotiation skills to convince the Kuwaiti authorities to let the Singapore team disembark safely and board another plane for their homeward journey."

Mr Tee got the opportunity to work with Mr Nathan again years later when he was made Chairman of Singapore Red Cross. As the President then, Mr Nathan was its patron.

"Mr Nathan was always very supportive and took a keen interest in all our charity activities and projects. At his age, it was amazing to witness the pace and intensity with which he drove himself in carrying out his Presidential duties," Mr Tee said.

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This article was first published on Aug 23, 2016.
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"I am broken."

That was how Mrs Gwendoline Graffart reacted to the five-year jail sentence imposed yesterday on her estranged husband, Belgian national Philippe Marcel Guy Graffart, 42, for killing their only child, Keryan.

He was five years old when his father smothered him with a cushion before trying to kill himself on Oct 5 last year.

In a statement issued after the sentencing through her long-time friend, Mrs Fiona Miller, Mrs Graffart said she is still in a "state of profound grief and has been sentenced to a life of pain".

Calling the sentence "too lenient", the 40-year-old French national claimed that "the sole purpose of the (killing) was to hurt me as much as possible", and that her son was used as "a tool for revenge".

Mrs Graffart also alleged that recorded conversations between her and Graffart before the tragedy showed that he had repeatedly threatened her and their son.

While they were embroiled in a bitter divorce custody battle in April last year, she claimed that he told her over the phone: "If you take away my son, I will kill you."

She also alleged that he told her in a recorded voice message at the end of July: "I will kill myself with your son."

However, Graffart, who was Nordea Bank's head of fund distribution for the Asia-Pacific region, was assessed to be suffering from major depressive disorder at the time of the killing, which substantially impaired his judgment.

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The initial charge of murder was amended to the lesser offence of culpable homicide, which he pleaded guilty to earlier this month.

In a detailed timeline sent to The New Paper, Mrs Graffart claimed the harassment by her husband began as early as 2014.

But in the months leading to Keryan's death, she said she saw a more drastic change in Graffart, especially after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in early June.

Not long after her diagnosis, she returned to France with Keryan, and underwent a mastectomy.

While she was there, Graffart allegedly continued the harassment and, at one point, sent his wife "325 texts of insults and threats" in 24 hours.

After intense pressure from him, Mrs Graffart said she was compelled to put their son on a flight to Singapore with a family friend.

Keryan lived with his father for about two weeks until Mrs Graffart returned to Singapore on Aug 6.

During those two weeks, she claimed that Graffart would coach Keryan to hurt her with insults over the phone.

She said in the statement that she had gone to the police and embassy officials in Singapore and France to try to obtain protection for herself and Keryan.

After her return to Singapore, she filed a police report before applying for a personal protection order (PPO) under the Women's Charter.

TNP was shown a copy of the application.

Pending the hearing for the full PPO, The Family Justice Courts granted her an interim expedited order as it was "satisfied that there is imminent danger of family violence being committed" against her and Keryan.

RESTRAINING ORDER

Graffart was ordered to restrain from "committing family violence" on his wife and son in the interim.

On Oct 2 last year, Graffart received his wife's written affidavit, which was scheduled to be heard at the Family Justice Courts on Oct 6.

On the night of Oct 5, Graffart smothered Keryan with a cushion before crashing his car in a bid to kill himself. He escaped with minor injuries.

Mrs Graffart said in the statement: "I should not have let Keryan stay there, but I never wanted to stop Keryan from having a relationship with his dad."

She has started an online petition in memory of her son.

She added: "It is a tragedy of the highest order, for myself and especially for Keryan.

"It is cruelty beyond measure, and from this day forward, I will be compelled to act, to fight for the truth for Keryan and for other women in the same terrible, nasty, black, helpless, horrible place."

Judge: Sentence consistent with similar cases

Philippe Marcel Guy Graffart, who killed his son last October, was jailed for five years yesterday.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The Belgian, 42, was expressionless when Judicial Commissioner (JC) Hoo Sheau Ping read out the sentence in the High Court.

JC Hoo said that the penalty was consistent with similar cases and the accused's action could not be condoned.

"This is a tragic case in which the life of a five-year-old child has been ended by his father in the midst of a custody fight, causing immeasurable pain and suffering to all those left behind," she added.

On Oct 6 last year, the police found the body of Graffart's son, Keryan Gabriel Cedric Graffart, in the master bedroom of Graffart's 32nd-storey apartment at D'Leedon Condominium in Leedon Heights.

Graffart had earlier told a police officer at the Bukit Timah Neighbourhood Police Centre that he had "done something bad" to his son.

The court previously heard that Graffart had smothered the sleeping Keryan with a cushion between 9pm and 10.17pm on Oct 5.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

Graffart then tried to kill himself by ramming his car into a tunnel wall along Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE). He survived with minor injuries and was taken to Singapore General Hospital.

His son was pronounced dead by paramedics at 6.17am the following day.

A toxicology report found Zolpidem - a hypnotic medicine used to treat insomnia that is not recommended for children - in Keryan's blood.

Describing that night's events, Graffart wrote in a letter as part of his mitigation: "There (are) no words to say how sorry and broken I am by this tragedy. I lost my precious boy, Keryan, he was my life and my love, I was so proud of him. I never imagined this could happen."

Graffart was found to have been depressed over an ongoing custody battle with his French wife, Mrs Gwendoline Graffart, 40.

His lawyer, Mr Ramesh Tiwary, said the couple's relationship had deteriorated to such a level that Graffart began to feel he would not be able to provide Keryan with love and care.

His client had never touched or threatened Keryan before the night of the incident, he added.

"He had never warned or threatened that he would harm Keryan in any way," he said.

However, Mrs Graffart had applied for a personal protection order, and was granted an interim expedited order against Graffart on Aug 11 last year.

It restrained him from committing family violence against her and their son.

Mr Tiwary said Graffart had consulted four doctors but none of them had detected that he was emotionally and mentally unwell.

Mr Tiwary said: "The accused's (Graffart's) state of mind was such that he was clearly not thinking clearly and was very disturbed."

After the killing, an Institute of Mental Health doctor found Graffart to be suffering from a major depressive disorder.

Nevertheless, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said Graffart's psychiatric condition "neither justifies nor absolves him" from committing the offence.

"No doubt, the accused's major depressive disorder contributed to his decision to smother Keryan... There is nothing to indicate that he lacked the capacity to comprehend his actions or to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct," she said.

A report dated Nov 23 last year by a doctor who had examined Graffart stated that he "was cognizant of the nature and quality of his actions".

Citing the jail terms of similar offenders in previous cases, the prosecution recommended a sentence of between five and six years' jail for Graffart, who had been assessed to pose a low risk of danger to society.

This article was first published on Aug 23, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - People from all walks of life have turned up at the Istana to pay their respects to the late former president S R Nathan.

The Straits Times and Channel NewsAsia both reported that people started to arrive minutes after 6am to pen tribute to Mr Nathan at the Istana, where condolence boards have been set up.

The first to turn up was a buddhist monk, 60-year-old Reverend Lee Tay Liang Shifarong. He said he had met Mr Nathan many times during commnunity events, The Straits Times reported.

Self-employed computer engineer Lin Rong Xiang, 34, said he took the first train in the morning to go to the Istana. He told Channel NewsAsia that he could not sleep the night before, after hearing news of Mr Nathan's passing.

A 68-year-old security guard said he went to the Istana right after his night shift. "I feel very sad because he's a very good man and has done a lot things for Singapore," he was quoted as saying. "We lost a good President."

A group of about 20 students from nearby School of the Arts also turned up before class started, The Straits Times reported.

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The Straits Times

Mr Nathan's body arrived at his home at Ceylon Road at about 10.30am. The family will be holding a private wake until Wednesday.

The Straits Times said that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrived at the home of Mr Nathan just before noon, while Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam arrived at about 12.45pm.

sinsh@sph.com.sg

Singapore's former president S R Nathan dies

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