For the past 17 years, Madam Jurina Johari has lived with just one kidney.

Years after her right kidney was removed in 1999 because of chronic kidney disease since her teens, the single parent would discover blood in her urine, feel nausea, experience bloating on her face and feet, and have trouble walking for long hours.

But she would visit the doctor only when the situation was dire.

Deep down, she knew she needed further treatment, but she was worried about the medical bills.

Woman with kidney disease so touched, she couldn't stop crying

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The New Paper

Money is hard to come by for Madam Jurina, who cares for her 60-year-old mother and her two sons in their 20s, one of whom is autistic, in a one-room rental flat in Sembawang.

In July, Madam Jurina, 42, finally sought treatment for her kidney condition after a flood of donations poured in following a video The New Paper did on her for a Ramadan series.

The video, which has close to 420,000 views to date and has been shared more than 6,300 times on Facebook, touched the hearts of thousands when they learnt of her financial and personal struggles.

On Aug 24, Madam Jurina underwent surgery to insert a ureteric catheter, or tube, to determine the cause of hydronephrosis, or swelling of her left kidney.

She dipped into the donations to pay the subsidised fee of about $560 for the surgery.

Madam Jurina told TNP: "As long as I could live with my condition, I would. (Having this surgery) was just not within my means.

"But from the generosity of people, I was able to, and I am very grateful."

When TNP visited her home last Thursday, Madam Jurina was visibly weak, walking with a slight limp from the pain in her left kidney area.

She is due for a check-up next month to determine the next course of treatment for her condition.

She has been advised against working and doing strenuous activities for the next six to seven months.

But the determined mother's only thought is putting food on the table for her family.

She was forced to quit her job as a part-time assistant pharmacist just before Ramadan to care for her autistic son, Mr Muhammad Shahirul Junadi, 21. His brother, Mr Muhammad Shafiee, 22, is serving his national service.

"I want to go back to work and be healthy again. My mother and sons are all I live for and I want to take care of them," said Madam Jurina, wiping away her tears.

When the donations poured in, Madam Jurina took her mother, Madam Rabiah Salim, 60, for her "monthly" check-up to test her diabetes and cholesterol levels, and check for hypertension and heart disease.

Previously, Madam Rabiah would have a check-up once every three months to save on the expense.

After the TNP video, more than 2,000 people reached out to see how they could help. They also visited Madam Jurina and her family.

Madam Jurina showing the food and toiletries she received from generous The New Paper readers. Photo: The New Paper

The family members now have their meals at a round dining table, which occupies a previously bare corner, or at a small rectangular table. Both were gifts from well-wishers.

Previously, they ate their meals on foldable trays placed on the floor.

A new fridge, also donated, has replaced a faulty second-hand one that had forced Madam Jurina to keep fish in a styrofoam box filled with ice.

Three cabinets and shelves line a wall and are stocked with at least six months' supply of essentials such as cooking oil, sugar, cereals, beverages, and dried goods.

Others offered her job opportunities and lessons on sewing and baking so she could earn money from home.

Madam Jurina said: "A day after the video was released, visitors streamed in from day until night, with some even waiting at the void deck. My home was packed with people who came with their generous donations.

"I was so touched I couldn't stop crying. My mother cooked our Hari Raya feast for the first time this year."

Some of her well-wishers moved her to tears. "A man in his 20s suffering from stage four cancer visited me. A man in a wheelchair came with his children. He told me, 'I don't watch videos, but the one of you broke my heart'.

"As I said in the video, there are so many others who are less fortunate (than me)," she said.

Ms Chin Tong Mui, general manager of the Social Service Office at Sembawang, told TNP that Madam Jurina and her family are eligible for financial assistance, including rental, utilities, and service and conservancy charges until November.

She said the SSO is in contact with Madam Jurina to provide support, where appropriate, and to explore care arrangements for her mother.

Madam Jurina worries about needing a kidney transplant one day.

She said: "I fear that my left kidney may suffer the same fate as my right. If that happens, I hope to be able to get a transplant... That, and for me to be able to care for my family for as long as I can."

She raised $1,500 in vouchers

Madam Jurina and her family have been receiving donations from TNP readers. Photo: The New Paper

Back in July, she reached out to The New Paper to see how she could help Madam Jurina Johari and her family.

She found out about the mother of two from a video in TNP's Ramadan series, which showed Madam Jurina cooking a simple meal for iftar (breaking of fast) and talking about her struggles supporting her family.

After sharing the video to her 600 friends on Facebook, Ms Karen Chan helped raise $1,500 in FairPrice vouchers for Madam Jurina's family.

On July 8, she visited Madam Jurina at her one-room rental flat in Sembawang, where they discussed work-from-home opportunities for the single mother.

Madam Jurina, who has had chronic kidney disease for more than 25 years, lives with her two sons, one of whom is autistic, and her 60-year-old mother.

TNP first reported on her in May, after she lost her last $50 in a snatch theft.

Ms Chan, 35, was one of the many people who rallied to Madam Jurina's aid afterwards. Her own background was a huge factor in driving her to help.

"I empathised with (Madam Jurina's) hardship... I knew that I could do something to help, whatever that was within my means," she said.

"I was born into a family who lived in a one-room rental flat. I was fostered out as a baby and saw very little of my parents, who were trying to make ends meet."

When she was five, Ms Chan and her two older siblings were separated after being fostered out to different families following her father's death from nasopharyngeal cancer.

The digital marketing manager told TNP: "(My mother) had difficulties juggling being a breadwinner for her three children, and (caring for) my grandmother, who had heart disease, and an unemployed sister."

After her guardian died, Ms Chan was once again left to fend for herself.

WORKED 3 JOBS

The then-18-year-old worked three jobs to pay for her education at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa).

"I had to think of ways to put food on the table. People asked me, 'How can you be poor? You're wearing Nike.' But they didn't know I was working for the company, and it gave employees $150 a month to spend (on in-house products)."

Ms Chan works at the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI), where she kick-started #SocialHR, a monthly human relations event that encourages community building, collaboration and sharing of experiences among attendees.

TNP attended a #SocialHR event at Dignity Kitchen restaurant on Aug 16, which featured guest speakers from Dignity Kitchen, charity organisation Daughters of Tomorrow and Job Club by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

Ms Chan said SHRI would be hiring someone through Job Club by IMH to work in her department.

She said: "I made a promise to myself to help others if I succeeded in getting myself out of the rut. My mantra is simple: 'Whether you can or can't, you are both right'."

About Madam Jurina's condition

Hydronephrosis, or swollen kidney, may be due to urinary stones, cancer or scarring from previous infections, among other causes.

Dr Sim Hong Gee, a senior consultant urologist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, said that inserting a ureteric catheter is part of an examination to evaluate the cause.

If there is an obstruction or narrowing present, a double J stent is inserted after evaluation to allow the urine to bypass the obstruction or narrowing, from the kidney to the bladder, said Dr Sim.

Patients with urinary stones, cancer or infection will need separate definitive treatment.

If the obstruction is not relieved by the stent, the kidney function deteriorates as the urine is unable to flow into the bladder to be passed out. The obstructed kidney eventually fails, he said.

Those with just one kidney do not need a transplant if it is functioning well.

This article was first published on September 05, 2016.
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A Singaporean has failed in his application for refugee protection in Australia, with an Australian tribunal noting that being in debt and threatened by unlicensed moneylenders in Singapore is no grounds to seek such protection.

The tribunal cited the sound system for law and order here, saying there was no reason why the applicant could not seek redress for his problems in Singapore.

Based on the evidence before it, the tribunal considered that the applicant could access "effective" and "durable" protection in Singapore, noting the country's appropriate criminal law, effective police force and impartial judicial system.

"Accordingly, the tribunal considers that the applicant does not have a real chance of serious harm for this reason, on return to Singapore," tribunal member Stuart Webb wrote in decision grounds released last month.

Australia is a signatory to the international 1951 Status of Refugees Convention obliging member states to grant protection to people recognised as refugees due to well-founded fears based on various reasons.

The Singaporean, whose details were redacted from the judgment grounds, had appealed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal at a Melbourne hearing in June after his application for a protection visa was rejected by a representative of Australia's Immigration Minister.

"My life will be in danger if I return to Singapore. All I hope for is a chance for me to start anew and to keep my life safe," said the Singaporean at the tribunal hearing.

He had completed military service, worked well in Singapore but claimed that he was bound to pay for his clients who suffered losses during the 2009 financial crisis.

He had worked as a sales executive on a commission basis, for which he received 40 per cent of the returns. He had undertaken in his contract with the company to be liable for any losses.

He started borrowing after using up all his savings, and went into overdrive by working up till the "wee hours of the morning" to no avail.

" Because of my debts, problems arose from everywhere," he said, adding that his debts never decreased over the four years because of the high interest rates.

"They would threaten me, they would be abusive to me and I had suicidal thoughts," he said, referring to the unlicensed moneylenders.

He added that after he fled Singapore for Australia in 2013, his Singapore-based mum told him "they came to look for me and threatened to kill me if they found me".

Details of the sums involved were redacted from the judgment grounds. He had borrowed from two licensed moneylenders and another unlicensed one.

The tribunal noted he left Singapore in a "very orderly" manner after organising his affairs in May 2013, having resigned from the company a month earlier.

It further observed that his parents were asked where he was in 2013 but have not been approached in the three years since and neither has he disclosed any further threats to him.

The tribunal discussed information about the Singapore police and the authorities in general, citing various sources, including a United States State Department report.

The Singaporean agreed with the tribunal's summation that the Singapore police had a good reputation and " Singapore was noted for the security it had".

Other attempts that were rejected

• Last month, a Canadian Federal Court in British Columbia turned down a Singaporean's bid for refugee protection in Vancouver, finding his claims of alleged potential persecution in Singapore unfounded. Mr Jedidiah Tan, 23, who was exempted from national service on medical grounds after serving two months, had claimed the exemption was revocable and that he had no redress in Singapore except military justice. The court was not convinced, ruling that "clear and convincing evidence that is both relevant and reliable, and sufficient" must be produced to show that state protection is inadequate. It noted that the Singapore authorities had "acted reasonably and expeditiously" in exempting Mr Tan from national service.

• In October 2013, a Canadian court based in Toronto rejected a refugee status bid by a Singaporean who feared he would be discriminated and persecuted here because he is gay. The court accepted that he was harassed in the past but this did not mean persecution as it "did not amount to the denial of a core human right". The court added that his fears of being abused in national service were "speculative".

This article was first published on September 5, 2016.
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Impending changes to the elected presidency are not likely to tie the Government's hand to rigidly rotate the highest office of the land among Singapore's main races, said observers yesterday.

Neither do they expect a committee to actively seek out eligible minority candidates.

They were commenting on how a provision that reserves an election for a particular minority race could be implemented.

They foresee the law being amended to give the Government broad discretion to declare an election only for candidates of a minority race, in the event the race has not had a president for some time.

Also, they expect the current practice of letting individuals step forward to seek election to remain.

Said Singapore Management University (SMU) constitutional law expert Jack Lee: "I see the Government leaving it to qualified candidates to come forward on their own and put themselves up for election."

He was one of five commentators who gave their views yesterday on how changes to the elected presidency, to ensure all races have a chance of having a president from time to time, would work.

Read also: Changes to elected presidency needed as race still matters in politics: PM Lee

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in an interview with Mediacorp on Sunday, said a Constitutional Commission report on proposed changes to the presidency will be published this week. The Government will give its response soon after.

PM Lee said it was important to make the changes now, as he expected future presidential elections to be hard-fought, which would make the difficulty of electing a minority president more acute.

He indicated that "the least intrusive and most light-touch way" would be to reserve an election for a minority race, if Singapore had gone without a Malay or an Indian president for a long time - say, four, five or six terms.

He added that if there is no qualified minority candidate, the election could be opened to candidates of any race. But the following election would have to be reserved.

Read also: Elected presidency scheme has several contradictions 

This flexibility, said former Nominated MP and lawyer Shriniwas Rai, means the Government will not be pinned down to a strict schedule of, say, having to have a Malay president every 24 years, said Mr Rai.

SMU's Dr Lee said the Government can take a leaf from the book of the group representation constituency system, with the prime minister given the powers to reserve an election for a designated race.

Mr Rai said the law should make it very clear each special election will be for a specified minority.

The commentators also called for more lead time between the issuance of the writ of election, which kicks off the process, and Nomination Day. Three to six months give qualified individuals time to decide whether to contest, said Dr Lee, noting that in recent years, it ranged between five days and a month.

Two of the observers cautioned that PM Lee's suggestions need to be carefully managed as they are politically sensitive.

Minority elections could give the impression that the particular community cannot succeed without getting a leg-up, said Dr Lee.

National University of Singapore political scientist Bilveer Singh had strong reservations about opening the election to all if no qualified minority candidate was found.

It would signal to the minority community that none of them is suitable for the post. "This can be very damaging," he said. "Personally, I find it hard to swallow."

As SMU law don and former NMP Eugene Tan put it: The Government has its work cut out for it as it persuades Singaporeans that the changes are crucial.

"The challenge is to persuade Singaporeans that this mechanism is one that is workable and robust, even as it seeks to further the cause of multiracialism," he said.

This article was first published on September 06, 2016.
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Singapore should have a Malay or other minority president from time to time to assure minorities they have a place here, and reduce the risk of some feeling marginalised, community leaders said yesterday.

"The president represents the nation, so having a head of state from a minority race from time to time gives a clear signal that we are multiracial and all-inclusive," said Association of Muslim Professionals chairman Abdul Hamid Abdullah.

But Nominated MP Azmoon Ahmad feels the office need not be rotated rigidly among the main races.

"Whether the president is Chinese, Malay, Indian or none of these is a secondary concern. He must first and foremost speak for every Singaporean," he said.

Read also: Reviewing elected presidency: 'Restore former system'

Their comments reflect the mixed feelings of many Malays towards impending changes to the elected presidency to ensure it is representative of Singapore's multiracial society.

On the one hand, they note the country has not had a Malay president since Mr Yusof Ishak, who held the post from 1965 to 1970. It has had two Indian presidents, Mr Devan Nair from 1981 to 1985, and Mr S R Nathan from 1999 to 2011.

But on the other hand, they do not want a situation that could lead to the election of a Malay president being seen as an act of tokenism.

In a TV interview with Mediacorp broadcast on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the changes are needed as in a close election, a Malay or Indian candidate would find it harder to get elected.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said in a roundtable interview with Berita Minggu on Sunday that the changes had to be made now, when society is united, to avoid problems in future.

Read also: Participants agree on need for minority president.

"If Muslims feel they are deliberately marginalised, have no stake in the country, and feel left out - these are things that could be exploited and if it gains momentum, it could be a big problem," he said.

PM Lee had, in his interview, said there could be a provision to reserve an election for candidates from a minority race if there has been no president from that race for, say, four, five or six terms.

They must also meet qualifying criteria stated in the Constitution, no different than for other candidates.

Mr Lee noted the pool of qualified minority candidates is not as big as that of Chinese candidates, but said over time, it will grow.

Said former NMP Imram Mohamed: "We have people who would qualify, like Speaker Halimah Yacob and several CEOs. It's a matter of whether they want to run."

Former MP Inderjit Singh felt the Indian community would welcome the new rules too, given the difficulty of getting elected in an open election. Mr Nathan was unopposed in both the 1999 and 2005 elections.

Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations council member Thomas Pek said it was vital to take steps to ensure a minority president occasionally: "Between equally capable Malay and Chinese candidates, most Chinese will pick the Chinese.

"We should not deny minorities such a chance as it goes against our goal of being a multiracial society."

This article was first published on September 06, 2016.
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Mr Hassan Melan wanted to call his family to tell them they wouldn't be able to reach him as his phone battery had run out.

The 57-year-old F&B worker looked in vain for a payphone at the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. In the end, he hopped on a train to where he knew he would find one.

"I felt bad asking a stranger to lend me his phone," Mr Hassan told The Straits Times, as he finished his call from a payphone in Tekka Centre in Little India, about 1.2km from his original location.

Mr Hassan's story would ring true with anyone who remembers how ubiquitous payphones used to be, when there were at least 20,000 all over the island. Today, with the mobile population penetration rate reaching 148.4 per cent as of December last year, their number has fallen just over 2,000.

They are run by 14 operators, including Singtel and StarHub, and can be found in places like HDB estates and tourist attractions, said the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA).

The number of phones operated by Singtel has not changed in the past few years, and it has no plans to discontinue its payphone service. "Payphones serve to connect users without mobile phones and are useful in emergency situations," said its spokesman.

Indeed, in five hours, The Straits Times counted about 25 people using the payphones in Tekka Centre.

Almost all owned mobile phones.

Some needed a payphone because the batteries in their own phones had run out, while others had forgotten to take them along that day.

Yet others, like Indian construction worker Panneerselvam Veeramani, 31, had run out of funds on his prepaid mobile card, and was waiting for his pay to arrive so he could top it up. He was telephoning an uncle in Singapore.

But there are also a few who choose to use payphones instead of a mobile phone.

Hostel security manager Chua Choon San, 63, uses payphones about eight times a month to save money.

Calls are charged at 10 cents for every two minutes on a Singtel phone and every three minutes on a StarHub phone - less than those made through his prepaid card, explained Mr Chua, who has two children, aged nine and 11. He earns about $4,000 a month.

"My wife doesn't work very much, so I don't want to spend money on unnecessary things," he said.

This article was first published on September 6, 2016.
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Two Singapore universities have kept their top 20 positions in the latest World University Rankings, making the Republic the only Asian nation represented among the best of the world's top universities for the second year in a row.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) kept their 12th and 13th positions respectively in this year's Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.

The two universities had shot up in the rankings last year, partly due to a change in how research citation was evaluated, with NUS moving up from 22nd to 12th place and NTU moving up from 39th to 13th.

Singapore Management University made its debut in the rankings this year in the 431-440 band. It scored most highly for its international faculty ratio.

London-based education consultancy QS said NTU stood out in research, ranking 64th in the world for citations per faculty while NUS was placed 9th and 11th globally, for employer and academic reputation respectively, having received perfect scores in both metrics.

"In featuring two universities in the global top 20, Singapore remains the only Asian nation to place among the very highest echelons of the QS World University Rankings," said the consultancy.

The third best-ranked Asian university was China's Tsinghua University, which rose one place to 24th this year.

QS head of research Ben Sowter said: "Singapore's continued strong performance stems from excellence across our spectrum of measures. In most aspects, there are institutions elsewhere that can lay claim to a more spectacular indicator performance but very few that can compete across the board."

NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan said the university has continued to focus on preparing future-ready graduates who can thrive and contribute in a much more volatile environment.

"We are happy that these efforts have been recognised by our ranking among the world's top universities, and Asia's best," Professor Tan said.

NTU president Bertil Anderson said: "Last year, we surprised ourselves a little when we jumped 26 places to the 13th position. But we have been working very hard in the last few years for this 'surprise'. This year, we are happy that this high standing has been reaffirmed by QS."

Professor Anderson added: "Of course, now that we are competing in the global top tier, the competition is much more intense, compared to the type of quantum leaps that we have been making since 2011."

The QS rankings use six indicators - academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty student ratio, citations per faculty, international students and international faculty.

Mr Sowter said the rankings "imply" that investments in higher education affect rankings.

"Institutions in countries that provide high levels of targeted funding, whether from endowments or from the public purse, are rising.

"On the other hand, Western European nations making or proposing cuts to public research spending are losing ground to their US and Asian counterparts."

For example, Britain's Cambridge University lost its third placing this year. This means American institutions hold all top three places for the first time since the ranking started in 2004.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology topped the list for the fifth consecutive year. Stanford was second and Harvard third.

This article was first published on September 6, 2016.
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Anti-mosquito operations are being extended around Singapore's biggest Zika cluster.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said yesterday it is taking these measures in Circuit Road, Geylang East Central and Geylang East Avenue 1.

These areas are located on the periphery of the Aljunied Crescent, Sims Drive, Paya Lebar Way and Kallang Way cluster, which accounts for more than 200 of the current 258 Zika cases islandwide. The NEA had been conducting vector control operations in these areas, and will continue to do so.

It said that as of Sunday, 63 breeding habitats had been detected and destroyed. Thirty-seven of these were in homes, while the other 26 were in common areas and other premises.

The NEA is also continuing with vector control operations and outreach efforts in Bedok North Avenue, another cluster, together with mosquito control measures. As of Sunday, 52 breeding habitats had been detected and destroyed, with 42 of them in homes and 10 in common areas and other premises.

The same efforts took place in Joo Seng Road, where no breeding habitats have been detected so far.

Meanwhile, in the Sims Drive and Aljunied Crescent cluster where it all began, shops said business has suffered. An owner of a mobile- phone shop at Block 47, Sims Place, who wanted to be known only as Miss Kristina, 23, said the area has been a "ghost town" since the news of the virus broke two weeks ago.

Barber Ahmad Ali, 56, said he has also seen fewer customers. "People avoid this place now. The market is also very empty. But what to do? I still have to run my business, life has to go on," he said.

For drinks stall owner Tan See Foo, 62, this is "one of the worst periods" he has been through since opening the stall at the market and food centre at Block 49, Sims Place in 1976.

"Business has fallen by about 30 per cent. Every night, fewer people come here to drink. Now is the school holiday period, but there is no one here," he said. "The mosquitos have really sabotaged us. Right now, my business is all right, but if this goes on for a month or two longer, it will get tough."

This article was first published on September 06, 2016.
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While there might be differences of views on some issues, bilateral co-operation between Singapore and China is progressing on many fronts, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong .

Both countries, being different, will naturally have different perspectives on some issues, Mr Lee said yesterday in response to a question on perceived tensions over the Republic's role as country-coordinator for ASEAN-China relations.

He added the key is to manage and accept the different perspectives and not allow them to affect the overall relationship, which he said was in "working shape".

"We accept that sometimes there will be issues and things may take time. This is normal between any two countries, particularly two with a very close relationship," Mr Lee told Singapore media at the end of a four-day working visit that included meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chongqing party boss Sun Zhengcai.

He pointed out that Mr Xi, in their meeting in Hangzhou last Friday, had urged both sides to respect each other's perspectives and to work towards greater understanding when they disagree.

Mr Lee, in turn, told Mr Xi that Singapore hoped to act as an honest broker in bringing people closer together through its three-year stint as ASEAN-China relations coordinator, which began in August last year.

Last month, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman urged Singapore to respect China's position on the South China Sea issue and to advance ASEAN-China relations on the condition of not interfering in the maritime dispute between Beijing and several ASEAN nations.

The remarks, coming after China rejected an arbitral tribunal ruling on July 12 against its maritime claims in the South China Sea, were seen as a veiled criticism of Sing- apore's friendship with the United States and support of the US' continued presence in the region.

In his National Day Rally speech on Aug 21, Mr Lee outlined Singa- pore's foreign policy principle of acting independently and in its own national interests, such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

Yesterday, Mr Lee said Singapore and China are cooperating in many areas that are win-win in nature and it "would be a pity" for both sides if these were to slow down.

He cited how the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative (CCI) - the third government-led project between both sides - has made progress in its priority sectors in finance, telecommunications, aviation and logistics.

For instance, Mr Lee said both sides are exploring a new logistical route southwards of Chongqing into the Beibu Bay through Guangxi's Qinzhou port city, in anticipation of transportation capacity on the Yangtze River reaching saturation.

Also, both sides are looking at using the CCI, which aims to promote connectivity within China and with other states, to test bed new policies or new emphasis in its development strategies, he added.

Promising ideas can be put up at the upcoming meeting of the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, a high-level mechanism overseeing bilateral ties, said Mr Lee, who visited Chongqing last Saturday.

World leaders arrive for the G20 Summit in Hangzhou

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, MCI

KEY G-20 OUTCOMES

• A G-20 blueprint on innovative growth to harness new drivers for the global economy.
• A pledge to use multiple policy tools - fiscal, monetary and structural reforms - to tackle short-term risks while exploring longer-term growth.
• A commitment to help the Paris Agreement on cutting global warming emissions go into force early.
• An action plan to facilitate implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Combat global tax evasion and build up taxation mechanisms in less developed economies. Global taxation research centre to be set up in China.
• Boost anti-graft efforts, including setting up a research centre on fugitive repatriation and asset recovery.

This article was first published on September 6, 2016.
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What was your dream career growing up?

For many born in the 1990s, it would have been "doctor", "teacher" and "lawyer" - but the times have changed, and according to a survey published earlier this year, children aged 7 to 14 have listed "entrepreneur" as one of the top three career aspirations.

It's not a surprising result, since children tend to take the lead from inspirational figures, and the prevalence of successful entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jack Ma, and our local "chief gamer" Min-Liang Tan these days has made entrepreneurship a very attractive career to work towards.

In the recent years, many in their 20s and early 30s have taken the leap of faith and gone into the F&B industry, most of whom open themed cafes selling popular brunch items like Eggs Benedict, French Toast alongside (frequently touted as 'artisan') coffee concoctions.

However, there are some who are taking the road less glamourous, and are venturing into opening stores in hawker centres and coffeeshops - places where you usually find owners from the older generations.

Their presence comes as a breath of fresh air to Singapore's hawker scene, which has been touted by CNN as facing an "increasingly […] dire future", in spite of how it's an essential part of Singaporean culture.

This is due to the lack of ownership succession (that is, the children of current hawkers taking over their parents' business), and also how the trade is not fancied by the younger generation due to the gruelling hours of physical labour in an environment which doesn't offer the comforts of a typical office.

The Government has realised this, and came up with the Hawker Master Trainer Pilot Programme, jointly launched by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) in 2013, which saw 50 trainees undergoing on-the-job training with veteran hawkers.

Trainees would then have the chance to run incubation hawker stalls in hawker centres for a period of time; after which, they'll need to tender for their own stalls under NEA's Tender Scheme.

However, the programme has met with not-so-encouraging results.

Earlier this year, Channel NewsAsia reported that only about 5 out of 46 trainees are still in business. Said Mr Vincent Tan, a 45-year-old who set up a chicken rice store after apprenticeship at an established restaurant, the situation became less rosy after shifting to a third location in June 2015.

"I went to Jalan Besar, one of the coffeeshops, and for six months, there was no crowd. At first, it was not bad, [but] after that, [there was] no outside crowd. From there I gave up," he said.

Another trainee, Graphic designer Mr Cedric Ng's attempt also fell through, and he cited financial constraints and the capital needed to start up as a barrier that couldn't be overcome.

While the future of the programme and our hawker culture are still hard to determine, we decided to compile a list of young hawkerpreneurs currently doing their bit to make a difference:

1. Crab Meat Wanton Mee

Owner(s): Raymond, 28, who picked up his skills from Youtube videos

Speciality: Crab meat-filled wantons with meat sourced fresh and daily from Jurong Port

Address: 560 Macpherson Road, Singapore 368233

2. Coffee Break

Owner(s): A trio of siblings who are the 3rd generation running the store (started in 1935 as San Hai Yuan at East Reclamation Road); Jack Sai, 32, and twins Faye and Anna, 29

Speciality: Traditional sock-brewed coffee and toasted kaya toast with a modern twist, for example, Black Sesame Toast and Iced Caramel Latte

Address: Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Road #02-78, Singapore 069111

3. Tom's Citizoom Mee Pok Tar

Owner(s): Tom, 31, who already has 7 years of hawker experience under his belt

Speciality: Fish Chor Mee, a play on the usual Bak Chor Mee which is usually served with pork

Address: Blk 20, Ghim Moh Road #01-11

4. Truly Curry Rice

Owner(s): Ex-Forex traders Joel and Deniece, both under 30, and Joshua, Joel's younger brother. They have since grown from their stall in Telok Blangah Food Centre to Truly Test Kitchen, a coffeeshop with stalls selling different items

Speciality: Hainanese curry rice with homecooked-style side dishes

Address: Truly Test Kitchen, 153 Kampong Ampat #07-05, Singapore 368326

5. Habib's Rojak

Owner(s): Habib Mohamed, 28, a 2nd-generation hawker who took over the stall from his father, who opened the stall in 1988

Speciality: Indian-style rojak, which is painstakingly handmade by Habib from 3am each day

Address: Ayer Rajah Food Centre, Block 503 West Coast Drive, Stall 68

6. Lim Soup "The Art Of Soup"

Owner(s): Chong Chee Siang, 30 and ex-banker Eric Lim, 42

Speciality: Old Coconut Chicken Soup. Their soups are prided to contain no MSG or pre-made stocks of any kind

Address: Dong Fong Fatt Coffeeshop, 161 Bukit Merah Central, Singapore 150161

7. Jin Ji Braised Duck

Owner(s): Melvin, a 2nd-generation hawker who took over the business from his father who had been running the stall for over 30 years

Speciality: Duck Rice packed into a bento box, with Japanese Ramen-style runny yolk eggs

Address: Chinatown Complex, Blk 335 Smith Street #02-156, Singapore 050335

8. 545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles

Owner(s): Li Ruifang, the 3rd-generation owner who worked in an MNC before taking over the business which started in the 1950s

Speciality: Prawn Mee in soup and dry variations, which Ruigfang starts preparation for from 3am

Address: Tekka Food Centre, 665 Buffalo Road, #01-326, Singapore 210665

9. L32 Geylang Handmade Noodles

Owner(s): Ben and Shirley, a couple in their 30s who took over the stall over 10 years ago from the previous owner, fuelled by Shirley's love for the noodle dish

Speciality: Ban Mian with an emphasis on the pork used and ikan bilis for the soup base (cooked over 10 hours) and garnish

Address: 558 Geylang Lorong 32, Singapore 389509

10. Xiao Di Fried Hokkien Mee

Owner(s): Terence Chee, 26, who had over 8 years of experience working at different stalls before venturing out on his own

Speciality: Fried Hokkien Mee. He uses prawns from Thailand, ensures the soup stock is cooked for a minimum of 3 hours and chooses to fry only 6 servings per wok

Address: Blk 153, Serangoon North Ave 1, Singapore 550153

11. Heaven's Indian Curry

Owner(s): Suren and Jesse, a couple who quit their comfortable jobs (Suren worked in a bar, Jesse worked in a bank) to start a branch of Suren's mother's famous Heaven's Indian Curry

Speciality: Freshly-made Putu Mayam and Princess Appam, which is a twist on the traditional Appam. It is topped with egg, cheese and butter

Address: The franchise currently has 4 outlets in Ghim Moh Food Centre, Jurong Point, NUH and Changi Airport

12. Penang Kia Prawn Mee

Owner(s): Julyn Teoh, 33 and her boyfriend Gerald Goh, 37, who used to be Singapore Airlines flight attendants. Julyn learnt her skills from her father who used to sell prawn noodles in Penang

Speciality: Penang-style prawn noodles, which soup stock took the couple over 3 months to perfect

Address: Blk 205d, Compassvale Lane #01-02, Singapore 544207

New Hope For Singapore's Hawker Culture

These young people have followed their passion and chosen the path less travelled by their peers in a bid to preserve the recipes crafted by generations past.

We wish them all the best, and thank them for helping keep Singapore's beloved hawker culture alive.

Vulcan Post is all about living life with a digital edge, up and coming startups, and people who inspire conversations.
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Digital Matters is back in Singapore as part of the All That Matters Festival from Sep 12-15, 2016.

Held at Marina Bay Sands, the event happens smack in the middle of the week that features Ultra Singapore, an electronic dance music (EDM) festival, from Sep 10 - 11, and the Singapore Grand Prix Formula 1, from Sep 16 to 18.

This week in September has never been more exciting.

This year's Digital Matters, that happens on Sep 15, leads the discussion on the creation and broadcast of online content.

Conferences will revolve around content creation, distribution and monetisation for the new online consumer - the digital native - covering hot topics such as Virtual Reality (VR) and the Over The Top (OTT) marketplace in Asia.

Speakers to look forward to are Scott Broock, VR evangelist, Google who (with other speakers) will talk about the hype around virtual reality and how it will change and progress content development; ShuFen Lin, vice president, family segment & HubLife, StarHub who will discuss (also with a panel of experts) how channels and platforms are reinventing themselves to access new partners and extend their reach which is moderated by Tony Zameczkowski, VP business development, Asia, Netflix; and Colin Giles, executive vice president, Huawei consumer business group will present China's progress and opportunity in the digital world.

Other notable topics include 'the future of disruption' with some big heads from the advertising world such as Josh Black, chief executive officer, GroupM Content, David Mayo, group CMO, Ogilvy & Mather, Asia Pacific, and Vishnu Mohan, chief executive officer, APAC, Havas; and 'the rise of mobile video' that will gather together Chiradeep Gupta, global media director, Unilever, Alexander Kisch, executive vice president, business development & business affairs, Vevo, and Jim Small, vice president, Asia Pacific, Major League Baseball.

Also happening during All That Matters is Music Matters, Sports Matters and Marketing Matters.

To find out more about the line up of speakers, programme and pricing, check www.allthatmatters.asia.

spanaech@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - A Zika outbreak in Singapore could have a small impact on the almost US$300 billion (S$406 billion) economy, the central bank chief said on Tuesday, as the mosquito-borne virus spreads across the global financial and transit hub.

Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, did not give further details, but the outbreak coincides with a dip in overall exports and growth in the trade-dependent economy. Growth is also slowing in China, Singapore's main overseas market.

"It's too early to tell. I would say early indications are there could be some small impact, but it's not likely to be significant from an overall economy outcome," Menon told reporters when asked about the impact of Zika.

"But really, it's still early days," he said at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association in Singapore.

Small, tropical Singapore reported its first locally infected Zika patient on Aug. 27 and since then, the number of reported infections has reached 275, with 17 more cases reported on Tuesday.

Health officials say the figure will rise, as the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the virus are all over the island, and hospitals have stopped isolating patients.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was quoted on the Channel News Asia website as calling at a regional summit in Laos for the 10 Southeast Asian countries to "join hands" to fight Zika, while keeping the region open for business and trade.

What is the Zika virus?

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, The Straits Times, The New Paper, NEA

"It is imperative for us to work together to combat Zika, but we should put Zika in the proper context," Lee said. "Given the presence of the Aedes mosquito, Zika may become endemic in our region, just like dengue."

"We should prepare ourselves for a possibly extended campaign against Zika but ensure that the region remains open and connected for business and trade."

Last month, Singapore narrowed its economic growth forecast for the year to 1-2 per cent from 1-3 per cent growth previously expected, citing concerns over Brexit and weak global demand.

Economists said tourism and retail would be the areas most affected by Zika, which could in turn hold back growth. Tourism arrivals in the first six months of the year have increased 12.5 per cent from a year ago, official statistics show.

"Tourism is about voluntary trips and this is going to have a dent," said Trinh Nguyen, senior economist for emerging-market Asia at French investment bank Natixis SA in Hong Kong.

"Zika will impact sentiment and people's already low propensity to consume."

SLOWER SALES

Retail sales excluding motor vehicles fell year-on-year in June for the fifth straight month, as worries about the sluggish global economy drove Singaporeans to cut spending.

Singapore is due to host a Formula One motor-racing Grand Prix next week. Promoters of the race say preparations are going on as usual. The Tourism Board says Singapore remains a safe destination.

Chan Brothers Travel, one of Singapore's biggest travel agencies, told Reuters there had been no cancellations but new bookings may slow down.

While most people experience mild symptoms, Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly, a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized. In adults, it can cause a rare neurological syndrome called Guillain-Barre.

Zika is also affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit. In Southeast Asia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand have also reported Zika infections.

Regional health experts said a lack of adequate testing meant the spread of Zika was likely significantly under-reported.

SINGAPORE - An additional 17 local cases of Zika were confirmed on Tuesday (Sep 6), pushing up the total number of cases in Singapore to 275.

A joint statement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Environment Agency (NEA) also revealed a potential new cluster at Bishan Street 12, in the wake of a previously reported case and a new case there today. NEA said it will carry out vector control operations and outreach efforts there.

Of the 17 new cases, 10 are linked to the Aljunied Crescent / Sims Drive / Kallang Way / Paya Lebar Way cluster. The other six cases have no known links to any existing cluster.

NEA said it has continued vector control operations in Aljunied Crescent, Sims Drive, Paya Lebar Way and Kallang Way. It has expanded operations to cover the nearby areas of this cluster such as Circuit Road, Geylang East Central, Geylang East Avenue 1.

Fighting Zika: Which mosquito repellent to use

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, New Straits Times, Avon

Meanwhile, NEA's efforts in vector control operations in Bedok North Avenue will continue. So far, 67 breeding habitats there - comprising 56 in homes and 11 in common areas and other premises - have been detected and destroyed.

NEA said its efforts at Joo Seng Road are ongoing after a potential cluster was found there. As of Sep 5, two instances of breeding in common areas or other premises there have been found and destroyed.

Related: Zika outbreak could impact slowing economy in Singapore

PM Lee calls on ASEAN countries to fight Zika jointly

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today (Sep 6) called on ASEAN countries to "join hands" to fight Zika, while keeping the region open for business and trade, reported Channel News Asia.

"It is imperative for us to work together to combat Zika,but we should put Zika in the proper context," Mr Lee said. "Given the presence of the Aedes mosquito, Zika may become endemic in our region, just like dengue," Mr Lee said at the ASEAN Summit held in Laos.

"We should prepare ourselves for a possibly extended campaign against Zika but ensure that the region remains open and connected for business and trade," he said.

Locally-transmitted Zika in Singapore

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper

The demand for insect repellent and insecticide has seen an upsurge by more than 10 times compared to a month before, according to NTUC FairPrice.

In a media release on Tuesday (Sep 6), the supermarket chain said it sold more than 115,000 anti-mosquito products between Sept 1 and 4. This has resulted in "intermittent availability" of the products across more than 130 of its stores.

FairPrice placed an additional order for 175,000 items, which will be made available from today to the end of the week.

Urging consumers not to hoard, its CEO Seah Kian Peng advised consumers to buy only the quantity they need.

chenj@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - In conjunction with the recent revamp of Lianhe Zaobao, the Chinese flagship newspaper of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) will be organising a reader's engagement event on Sept 10 at Marina Barrage.

Entitled "Rediscovery", the free admission event will offer games, food and performances from 1pm to 10pm.

The highlight of the event will be a mass singing session, where local singers will lead a 5,000 strong audience to sing Xinyao compositions, providing readers an opportunity to walk down memory lane and sing along to their favourite Xinyao songs which they grew up listening to.

The song list will also include classic pop songs made popular by local singers.

Local performers, including Xinyao veteran Liang Wern Fook, together with Chen Weilian, Tay Kewei, Alfred Sim and Huang Jinglun, will take to the stage at about 7pm to entertain audiences with a string of over 20 Xingyao songs.

About 5,000 people are expected to sing along with them.

Mr Goh Sin Teck, Editor of Lianhe Zaobao, said: "Readers are the main focus for Lianhe Zaobao's revamp in July. We hope that they could rediscover the joy of reading newspaper and rekindle their interest in the Chinese language. With our readers in mind, we decided to organise a large-scale engagement event to thank them for their years of supporting Lianhe Zaobao."

Readers can take part in "retro games" such as "Chapteh" or top spinning to relive their childhood memories.

Those who enjoy singing can take part in a karaoke singing competition to win some prizes.

In the afternoon, local singers Freshmen and Sugi Pan will entertain the crowd with pop tunes.

There will be food stalls selling local delights and UFM100.3 deejays will provide live broadcast and engage listeners on site.

The organiser has also prepared 1,000 picnic mats and goodie bags for Lianhe Zaobao subscribers who have pre-registered for the event.

There will be a grand lucky draw to pick a lucky reader to drive home a Hyundai car sponsored by Komoco Motors.

In addition, Lianhe Zaobao will also give out 4,000 goodie bags for members of the public who are attending the event on a first-come-first-served basis. Collection of goodie bags will end at 7pm.

"With food, games and lucky draw, there will be something for every reader to enjoy at our upcoming event. Most importantly, they can also join in our mass singing session which we hope to attract 5,000 people," added Mr Goh.

"Rediscovery" is organised by Lianhe Zaobao, with UFM100.3 as the official radio station and zaobao.sg as the official online media. The event is supported by Marina Barrage and sponsored by BreadTalk, Fei Siong Food Management, Qingjian Realty, Citigems and Komoco Motors.

SINGAPORE - A 73-year-old resident in a nursing home died shortly in hospital after choking on a piece of ondeh-ondeh which had obstructed her airway, a coroner's court heard.

Finding Madam Letchimi N. Anisamy's death to be a "tragic misadventure'', State Coroner Marvin Bay said on Tuesday (Sept 6) that her demise reinforces the need to be especially vigilant when the elderly are consuming glutinous, lump-sized or malleable food items such as durian kueh, fish balls and ondeh-ondeh (a pandan-flavoured kueh filled with gula melaka) .

"Sensible precautions to consider would include cutting the ondeh-ondeh into smaller pieces, rather than be proffered a en-bloc serving of an entire ondeh-ondeh on a napkin as was the case here,'' he said.

He said a plated serving with utensils provided would have given the consumer a better visual cue that she could and should consume the ondeh-ondeh at her own pace and leisure.

It would also be prudent to provide water at hand, to lubricate the passage of the food item to the digestive tract, especially for individuals with impaired salivation ability, he added.

In this case, Madam Letchimi was sitting in a reclined position when she ate the ondeh-ondeh.

Not sitting upright, he said, may exacerbate the risk of the passage of a glutinous or lump-sized food item taking a wrong turn and becoming stuck in the airway, rather than proceeding down the digestive tract, and obstructing a person's ability to breathe.

If this happens, the food item might not be extricable in time to save the person from permanent brain injury or death.

The inquiry heard that the choking incident occurred at Ren Ci @ Bukit Batok Street 52 at about 11.30am on March 18.

An occupational therapy-aide had conducted an ondeh-ondeh making activity class and distributed some of the kueh to residents after seeking permission from the staff nurse.

After Madam Letchimi had placed the ondeh-ondeh into her mouth, she began to exhibit some discomfort. She waved to a nurse for help and the nurse immediately went to get some water.

Staff nurse Nithiak Kalyani Daruman, 30, started to tap Madam Letchimi on her back. She performed abdominal thrusts with two other nurses. Madam Letchimi coughed out some saliva with some green bits of food.

A suction machine was used while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

Paramedics managed to remove a piece of ondeh-ondeh from Madam Letchimi, who was later pronounced dead at 4.19pm at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

Coroner: Cut food up, give water, get elderly to sit up

The death of Miss Letchimi Anisamy, 73, has reinforced the need for caregivers to be especially vigilant when serving glutinous or lump-sized food items to the elderly.

State Coroner Marvin Bay yesterday said that "sensible precautions to consider" would include cutting the traditional kueh into smaller pieces.

Miss Letchimi died after choking on an ondeh-ondeh that was given to her at a nursing home on March 18.

Coroner Bay, who ruled her death as a tragic misadventure, said: "It would also be prudent to provide water at hand, to lubricate the passage of the food item to the digestive tract, especially for individuals with impaired salivation ability."

He noted that Miss Letchimi was sitting in a reclined position when she was served the ondeh-ondeh.

He said: "Not sitting upright may exacerbate the risk of the passage of a glutinous or lump-sized food item taking a wrong turn and becoming stuck in the airway, rather than proceeding down the digestive tract, and obstructing a person's ability to breathe."

Miss Letchimi was with 13 other residents in the dining area of the Ren Ci Nursing Home in Bukit Batok Street 52 when occupational therapy-aide Baskaran Saraswathi, 41, gave her an ondeh-ondeh to eat.

About a minute later, she was in discomfort and waved to a nurse for help.

The nurse gave her water, and staff nurse Nithiak Kalyani Daruman, 30, tapped on her back.

Coroner Bay said: "Nurse Nithiak and other nurses also performed abdominal thrusts on Letchimi, while another nurse called for an ambulance. The Heimlich manoeuvre was not performed as Letchimi was unable to stand firmly.

Suction Device

"After about two minutes of abdominal thrusts and back tapping, the nurses at the scene used a suction device to attempt to suck out the substance that Letchimi was choking on. Letchimi was also given oxygen through another device."

An ambulance later took her to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, but she died around 4.20pm.

According to Ms Daruman, a dietician had earlier examined Miss Letchimi and found her able to enjoy a full diet without any restrictions.

She was also determined to be able to use her natural teeth and did not use dentures, said Coroner Bay.

He added: "There is nothing to suggest any deliberate act by staff of Ren Ci Nursing Home to cause the choking event. The response, once Letchimi was found to be choking, was generally rapid, urgent and timely.

"Based on the evidence uncovered, there is no basis to suspect foul play."

It would also be prudent to provide water at hand, to lubricate the passage of the food item to the digestive tract...

Coroner Marvin Bay on safety considerations when feeding the elderly

Ren Ci: Ondeh-ondeh making was a regular activity

Following the coroner's findings yesterday, Ren Ci Hospital said it will fine-tune its processes to prevent a similar choking incident in future.

Responding to queries from The New Paper, its spokesman said: "As part of our effort to enhance the daily life of our nursing home residents through activities of their interest, the making and serving of ondeh-ondeh has been a regular activity carried out previously without incident.

"Only patients on a full diet are served and our care staff are in close proximity to oversee them eating."

Ren Ci also said its investigations showed there were no lapses by its care staff, and Miss Letchimi Anisamy's death had affected the team.

"Since the incident, we have extended internal support and counselling to our staff," the spokesman added.

"We offer our deepest condolences to (Miss Letchimi's) family at this difficult time. We are in touch with (her) family and have been offering them support in various ways since the incident."

This article was first published on September 7, 2016.
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His office is at Block 401, Hougang Avenue 10.

His working hours? 6pm to 6am.

Almost every evening, Mr Brandon Tan plonks himself down near a PokeStop.

Pokemon Go: A beginner's guide

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper

He then plays the game on four iPads, his fingers flying across the screens, spinning PokeStops and throwing Pokeballs. He even looks like a deejay at the turntables.

But Mr Tan, 25, is actually being paid to "power-level" the accounts of other Pokemon Go players.

He charges these players $25 an hour. He will log in to their account and help them gain experience points in the game.

If a player "books" him for eight continuous hours, Mr Tan offers the ninth hour for free.

The New Paper reported on Aug 11 that other players are offering such levelling up services on marketplace application Carousell.

However, sharing an account is actually frowned upon by the game's developer Niantic Labs, which considers it cheating. Those caught doing it may be suspended or have their account terminated.

Mr Tan, who worked as an insurance agent for a year, is not holding a full-time job.

Since starting this service on Aug 16, he said he has earned a four-figure sum from about 20 clients.About half are based in Singapore. The rest are from countries such as Austria, Switzerland and the US.

Gotta catch 'em all: Pokemon Go now in Singapore

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, Facebook / RSAF, Facebook/SPF, AsiaOne, Capitaland, Lianhe Wanbao, The New Paper, Stomp

"In other countries, PokeStops are far away from each other. We're lucky that in Singapore, we have clusters of PokeStops. So these players from other countries would ask me to help them level up," Mr Tan told The New Paper.

Local players, on the other hand, approach him because they may not have the time to play.

"Some paid me (to play) for nine hours a day, for five days straight," he said.

Mr Tan has advertised his services on his Facebook page. He also places two iPads - displaying an ad for his services - near where he sits every day to play the game.

Pokemon Go fever

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, AFP

Comfortable

Apart from his six iPads, his nightly set-up includes two foldable tables, five power banks, a bag and, sometimes, foldable chairs.

He changes his set-up depending on where he can find a comfortable spot, whether it is a playground next to Block 401, the void deck or a nearby coffee shop.

"On good nights, I earn $200 to $300. Some nights, I get no clients at all, so I don't earn anything," he said.

Mr Tan, an active gamer of about seven years, has a YouTube channel, BrandonTan91, where he uploads videos of himself playing Clash Of Clans and Clash Royal. The channel has over 166,000 subscribers.

He said he earns about $1,000 of advertising revenue from YouTube every month.

Pokemon Go players The New Paper spoke to said they probably would not hire Mr Tan.

Student Jedidiah Seah, 24, said doing so would take away the joy of playing the game.

"When I catch rare Pokemon or level up, it is my own personal achievement," he said.

On good nights, I earn $200 to $300. Some nights, I get no clients at all, so I don't earn anything.

This article was first published on September 7, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has served notice to revoke Impresario Learning Lab's status as an administrator of government student care fee assistance.

The student care centre located at Jalan Bukit Ho Swee will no longer be able to administer government student care fee assistance from Sept 20, MSF said in a statement today (Sept 7).

The ministry said that a recent audit had uncovered multiple wrongful claims for student care fee subsidies made by Impresario Learning Lab. The matter has been referred to the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force.

According to the ministry's records, seven out of 14 students enrolled at the centre in June this year were recipients of government student care fee assistance

On Aug 23, Impresario Learning Lab was given 14 days to provide an explanation to MSF regarding the wrongful claims, but did not do so by the deadline.

It has informed MSF and parents of its students that it plans to cease operations as a student care centre on Sept 20.

MSF added that it is in the process of recovering all wrongful subsidy claims from Impresario Learning Lab, and that it will assist affected parents in finding alternative student care centres if they wish to do so.

"We have been in contact with the parents to explain the situation and to offer them our assistance in transferring their children to other student care centres," a spokesperson said.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - The travel agent licence of Deal Travel Pte Ltd (licence no. 02387) has been revoked, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in a statement on Sept 7.

The agency's licence had already been suspended on June 4.

STB said in its statement that Deal Travel's licence was revoked as it had ceased to carry on the business of a travel agent.

The earlier suspension was caused by its failure to submit necessary documents for STB to verify its compliance with the minimum financial requirements as mandated under the Travel Agents Regulations.

STB had also received complaints from Deal Travel's business partners regarding outstanding payments owed by Deal Travel.

Consumers who are not covered by travel insurance can approach the liquidators of Deal Travel Pte Ltd at shuhui.ng@sg.ey.com.

An updated list of licensed travel agents in Singapore can be found at the Travel Related Users' System (TRUST) website. https://trust.yoursingapore.com

ljessica@sph.com.sg