A new Lift Enhancement Programme was announced yesterday to help town councils modernise their existing Housing Board lifts.

Under this initiative, the HDB will fund about 90 per cent of the town council's costs to install the recommended enhancement features identified by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) last week.

About 20,000 lifts are eligible for this programme, which will cost around $450 million.

These include lifts not yet equipped with some or all of the enhancement features, and have been in operation for 18 years or less - as of the date of commencement of the new programme.

More implementation details will be provided to the town councils in the coming months.

But the HDB added that town councils will have 10 years to carry out the modernisation works progressively, as part of their maintenance and lift parts replacement regime.

"Concurrently, TCs will replace older lifts with new lift systems progressively as they carry out cyclical replacement for these lifts," the HDB said.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday that the costs for such enhancements will "pose a considerable financial challenge" to the town councils.

"With higher expected long-term expenditures, town councils will likely need to contribute more to their sinking funds, and set aside more funds for future lift replacements through a new Lift Replacement Fund," he said in a blog post.

Mr Wong added that while the total sinking fund balance across all town councils is about $1 billion, it is not enough in the long run.

"This may sound like a healthy amount but it is still not sufficient to cover the cost of future lift replacements, which is estimated at almost $3 billion from now to 2035 (for some 11,500 lifts across all HDB estates)," he said.

Last week, the BCA had made recommendations to modernise existing lifts here in order to boost safety.

This comes after a spate of lift accidents in HDB blocks in the past year.

About a third of all the 61,000 passenger lifts in Singapore are found in HDB estates.

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SINGAPORE - The number of online scams in the first half of this year has increased compared to the same period in 2015, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a statement on Sept 20.

From January to June, a total of 1,145 cases of cheating involving e-commerce were reported, a 13.4 per cent increase from last year.

About seven out of 10 of these scams were carried out via Carousell, Gumtree and Facebook, the police added.

The victims would usually be tricked into thinking that they were buying items such as admission tickets to local attractions, concert tickets and mobile phones.

In most cases, the scammers would ask victims for advanced payment to be transferred to a local bank account. They items would not be delivered and the seller usually becomes uncontactable after the money is transferred.

In one case, a scammer even sold fake tickets to a Jay Chou concert to his customers. The victims only realised they had been scammed when they were denied entry into the venue.

Read also: 11 scams that are happening in Singapore now

In an advisory, the police said that online shoppers should take up these precautionary measures:

- Bear in mind that the party you are dealing with online is a stranger. Before performing a transaction, find out how the online site safeguards your interest or can help you resolve disputes;

- Whenever possible, pay only on delivery.

- If advanced payments are required, use shopping platforms that only release your payment to the seller upon your receipt of the item; and

- Be mindful that although culprits may provide a copy of an Identification Card or Driver's licence to gain your trust, it may not necessarily belong to the person communicating with you online.

Top 7 scams in Singapore and more

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www.scamalert.sg

ljessica@sph.com.sg

A former River Valley High School (RVHS) principal, who was sentenced to four weeks' jail in January after lying about an extramarital affair with a school vendor to whom he awarded contracts, has been dismissed from public service.

Koh Yong Chiah, who was 61 when sentenced to jail, was once one of Singapore's "super principals".

A notice posted yesterday in the online edition of the Government Gazette said that Koh, a Senior Education Officer Superscale G, had been dismissed from the public service with effect from Sept 14.

On Nov 24, 2005, the father of two gave false information to an officer from the Ministry of Education (MOE), asserting that he was not having an affair with school service provider Ivy Loke Wai Lin.

Koh was then principal of Jurong Junior College (JJC), a post he held from 2003 until 2009, when he became principal of RVHS.

Koh and Ms Loke, who was 55 as of January this year, met in 2000 while he was the principal of the former Chinese High School (CHS). Their first sexual encounter was during a CHS community service trip to Lijiang, China, in 2001. Both were married.

Between May and November 2005, in his capacity as the final approving authority for contracts at JJC, Koh awarded six contracts worth $162,491 to Ms Loke's firm, Education Architects 21 (EA 21).

He did not disclose the nature of his relationship with Ms Loke to the quotation approval panel.

Between 2005 and 2012, he approved $3.4 million worth of contracts to EA 21 and Education Incorporation, another of Ms Loke's firms.

Dubbed one of the "super principals" when he was appointed cluster superintendent in 1999, Koh was, at one point in his career with the education service, overseeing 11 schools in the south zone.

The Nanyang University graduate began his teaching career at Catholic High School in 1981, eventually becoming Kranji Secondary's principal. He made the news in 1999 when he was named principal of CHS.

When the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau started investigating him in 2012, he was redeployed to the MOE to assist in curriculum development.

jkoh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on September 20, 2016.
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She had sued a surgeon over nerve injuries suffered after undergoing laser treatment on her legs, claiming her mobility was affected and that her legs hurt when they came into contact with clothes.

But video surveillance carried out by a private investigator hired by lawyers for the vascular surgeon being sued showed the 50-year-old woman walking and climbing stairs without difficulty or signs of pain.

During one journey, she was seen choosing to walk up a flight of stairs at Orchard MRT station instead of looking for a lift or escalator.

Yesterday, Madam Rathanamalah Shunmugam, a financial services director at an insurance company, lost her medical negligence suit in the High Court.

She sought at least $2 million for medical expenses incurred, future medical expenses, income losses suffered and future income losses.

Madam Rathanamalah alleged that Dr Chia Kok Hoong, who has a private practice at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, had not advised her about the risks and complications of the treatment, known as endovenous laser therapy.

She insisted that she saw Dr Chia to treat pigmentation on her legs and would not have agreed to undergo the procedure - used to treat varicose veins - had she been warned that she risked nerve injuries.

She claimed the constant pain and hypersensitivity in her legs have curtailed her ability to provide sound financial advice to clients. This has led to her clients being disappointed with her service and her being unable to grow her customer base.

Dr Chia, who was represented by Mr Christopher Chong, contended that he had told her of the risks, including possible nerve injuries, before carrying out the procedure to treat her varicose veins in July 2010.

Yesterday, Judicial Commissioner Aedit Abdullah dismissed Madam Rathanamalah's claim.

He found that while Dr Chia did not maintain a complete contemporaneous record of his consultations with the patient, she had signed the consent form acknowledging that the risks had been explained to her.

There was also evidence from Dr Chia's witnesses, including the doctor who had referred her to the surgeon, that he had given her advice and obtained her consent.

The judicial commissioner commented that based on video surveillance, the extent of her injuries may not be as bad as she claims. He also noted that she had tried to claim for medical expenses which were already covered by her insurers.

This article was first published on September 20, 2016.
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When she heard a loud crash, a coffeeshop assistant turned around and saw a motorcyclist lying on the road.

His motorcycle lay on its side about 10m away from a white car believed to have been involved in the accident in Little India yesterday.

Ms Yi Da, 28, told Shin Min Daily News that the biker was bleeding from his legs.

The police later said the collision at Dickson Road, near the junction of Perak Road, involved a motorcycle and two cars soon after 11am.

Another witness told The New Paper that he could see a bone sticking out of the victim's bleeding left foot.

Giving his name only as Mr Lu, he said in Malay: "There were about 50 people watching, but most moved away after they saw the rider's leg injuries."

Mr Lu, 65, who is in the karung guni trade, said only a man then went to comfort the biker before the paramedics arrived, while some passers-by helped to guide traffic and warn motorists about the accident.

"The rider was wailing in pain. All the man could do was to tell him not to move and assure him that help was on the way," said Mr Lu.

While he did not know the identity of the Good Samaritan, he said he had occasionally seen the middle-aged man at a nearby coffee shop.

The man was photographed standing beside the motorcyclist, believed to be a food delivery rider from Deliveroo.

SLIPPERS

From the photos, it could be seen that the biker was not wearing a riding jacket or boots.

"The rider's big food delivery bag was at the side of the road nearby. I saw he had other injuries on his body. His bloodied slippers are still here," Mr Lu said.

A Singapore Civil Defence Force spokesman told TNP that an ambulance took the 18-year-old rider to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Deliveroo did not respond to TNP's queries by press time.

This article was first published on September 20, 2016.
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In primary school, he was teased for being "fat" and "lazy".

He was also made fun of for his "elephant thighs".

Mr Danial Bawany vowed never to let that happen again.

Now, not only is he a Manhunt Singapore 2016 finalist, he also recently clinched a gold medal in the 50th Asian Bodybuilding and Sports Physique Championship in Bhutan from Sept 2 to 8.

The 22-year-old freelance personal trainer beat 19 other men in the Men's Physique over 170cm category.

It's a far cry from his days in primary school when he would always be benched during hockey games because he was unfit.

"Whenever my team won, my school mates would tell me that I did not deserve it because I was rarely on the pitch," he said.

When he was 14, he started exercising with a dumbbell.

At the age of 17, he started training and eating properly.

Wanting to be able to run faster, jump higher and lift heavy objects led him to pick up powerlifting when he was 20.

His efforts paid off - from being 80kg with a body fat percentage of 25 per cent in primary school, his weight now fluctuates between 90 and 95kg, with a body fat level of between eight and 12 per cent.

In April this year, his performance at a local bodybuilding competition, Physique War, impressed Mr Pradip Subramanian, 31, the president and director of the World Bodybuilding and Physique Federation Singapore.

"He has the potential and the talent and I knew that he would place among the top-three (for the competition in Bhutan)," said Mr Pradip.

For four months before the competition, Mr Bawany trained six times a week, with each session lasting about 90 minutes.

Having to follow a strict diet, he could only have foods that were high in carbohydrates once a week.

"I had mood swings due to minimal energy and low carbohydrate intake," he said. "Because of that, the people around me suffered."

Three weeks before the competition, he had to give up carbohydrates altogether.

Though he did not end up placing among the top-three at the Manhunt finals last month, Mr Bawany continued training hard for the competititon in Bhutan.

When he got there, the sight of the other competitors from 28 participating countries made him nervous.

"Being the youngest and competing against those whom I had been looking up to was nerve wracking. But I wanted to make Singapore proud too," he said.

VICTORIOUS

Through the support of his family and friends, he did just that - emerging victorious.

Since last year, he has participated in six competitions, from powerlifting and bodybuilding contests to a pageant (Manhunt Singapore 2016).

Mr Bawany intends to go for the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships next year in Mongolia.

He said: "Receiving heartfelt messages from strangers saying that you have inspired them, fires me up to be a better athlete each and every day."

This article was first published on September 20, 2016.
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THE six City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders deceived church members, auditors and lawyers, and weaved a web of deceit to subvert the church's internal governance bodies.

That was what Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong told the court yesterday morning.

He was responding to the arguments against conviction put forth by the six CHC leaders at the centre of a multi-million-dollar financial scandal.

In October last year, the six were convicted of misappropriating millions in church funds to fuel the pop music career of CHC senior pastor Kong Hee's wife, Ho Yeow Sun, in a church mission known as the Crossover Project.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper

The court found that they had invested $24 million from CHC's building fund in bogus bonds, but this money was in fact used to fund the Crossover Project.

Later, another $26 million was used to cover up the initial misdeed.

The six, including Kong, are appealing against their convictions and sentences. The others are Tan Ye Peng, Chew Eng Han, Serina Wee, John Lam and Sharon Tan.

The prosecution is also appealing for longer sentences.

City Harvest trial verdict: All six accused found guilty of all charges

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Reuters, The Straits Times, AFP

DPP Ong said the CHC leaders knew the bond instruments were "excuses to expend building fund money on Sun Ho's music career".

The CHC leaders had said there was a need for secrecy in carrying out the Crossover Project to avoid public scrutiny.

DPP Ong said it was "strange" that the only thing that needed to be kept "secret" was the fact that Ms Ho was funded by the church's building fund.

He added that it was public knowledge that she was the "famous pastor Kong Hee's wife" and Kong would preach at the end of her concerts.

"Where is the secrecy in this?" asked DPP Ong.

5 things to know about the City Harvest trial

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The Straits Times, The New Paper, City Harvest Church

dansonc@sph.com.sg

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In a bid to boost road safety, taxi drivers will receive alerts whenever they are approaching red lights and speed cameras. Audio and visual warnings will be issued through the mobile display terminals (MDTs) in their cars.

The initiative, announced yesterday, is aimed at reducing the numbers of accidents and traffic violations among cabbies - a group the Traffic Police (TP) have identified as vulnerable owing to the long hours they spend on the road.

The MDT alerts, triggered when the cabbies are about 500m away from a traffic enforcement camera, will be rolled out in over 20,500 taxis from the ComfortDelGro and SMRT fleets.

They account for 74 per cent of taxis here. ComfortDelGro will update the MDTs of its 17,000-strong fleet from next month while SMRT will push it out from next year in its 3,500 taxis.

MDTs are already installed in most taxis and cabbies use them to take bookings or get updates from their companies.

They run a combined 7,300 taxis.

TP commander Sam Tee said: "TP sees the taxi drivers as a vulnerable group on the road partly because they spend many hours on the road."

The new MDT feature will allow cabbies "to be alerted... drive safe, and not get into traffic summons situations". He added that cabbies will also get real-time updates of nearby traffic accidents.

Land Transport Authority data showed that most cab firms were unable to consistently meet a safety service standard - that there should be no more than 0.02 accident per 100,000km clocked each.

Over a six-month period from April to September last year, SMRT failed the standard thrice, Premier and Prime each fell short twice, and Comfort, once.

CityCab, which is run by ComfortDelGro, and Trans-Cab passed the criterion for all six months.

Edna Tan, head of partner relations at SMRT Taxis, said cabbies beating the red light is a major cause of accidents. The new MDT feature will hopefully address this problem, she added.

Taxi drivers have to pay their firms between $3,000 and $5,000 when they meet with an accident. "So one accident itself will actually wipe out the whole month of driver income, so we are very concerned."

The new alert system could help. A six-month pilot from October last year to March for 3,800 taxis from ComfortDelGro saw improvements.

Speeding violations decreased by 40 per cent, compared with the pre-trial period from April to September last year. Running-red-light infractions dropped by 34 per cent.

adrianl@sph.com.sg

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A general practitioner who indiscriminately prescribed sleeping pills to 78 patients - even though some showed signs of drug dependence or abuse - has been suspended for four months and fined $15,000.

Joseph Heng, 66, was also penalised for not referring his patients to someone more qualified - such as a specialist or psychiatrist - for further treatment.

He was practising at Heng Clinic & Surgery on Bedok Reservoir Road at the time of the offences.

In a statement yesterday, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) said a disciplinary tribunal had found him guilty of professional misconduct.

Investigations into the case started in 2011, following a complaint from the Health Sciences Authority to the SMC.

In one case, Dr Heng prescribed 30 tablets of sedative Nitrados for a patient who said that he had been sleeping only four hours a day.

When the man returned 18 days later, Dr Heng prescribed another 30 tablets. In total, he was given 110 tablets over a 71-day period.

Dr Heng ought to have known that the use of such drugs should be limited to four weeks at most, the SMC said in its grounds of decision.

He should also have known to refer the patient to a specialist if the drugs were prescribed beyond a cumulative period of eight weeks.

In mitigation, the counsel for Dr Heng said he "acted out of a genuine desire to help his patients and did not seek to profit".

They also pointed to his track record of looking after needy patients, doing house calls while charging only nominal fees.

However, the SMC said Dr Heng's inappropriate prescription of hypnotic medication - that is, sleeping pills - counts as "serious misconduct".

"The long-term consumption of hypnotics may lead to the development of drug dependence and tolerance by patients," it added.

"Accordingly, we were of the view that the main sentencing consideration must be one of deterrence."

Dr Heng's suspension started yesterday, and will last four months.

linettel@sph.com.sg

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Even without the haze shrouding Singapore, commuters waiting for a bus could still be polluting their lungs.

The tiny particles from vehicle emissions are smaller - and more toxic - than the PM2.5 pollutants dominant during periods of haze, a new study has shown.

"Waiting at the bus stop for only 10 minutes each time may seem innocuous. But these short exposures all add up," said researcher Erik Velasco who helmed the study.

"A commuter who takes a two-way trip by bus to work for five days per week is actually exposed to these participles for nearly seven hours per month and over three full days per year. This exposure can affect people with existing pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, among others."

PM2.5 are pollutant particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter - about one-30th the diameter of a strand of human hair.

They are hazardous because they are small enough to be breathed into the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream.

Dr Velasco, a research scientist from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, has found that the particles commuters breathe in while waiting at a bus stop are even smaller - by about 100 times.

At a media briefing yesterday, he said a commuter who makes a two-way bus journey five days a week could be inhaling about 3.5 times more tiny pollutant particles than at an ambient level, which researchers measured at Fort Canning Park.

The findings were significant considering that travel on buses made up almost half the 7.7 million public transport trips every day in 2014, said Dr Velasco, citing Land Transport Authority data.

Steve Yang, specialist in respiratory medicine and consultant at the Raffles Internal Medicine Centre in Raffles Hospital, said the human body has no efficient way to remove particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter.

People should not stand near idling buses, he added.

audreyt@sph.com.sg

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A primary school will be designated to accept deaf children who use sign language from 2018. Currently, such pupils attend classes at Lighthouse School, a special education establishment.

The primary school will be in a central location and further details will be revealed later, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday as it announced the development.

It will be the first primary school designated to take deaf pupils, although there are already four that cater for them at secondary level, after they pass their Primary School Leaving Examination.

Outram and St Anthony's Canossian Secondary both cater for students who learn via the oral approach, which focuses on using the spoken language, lip reading and voice training. Balestier Hill and Boon Lay secondaries both cater for sign-language students.

From next year, the latter two schools, which have fewer than 15 such students, will be replaced by Beatty Secondary School in Toa Payoh due to falling student numbers.

In a statement yesterday, the MOE said designated schools have teachers trained to support these students using methods such as sign interpretation, social emotional support and assistive technology devices.

It added: "With a small number of these students (using sign language), locating them in a single designated secondary school will provide students with a greater sense of community, with more opportunities for mutual communication through signing, social interactions and peer support.

"This will also allow better pooling and strengthening of specialised resources within one location."

The MOE will continue to tap the expertise of the Singapore Association of the Deaf (SADeaf) to increase the number of trained staff in the newly designated schools.

Irene Yee, president of SADeaf, said sign language will be used as the language of conversation and to support instruction for such students in these schools.

ateng@sph.com.sg

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SINGAPORE - Yet another type of scam has surfaced in Singapore, after a woman lost $80,000 to scammers pretending to be police officers.

The 41-year-old victim received a call from a stranger claiming to be a police officer, who then accused her of being involved in money laundering.

She was then asked to key in her personal and internet banking details on a website that looked similar to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) website, in particular the "E-Services" page. She was told that the details were needed for investigations.

The victim only discovered later that her internet banking account was accessed illegally and multiple unauthorised transactions were made, resulting in a loss of over $80,000, the police revealed in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 21).

The police clarified that their official website is www.police.gov.sg.

Read also: 11 scams that are happening in Singapore now

Top 7 scams in Singapore and more

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

www.scamalert.sg

The latest case represents a new variation of scams where the perpetrators impersonate the authorities.

Previously, some people had reported receiving missed calls starting with the numbers '999' on their mobile phones. When they returned the calls, they would be connected to the police emergency hotline instead.

Another variation involves victims receiving calls from scammers claiming to be authorities from China, who demand that they make a payment through remittance of money.

The authorities urged Singaporeans to take precautions when receiving unsolicited calls, especially from unknown parties.

Members of the public are advised to ignore such calls, ignore any instructions to remit or transfer money, and refrain from divulging personal information and bank details online or over the phone.

Anyone with information can all the police hotline at 1800-225-000 or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

seanyap@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Four airport staff members were commended by the Singapore Police Force for their public-spiritedness, after their actions led to the arrest of a man who stayed in Changi Airport for 18 days by forging boarding passes.

For almost three weeks - 18 days from Aug 21 until Sept 7 - Malaysian Raejali Buntut remained in transit by using 31 forged mobile boarding passes to enter several lounges in the three terminals.

Raejali was arrested after staff from air service provider Dnata alerted the police on Sept 6. He was sentenced to two weeks' jail last Friday.

In a Facebook post today, the Singapore Police Force noted that Raejali was nabbed thanks to the vigilance of four staff members. A commendation ceremony was held at the Airport Police Division on Tuesday (Sept 20), said the police in the post.

According to The Straits Times, a staff at the Dnata Lounge at Terminal 1 called police when she suspected Raejali's misdeeds. He had entered that very lounge as recently as three days earlier, on Sept 3. He had also gone there on Sept 1 and on Aug 29 and Aug 24.

Commander Airport Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Cheong Chee Ming, commended the staff for assisting in the arrest.

He said, “This case illustrates the close partnership between the Police and the airport community in fighting crime. While the Police conduct regular patrols and security checks, members of the public also play an important role in keeping our airport safe and secure. We thank these staff for being vigilant and assisting the Police to arrest the man.”

candicec@sph.com.sg

THEY may be a month late but the island's first all-electric taxi fleet can roll out early next month after some glitches are ironed out, said new operator HDT Singapore Taxi.

Managing director James Ng said yesterday that technical issues with a driver management system were being addressed.

The system will be used to track the fare earnings and targets of taxi drivers, who are employed full time - a unique practice in the industry. The other five taxi firms, which operate a combined 28,000 cabs, rent out their vehicles to hirers.

Mr Ng told The Straits Times he expects the first 10 e-taxis - made by Shenzhen-based battery and automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) - to start plying the roads in a couple of weeks.

The fleet will be progressively ramped up to 100 next year.

The flag-down fare will be $3.90, with a meter rate of 25 cents for every 400m for the first 10km, and every 350m thereafter, he said.

While this is pricier than the 22-cent meter rate charged by the bulk of the taxis here, he is optimistic commuters will take to the green rides.

"For a 10km ride, it's about 75 cents more but commuters will get to experience an electric car, which is more comfortable as they ride in total silence, compared with a car with a combustion engine," he said.

While HDT's e-taxi operation is part of a government electric-vehicle (EV) test bed, he added that he has to cover operating costs, including maintaining a call centre and mobile payment systems.

HDT needs about 40 charging stations, each costing up to $20,000.

It has 26 so far, he said.

As it is a trial, HDT's fleet size will be capped at 100, and its licence to operate taxis at eight years.

Despite the competition faced by the taxi industry from private-hire car services like Uber and Grab, he is confident he can attract taxi drivers.

He has hired 10 so far.

"I don't think it's a downside but an opportunity to attract taxi drivers by offering them a fixed salary and good training," he added. The basic salary is $1,600 a month but they can earn up to $3,200, if they hit a monthly revenue target. If they exceed this, they will co-share the revenue with HDT.

Some commuters said they may forgo the electric taxis as the 25-cent rate could add up.

A 22km ride from Simei to Raffles Place would cost about $1.78 more.

Arvin Kanagalingam, 34, a customer service officer, said: "I'd probably opt for cheaper taxis, unless I am in a rush."

Others were willing to give it a go. Augustine Lim, 38, a communications executive, said: "It's not a big deal. I'll enjoy a quieter ride and be doing my part for the environment."

adrianl@sph.com.sg

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The Land Transport Authority is planning to install an electromagnetic shield on MRT trains after a mysterious signal interference disrupted service on the Circle Line three weeks ago.

Electromagnetic shields are used in secured facilities, high-tech laboratories or on sensitive electronic equipment to protect them from possible outside interference.

In a joint statement with operator SMRT Corp issued yesterday, LTA said it will soon start feasibility studies on ways "to strengthen the existing signalling communications network" .

It will also explore the possibility of changing the signal frequency of the network.

Separately, it will look at modifying the system "to provide redundancy in the event of signal interference".

The LTA noted that the signalling systems on newer lines such as the Downtown Line and current lines undergoing upgrading such as the North-south and East-west Lines "are already equipped with new features that provide redundancy in the event of signal interference".

The five-year-old Circle Line and the 13-year-old North-east Line, however, do not have these features.

In the interim, spectrum analysers - which can detect stray transmissions - will be installed in the Circle Line tunnels.

"This measure will be extended to the North-east Line, which has the same signalling system," the joint statement read.

The Circle Line was hit by a signal interference between Aug 29 and Sept 2. The undetermined source apparently interfered with communication between trains and the track, causing trains to apply emergency braking intermittently.

This led to longer and jerkier journeys for a week.

The problem stopped as suddenly as it started.

Together with systems supplier Alstom of France, the LTA and SMRT have been trying to get to the root of the problem.

"Over the past two weeks, engineers have tried to establish the source of the interfering signals," the joint statement said.

"However, as the incidents had ceased by the afternoon of Sept 2, they were unable to determine the source."

christan@sph.com.sg

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Despite reports of MRT service disruptions from time to time, consumers have grown more satisfied with the MRT as well as the overall land transport sector in the past year.

The MRT had a customer satisfaction score of 66.4 in the latest Customer Satisfaction Index from April to July. This was up from its score of 62 for the same period last year.

In April, commuters taking the North-South line suffered at least three service delays in the space of a week, including an April 25 disruption that affected services along three MRT lines and an LRT line.

"From the data, train reliability and helpfulness of staff were key drivers of quality," said Chen Yongchang of the Institute of Service Excellence at Singapore Management University which publishes the index, at a press conference yesterday.

"And for the operators, we do see them working in the right direction by trying to fix these issues through initiatives like adding more trains (and) replacing the signals and sleepers," he added.

He noted that they had also stationed customer service officers at train stations during peak hours.

A total of 13,355 respondents were polled for the survey.

Overall, consumers were more satisfied with the land transport sector, which had a score of 66.8 out of 100, up from 63.3 last year. Taxi services scored 70, up from 65.9 last year.

For the first time this year, participants were asked to rate their satisfaction levels with land transport booking apps. Uber ranked first with a score of 69.7, followed by Grab and ComfortDelGro.

Neeta Lachmandas, executive director of the institute, said security and factors associated with ease of use of the apps were key factors in the perceived quality of the apps.

rahimahr@sph.com.sg

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Less than 10 months after it opened to customers, Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre and Market is already in need of renovation.

The building was officially opened last month and is among 20 hawker centres being built by the Government by 2027, boasting larger stalls and better ventilation than their predecessors.

But it has been affected by rainwater splashing in and collecting.

It is now undergoing repairs.

On one side of the centre, a small section of the floor is being hacked and modified so rainwater is discharged more quickly.

Some of the louvre panels near the ceiling are also covered with plastic sheets as a temporary move to prevent rainwater from splashing in and wetting tables and chairs.

The centre was closed for two days for cleaning and renovation works from Monday.

Stalls were open as usual when The Straits Times visited yesterday, though there was some drilling.

The modification of the floor started on Monday and is expected to be completed soon.

Staff at a drinks stall near the affected area said rainwater collects during periods of heavy rain.

Carolina Maengkom, 53, who works at a nasi padang stall, said: "When it rains heavily, the water splashes in and chairs get wet.

Business has not really been affected, people will just move further inside, but it's good that the plastic sheets have been put up."

A spokesman for the National Environment Agency said the centre will undergo other modification works next month.

"Part of (this) includes installing a fixed panel behind the louvres to prevent rainwater from splashing into the centre, caused by the unexpected strong winds at the affected area," she added.

"Measures to minimise rain splashing at the perimeter of the hawker centre are considered at the design stage while ensuring that the natural ventilation is not compromised as far as possible."

NTUC Foodfare, which manages the centre, told Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao that once the modification works are completed, likely by the end of next month, the plastic sheets will be removed.

The sheets may indirectly reduce the ventilation though, as air cannot pass through the louvres when they are covered up.

Lim Chin Tiong, 31, who works at a chicken rice stall, said: "It's a bit hotter if people sit at this area between two rows of stalls. I'm not sure if the plastic sheets worsen the issue but it'd be good if there were more fans."

goyshiyi@sph.com.sg

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A 12-storey high tree that crashed through five apartments at Pearl Bank Apartments in Outram on Sept 11 had been flagged as a risk by its management council more than a year ago.

Residents had been worried that the tree, a Purple Millettia that was more than 60 years old, would end up collapsing onto the building, its management council chairman Cecilia Seet told The Straits Times.

"We warned NParks (National Parks Board) and gave them feedback last August that the tree, in particular, was very tall.

"It stood on a slope and there are strong winds in the area... so we were very concerned for the safety of residents," she said.

While no one was hurt, some apartments suffered damage, with windows shattered, window grilles going off their hinges and bathroom fittings broken, for instance.

Tree crashes into 6 Pearl Bank Apartments

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Shin Min Daily News, Lianhe Wanbao

In response to queries, NParks said the tree was last inspected in February by its arborists, who found it healthy and did not observe any visible signs of damage or disease.

A month earlier, the tree had also been pruned to lighten the weight of the crown.

NParks noted reports of strong winds of at least 50kmh and rain over the weekend of Sept 10 and Sept 11, which it said probably weakened the tree.

After the incident, NParks also checked the trees around Pearl Bank Apartments last Tuesday and found them to be healthy.

The annual number of fallen branches and trees under NParks' management has dropped from more than 2,500 before 2004 to about 1,300, for the past decade or so.

An accountant living there who gave her name as Madam Seow, 48, said parts of her bedrooms and living room were damaged by the tree but is relieved that her family is safe.

NParks said it is in contact with residents whose windows were damaged during the early morning incident.

The tree that crashed was one of only two heritage Purple Millettia trees here.

NParks said all trees are inspected by staff who look out for abnormalities such as damage to the trunk, wood decaying fungi and broken branches, among other things.

If abnormalities are detected, staff will conduct a second level of inspection with equipment such as a sonic tomograph or resistograph to detect internal decay.

All trees are inspected every six to 24 months. Where necessary, crown reduction pruning is done to reduce the weight so that they can better withstand strong winds.

NParks group director of parks Chuah Hock Seong said it is not possible to eliminate the risk of tree falls, as even healthy trees can be affected by gusty winds and heavy rain.

melodyz@sph.com.sg

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SINGAPORE - Was the City Harvest Church (CHC) project to evangelise through the pop music of Ms Ho Yeow Sun a church purpose, or one that CHC leaders had foisted upon the congregation?

Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong asked the High Court this on Wednesday (Sept 21) in the ongoing appeal of the six CHC leaders at the centre of a multi-million dollar financial scandal.

In October last year, the six CHC leaders were convicted of misappropriating millions in church funds to fuel the pop music career of Ms Ho, the wife of CHC senior pastor Kong Hee, in a church mission known as the Crossover Project.

The court found that they had invested $24 million from CHC's building fund in bogus bonds from music production company Xtron and glass-maker Firna, but this money was, in fact, used to fund the Crossover Project.

Later, another $26 million was used to cover up the initial misdeed.

The six, including Kong, are appealing against their convictions and sentences, while the prosecution is also appealing - for longer sentences.

The lower court had found that the Crossover Project was "indisputably a church purpose", but DPP Ong pointed out that it was the six CHC leaders who determined what was in the church's interests and has silenced dissenting points of view.

"What this calls into question is whether they can really say they were pursuing CHC's objectives or they were really pursuing a mandate that they had created and then foisted upon CHC," said DPP Ong.

Rebutting the point made by the six that the Crossover Project was supported by the majority of church members, DPP Ong said the support for the Crossover Project must be viewed in the context of what members were told about the project.

"They were not told who would be footing the bill," said DPP Ong.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper

He pointed out that the offenders had not shown remorse - which ordinarily could be a mitigating factor.

"Restitution amounts to saying 'I am sorry', and this is not something we have heard from the offenders in this case," he said.

"What we submit is, this is not a case of altruistic individuals who nobly set out to fulfil the goals of CHC."

The prosecution asked for much harsher sentences - jail terms of 11 to 12 years jail for Kong, CHC deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng, former CHC fund manager Chew Eng Han and former CHC finance manager Serina Wee; eight to nine years for former CHC finance committee member John Lam; and five to six years for former CHC finance manager Sharon Tan.

The lower court handed out much lower terms in part because it found that the six had not been motivated by personal gain, and the church had not suffered any wrongful loss.

The six were given jail terms of between 21 months and eight years, with Kong facing the longest term.

The appeal, which ended at about 5.30pm, was heard by Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin, and Justices Woo Bih Li and Chan Seng Onn.

"We can only promise you a judgment asap," said Judge Chao, who added that the trial's record was voluminous.

This article was first published on September 22, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - An 85-year-old woman has settled her lawsuit against a slimming centre in which she sought a full refund and damages over a $400,000 weight-loss package.

In a joint statement to The Straits Times on Wednesday (Sept 21), Madam Gan Siew Hong and London Weight Management said: "We... have amicably resolved all claims and any claims and/or demands between the parties."

Both parties "further unconditionally withdraw all allegations against each other" in the suit, said the statement, sent by Madam Gan's lawyers from Lim & Bangras.

Madam Gan, who was diabetic and had other health conditions, was 82 years old in July 2013 when she, her husband and her son visited the Ngee Ann City branch of the slimming centre after seeing its TV commercial touting a weight-loss trial session for $18.

The family, who live in an HDB flat, eventually paid about $400,000 for weight-loss treatments and products.

In a lawsuit filed in the High Court on Aug 3 this year seeking compensation of close to $450,000, Madam Gan alleged that the treatments not only failed to improve her health, but they also caused her to suffer from diarrhoea, a skin rash and pus discharge.

She claimed that the centre repeatedly pressured her, her son and her husband into signing up for the package.

In its defence, filed on Aug 31, London denied applying pressure on the family. It said it is willing to refund Madam Gan the unused portion of the package amounting to $43,408.15 out of goodwill.

The centre said Madam Gan's family declared only that she had diabetes and that it is not liable for injuries resulting from non-disclosure of medical history.

The centre also said it had advised her to seek medical advice on the suitability of its treatment and products and told her that successful weight loss depended on a balanced diet and regular exercise.

The lawsuit was reported by The Straits Times on Sept 7.

This article was first published on September 22, 2016.
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