PEKAN NANAS - A 31-year-old Singaporean nurse was fined and jailed for hurting an Immigration officer for stamping on a new page on his passport.

Sessions court judge Salawati Djambari sentenced Muhammad Ruzaini Johari to 14 days jail and RM7,000 (S$2,306) fine or seven months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to committing the offence at 4.15pm on Sept 2.

Muhammad, who was not represented, paid the fine.

Salawati ordered the imprisonment to commence from the date of arrest.

Muhammad had resisted and prevented in an active manner, causing the injury to an Immigration officer stationed at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigra­tion and Quarantine complex here.

Meanwhile in another case, Salawati fined a 54-year-old man RM5,000 for possession of three passports belonging to foreign nationals.

Chan Kin Fatt was in possession of passports belonging to nationals from Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia when arrested in Johor Baru at 5.30pm on June 10.

In another case, a 41-year-old Malaysian driver was arrested Singapore Customs for trying to smuggle in S$637,610 (RM1.78mil) worth of contraband cigarettes in a truck at the Wood­­lands checkpoint in Singa­­pore.

Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers detained the truck, carrying 7,149 cartons and 1,421 packets of cigarettes.

SINGAPORE - Actress Rebecca Lim shocked Singapore when she announced her "retirement" on Instagram in February. At the time, she wrote that she had decided to do "something that will change my life".

Now, instead of calling it a day, Lim has gone the opposite direction by becoming a student. 

Or did she?

A photo of Lim in her CHIJ St Nicholas Girls School uniform was recently shared on Facebook as part of a new campaign by OrangeAid, NTUC Income's community development arm. Called the Future Development Programme, the campaign champions empowerment through education for needy youths in Singapore.

The campaign encourages people to post an old photo of themselves wearing their school uniforms on Facebook. NTUC Income said it will donate $1 to the programme for every photo posted.

Besides Lim, other celebrities and public figures who are participating in the campaign include Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling, satirical blogger Mr Brown, fashion blogger Andrea Chong and musicians Jack and Rai.

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Rebecca Lim goes "back to school" in new NTUC Income campaign

Source:

Facebook screengrabs / Income

Photos of these personalities in their school garb were shared by NTUC Income on their Facebook page on Wednesday (Sept 21). The post has since garnered over 4,600 likes and has been shared over 1,300 times.

Lim, who was named Best Actress at last year's Star Awards, drew flak for the "retirement" post earlier this year. In her post, Lim had written: "Yes, I am retiring. I know you may have questions for me and I will answer them real soon. Meanwhile, be happy for me".

When the post first came out, fans expressed shock and sadness at the sudden annoucement.

But reactions quickly turned to anger when the post was revealed to be a publicity gimmick to encourage young Singaporeans to plan financially for retirement.

Rebecca Lim announces retirement

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Rebecca Lim's Instagram

seanyap@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Two people were so eager to get their hands on the new iPhone 7 that they used boarding passes to enter the transit area at Changi Airport to purchase the device on the day it was launched in Singapore (Sept 16).

The pair, a man and a woman, were subsequently arrested for their actions, the police revealed in a Facebook post on Thursday (Sept 22).

According to the authorities, both suspects had no intention of departing Singapore. Investigations against the duo are ongoing.

The police explained that the transit areas in the airport are gazetted as protected places, and all those who entered the transit halls with a boarding pass should only be there to travel to their next destination.

"Those who misuse their boarding pass to enter the transit areas, with no intention to proceed to their next destination, are liable for an offence under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act," the post added.

The police revealed that 15 people have been arrested for offences under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act since January this year.

Those who are found guilty of violating the Act may be fined up to $1,000, jailed up to two years, or both.

iPhone 7 launch in Asia

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AsiaOne, Reuters, The Straits Times, AFP

seanyap@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Tonight's (Sept 22) Toto grand prize of $7,884,082 was won by one person who bought a System 8 Quickpick entry in Hougang.

Singapore Pools revealed on its website that the winning ticket was sold by the Tong Aik Huat outlet at Block 685 Hougang Street 61. A System 8 entry, with eight numbers selected out of 49, costs $28; an ordinary entry, with six numbers chosen, costs $1.

The winning numbers are 8, 11, 28, 34, 40, and 46. The "additional number" is 48.

The Group 2 prize was shared by seven winners, with each receiving $100,715.

sinsh@sph.com.sg

See also:

- One Toto punter walks away $4.5m richer
- Toto creates another 2 millionaires; they get $3.9m each
- Man wins $8.04m in May 16 Toto draw, 2nd biggest sum won by a single person
- One winner for Toto's top prize of over $9.5 million

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Google Maps, The Straits Times, The New Paper, Shin Min Daily News, PoMo, Stomp

A 59-year-old security guard died from colorectal cancer, leaving behind eight children, the oldest being 15 and the youngest hardly six months old, and apparently not much means for his wife to raise them all, reported the Shin Min Daily News.

The wife of Shi Jinjian, however, conveyed her reluctance to seek help from the public when she spoke to the Chinese evening daily on Wednesday night at the wake of her husband at the void deck of Block 417 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.

"I will take life one step at a time from here," said the woman, a 35-year-old Singaporean, still overwhelmed by the death of Mr Shi, who died early this week.

However, a young woman who came to know about the plight of the family through a friend has launched a donation drive for them by posting an appeal on Facebook. It was accompanied by pictures showing the children praying at the wake.

"The wife is the sort who thinks it improper to impose one's troubles on others.

"Besides, she wants to protect the dignity of the kids," the woman, who does not want to be identified, told My Paper yesterday on the phone.

"But we knew that she desperately needs help, given that there are so many children to look after," said the woman, adding that the wife apparently has not been working.

According to the woman, her post was shared more than 1,400 times in hours.

A friend of hers had personally gone to the wake to give a contribution of more than $1,000.

She acknowledged that the Facebook campaign has limited reach and piecemeal donations are only of short-term help.

"Friends are coming up with better ideas and suggestions, such as approaching certain welfare groups," she said.

Six of the eight children are under 10, with the two eldest being daughters now attending secondary school.

"Previously, they placed the kids aged 2 to 5 with the childcare centre," a neighbour told Shin Min.

Said a female neighbour surnamed Wang: "Knowing that their life is difficult, I have earlier given their eldest kids school textbooks no longer needed by my children."

The neighbours all took pity on the wife, saying it would be tough to raise eight children all by herself, reported Shin Min.

myp@sph.com.sg

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If you look around to see what your colleagues are eating at lunchtime, it is probably not unusual to find someone who is on a diet.

In fact, a survey has found that about one in two, or 57 per cent, of Singaporeans follow diets that limit or omit certain ingredients, such as fats, sugar or meat.

The Nielsen Global Health and Ingredient-Sentiment Survey released yesterday polled more than 30,000 people online in 63 countries, including 514 people from Singapore.

But a smaller ratio of Singaporeans go on diets compared with the average of 64 per cent globally and 72 per cent in the Asia Pacific.

Dietitian Derrick Ong of Eat Right Nutrition Consultancy told The Straits Times this could reflect higher nutrition literacy in some Asian countries, especially Japan and South Korea.

"They're more savvy about nutrition information, which is also more readily given by food manufacturers there," he said.

The top three diets Singaporeans stick to are low/no fat (28 per cent); low/no sugar (25 per cent) and low/no carbohydrate (20 per cent).

Said Joan Koh, managing director of Nielsen Singapore and Malaysia: "The rising obesity rates, increasing number of adults living with diabetes and progressively less active lifestyles are critical motivations which nudged Singaporeans to relook their eating options and habits."

But Mr Ong also warned that not all special diets are beneficial.

For instance, paleo diets - which are high in protein, low in carbohydrates and feature unprocessed foods - aim to return to a way of eating that mimics how early humans ate, in the belief that our bodies are better adapted for this diet.

But this has not been scientifically proven, he noted.

"Public education is important. Many people are still clueless about what to look out for in food labels," he said. "People also need to be discerning of what is just a fad and what is sound advice."

The survey also found what most Singapore respondents try to avoid are monosodium glutamate, or MSG, and artificial preservatives.

More than half the respondents said they were willing to pay more for food and drinks that did not have undesirable ingredients.

Ms Koh said more food retailers should offer healthier options.

"Adopting the right strategies in this growing health and wellness space will increase the chance for both food manufacturers and retailers to build a loyal shopper base and drive profits for their businesses."

goyshiyi@sph.com.sg

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A furniture firm that was set up a year ago with $1 has disappeared, after collecting thousands of dollars from customers for goods that were never delivered.

Since April, 54 complaints have been lodged against the firm called Royal House (The Rome Gallery) for its failure to fulfil contracts ranging from $500 to $6,500, said the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).

It urged consumers to be prudent in dealing with lowly capitalised or newly set up companies, noting that new firms "may lack the capital and the resources to continue their operations in the long term".

This is the latest case involving prepayments - following the high-profile closure of gym chain California Fitness in July - which highlights again the lack of protection for consumers who make upfront payments.

Customers say the furniture retailer had been hawking its goods at furniture fairs up till as recently as July.

The following month, the firm's chief executive and director Chia Meng Siang, who is also known as Gary, texted customers to say the firm could no longer operate as it had cash flow issues and "huge financial debt problems" due to "improper operation of the business".

He added that he was "very guilty and very sorry" to customers who paid deposits or full amounts but did not receive their goods.

He did not respond to phone calls from The Straits Times.

An IT manager who wanted to be known only as Mr Yogesh, 41, paid $2,188 - the full amount - for a two-piece sofa set at a furniture fair at the Singapore Expo in June.

The sofas never arrived though the delivery date was pushed back twice.

When he visited the firm's address at Woodlands Industrial Park, he found the office shut. He filed a complaint with Case and a police report.

"As a consumer, what's my legal options? I can't afford to find a lawyer to claim $2,188.

"Hiring a lawyer will cost more than that," said Mr Yogesh who has joined a Facebook group with 25 other affected customers to share updates on the case.

Joanne Chong, 54, who sublet her rented warehouse at Woodlands to Royal House, told The Straits Times the firm owes her $5,000 in unpaid rent.

Case said in an alert on its website that consumers should be careful when making purchases, especially at furniture fairs, as organisers may not conduct in-depth background checks on the exhibitors.

Case executive director Seah Seng Choon advised consumers to pay only upon delivery of goods and, if a deposit is required, to negotiate to pay as low a deposit as possible.

mellinjm@sph.com.sg

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The humble 2G phone, which provides only basic Internet access on top of voice calls and SMS, is an entry-level phone used by many foreign workers here to keep in touch with their loved ones back home.

For those involved in workplace disputes, it is even more essential as they need to be contactable.

But these phones are slated to become obsolete here next April, when local telcos pull the plug on the 2G or second-generation network. It was reported last year that 2G services were used by only 3 per cent of mobile users here.

A foreign workers' advocacy group is now trying to help needy workers upgrade to the more advanced 3G phones.

Alex Au, treasurer of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), said 20 per cent to 25 per cent of around 2,000 migrant workers whom it helps probably do not have 3G phones. Even if they do, the phones could be very old.

TWC2 helps workers, including maids and construction workers, who face problems such as injury, illness, salary issues and deportation.

Phones allow them to call for help. While those who are better off may buy a 3G phone when 2G services end, that might not be the case for those stranded without a job.

"Typically, a worker with a complaint over unpaid or short-paid salaries will need to stay about two to three months for case resolution," Mr Au said, adding that a worker with an injury often stays longer.

While most cases are closed within nine months, a small number can stretch beyond a year and up to two years.

For example, Mr Rajib, a shipyard worker who goes by one name, had a workplace injury last month and relies on TWC2 for help with meals.

The 30-year-old uses his 2G phone to keep in touch with his mother in Bangladesh, who worries about his health. Not knowing when his case will be settled, he said: "I don't have money (for a new phone)."

TWC2 hopes to get at least 100 phones. "Hopefully, we will get enough donations to give every TWC2 client who needs a replacement phone one," said Mr Au.

The group is calling for donations of money or used 3G phones. The cash will be used to buy second-hand phones, which could cost around $50 each, or chargers.

Its campaign, which started on Sunday, is expected to run for six months. As of yesterday, the group had raised over $1,100 on crowdsourcing platform Giving.sg.

byseow@sph.com.sg

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Users of ride-hailing firm Grab will be able to book driverless cars from Friday as it partners with a start-up testing the technology in Singapore, just days after rival Uber debuted its self-driving vehicles in the United States.

The move comes as technology companies and automakers race to build autonomous vehicles and develop new business plans for what is expected to be a long-term makeover of personal transportation.

Southeast Asia's Grab said its app will allow select commuters to book and ride start-up nuTonomy's driverless vehicles within a western Singapore district, where the vehicles are being tested, and adjacent neighbourhoods.

A safety driver and support engineer will ride in each nuTonomy car, the two companies said in a statement.

nuTonomy, which started a limited public trial of the first driverless taxi in August in Singapore, has said it hopes to have 100 taxis working commercially in the city-state by 2018.

Countries around the world are encouraging the development of autonomous technologies, and Singapore, with its limited land and workforce, is hoping driverless vehicles will encourage its residents to use more shared vehicles and public transport.

Grab said its data showed drivers in Singapore are less likely to accept a passenger booking request originating from or destined for remote locations, highlighting the need for "robo-cars" that can meet transportation needs in far-flung areas.

If a trip requires travel on roads outside of Singapore's one-north district, the safety driver will take control of the vehicle for that portion of the trip.

The public trial will run for the next two months, and may be extended by the companies for as long as it continues to yield valuable feedback and data, they said.

"There is no direct monetary funding (in nuTonomy)," a Grab representative said. "At this point, the partnership is focused on Singapore - though there may be other potential synergies between nuTonomy and Grab that we could decide to explore in the future."

The partnership ups the ante in the competition between Uber and Grab, which just raised $750 million in a funding roundthat gives it more ammunition to take on the US firm in southeast Asia.

Last month, Uber bought self-driving trucks startup Otto and formed a $300 million alliance with Volvo Car Group to develop self-driving cars.

It launched its self-driving pilot programme this month, marking the public unveiling of its secretive work in autonomous vehicles.

Action has been taken against at least 14 undergraduates from the National University of Singapore (NUS) for their role in inappropriate orientation activities, in July, The Straits Times learnt.

Sources said the punishment included warnings without record and mandatory community service.

It is understood that the students were involved in organising or facilitating orientation camps, including the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Students' Union.

It is understood that the undergraduates can appeal against the decisions.

When contacted, NUS declined to give details, citing a need to maintain privacy and fairness of the proceedings.

In July, The New Paper reported on the risque orientation games that freshmen were asked to play, including one that simulated rape.

Student-organised orientation activities were suspended on July 29, except some such as the NUS Student Union's Rag and Flag activities.

The suspension was gradually lifted from Aug 8.

According to sources, the university's investigation began at the start of August.

NUS suspends student-led orientation activities

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Video screengrabs, Stomp

Sources say orientation group leaders and student camp councillors were summoned to the session facilitated by staff from the university's Office of Student Affairs and the Office of the Provost.

They were given questionnaires which asked about the sexualised games, whether the student did anything to stop it and who led the activities.

Staff then went through the questionnaires with each student individually.

A disciplinary board was convened and at least 14 students - including orientation camp leaders, orientation group leaders and student camp councillors - appeared before a panel of faculty members and student representatives.

The university found that some students contravened rules. Some examples include using unapproved items during orientation activities, consumption of alcohol beyond university-designated premises and events and providing false information during investigations.

Help from the NUS law faculty's pro-bono group was offered to the undergraduates to help them understand legal terms used in the process.

Delane Lim, chief executive of international youth development firm FutuReady Asia, said the university's administration should be held accountable for a "lack of supervision by the management".

"Right now, it is telling the public that it is entirely the fault of the students."

Meanwhile, the university has convened a 14-member Orientation Review Committee to review and make recommendations for improvement.

Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS' deputy president (academic affairs) and provost, said the committee has been asked to "consider new approaches to freshman orientation" and look at current practices that should be extended and preserved.

fabkoh@sph.com.sg

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We have read many brilliant accounts of the late Mr S R Nathan's unique life as President of Singapore, diplomat, seamen's welfare officer and a loving husband, father and grandfather.

There is no denying he was multifaceted, amiable and approachable, but few know that his helping hand reached out to diverse cross-sections of the society.

There is the aesthetic side of Mr Nathan, a small glimpse of it was revealed when his favourite Tamil song Thanjavooru Manneduthu from the movie Porkkalam was played at the state funeral service.

Mr Nathan was fond of Tamil and Malayalam movies and their music, classical Indian dance and music, including Western music - a fondness that was shared to a great extent by Mrs Nathan as well.

From being the patron in-chief of the National Arts Council (1999-2011) to a true rasika of the arts, the arts community in Singapore will truly miss his presence as their favourite guest-of-honour.

Singapore's former president S R Nathan dies

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tabla!, The Straits Times, The New Paper, Berita Harian

Many senior artists have acknowledged Mr Nathan's initiatives as supporter of the arts, artists and institutions, as well as their future development.

My fellow compatriots in the arts and heritage sector warmly describe him as the true "patron" and "friend" of the arts.

Some of them were recipients of funds raised through the President's Challenge.

Mrs Shantha Bhaskar of the Bhaskar's Academy caringly remembers how he would go backstage to personally acknowledge and applaud the artists and stay on to take photos with each one of them.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore Lyric Opera received continuous encouragement from him when he was its patron.

Through his initiative the President's Young Performer Concert became an annual event since 2001, wrote The Straits Times reviewer, Dr Chang Tou Liang.

Singapore says farewell to former president S R Nathan

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The Straits Times

In the heritage sector, the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) and the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) in particular, have been fortunate in receiving his continuous and nurturing attention.

My own memory of interaction with him goes back to the late 1990s.

ACM was organising a vocal concert of ancient north Indian classical Dhrupad music, when one day, he called me from his office in the Istana requesting a recording of the concert.

His curiosity, deep interest in the classical and popular art forms and down to earth nature immediately drew my attention.

Thereafter, he continuously supported the South Asia gallery and its exhibitions and collection development, so much so that he launched ACM's south Asia collection catalogue, The Divine Within written by me in 2007, at the Istana and wrote its foreword.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper

Mr Nathan appreciated the mission of ACM, its storyline reflecting the ancestral cultures and heritage of Singaporeans and the uniquely pan-Asian perspective it encapsulated.

He visited it on many occasions with Mrs Nathan to view its permanent and special exhibitions, and supported its fund-raising galas.

He took personal initiative to raise funds and directed many visitors to the museum, recommending every new ambassador in Singapore to visit it.

"Mr Nathan was one of those unusual, exceptional VVIPs who had a wonderful personal touch and who could make the people who met him feel important rather than the other way round. He had a genuine soft spot for the museums, especially the ACM, and would take the trouble to pass me contacts and information he had gleaned on his official trips," said Dr Kenson Kwok, former director of ACM.

I remember being called for a discussion on the thematic vision for the IHC at his Istana office way before it was envisaged, and as the project progressed he followed its every milestone.

On several occasions, he patiently guided the content team of the IHC on his vision for the centre between 2008 and 2013.

He generously donated his personal documents of the historic Indian National Army to IHC at its inception.

He was also catalytic in directing other high profile donations and loans to IHC which has contributed to raising its profile as a credible institution since its opening in 2015.

Mr Nathan's passion for heritage spanned material culture, community history, environment and biodiversity.

His keen sense of recording every community's contribution to Singapore's nation-building efforts pervaded through research and publications.

He took keen interest in the Encyclopaedia of the Indian Diaspora (2006), Peranakan Indians of Singapore and Melaka (2006) and the most recent publications, Majulah! 50 Years of Malay/Muslim Community in Singapore (2016) and 50 Years of Indian Community in Singapore (2016), to name a few; recognising the "shared vision" and unrecognised community stories such as the Ceylonese, for example.

He even took the initiative to raise funds for the Singapore Biodiversity Encyclopaedia (2011) and the Lee Kong Chien Natural History Museum - another cause very close to his heart.

During his presidential term, the President's Design Award was instituted. Many young, upcoming and established designers were recognised through this award.

Let us carry forward Mr Nathan's far-sighted vision to support talent and excellence in the field of arts to strengthen and nurture their on-going contribution to Singapore and global art scenes.

Dr Gauri Krishnan is Director, Fellowship & Research at the Culture Academy, National Heritage Board

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E-bikes and personal mobility devices (PMDs) whizzed by Block 541, Pasir Ris Drive 1.

That was the scene on Wednesday when The New Paper was there from 10am to 11am, and then later from 6pm to 7pm.

Last Saturday, this area was also where an accident involving an e-scooter put housewife Ang Liu Kiow, 53, on life support.

On our Wednesday morning visit to Pasir Ris Drive 1, we saw six e-scooters and three e-bicycles zipping past us. Based on the videos we took, we estimated that they were travelling at around 25kmh.

At that speed, if any of them were to hit a pedestrian or someone waiting at the bus stop near where Madam Ang was hit, it would surely have resulted in serious injury.

Fortunately, as it was after the morning rush hour, the footpaths were not crowded and the riders did not need to avoid pedestrians.

MORE TRAFFIC

Later on, during the evening rush hour, when there was more traffic on the footpaths, some riders were still seen weaving in and out at speeds of about 25kmh.

To make matters worse, it was drizzling as well. Fortunately, there were no accidents.

Madam Melinda Tan, 67, a real estate agent who lives near Pasir Ris Drive 1, feels it is only a matter of time and wants these devices off the footpaths.

She disagrees with the new rules governing such devices that will come into effect by the end of the year.

The new rules allow bicycles and PMDs, such as e-scooters and hoverboards, on footpaths at a speed limit of 15kmh.

E-bikes, however, will not be allowed on footpaths.

She said: "Why can't these people take the bus? They could easily hit someone by accident on the pavement.

"Even if there's (third-party) insurance, it doesn't make a difference to the victim. They're already injured."

She also pointed out that it is difficult for pedestrians to dodge the PMDs, which can go quite fast.

However, Mr Joseph Tay, 72, a retiree who lives in the area, does not think that all e-scooters and e-bikes are dangerous.

He told TNP: "It depends on whether (the riders are) responsible or not. E-bikes can be quite useful for a lot of people, especially women with children or the elderly."

E-scooter user Chen Guang Yang, 28, who works at a manufacturing plant, said his e-scooter is a convenient mode of transport for him.

He told TNP in Mandarin: "It's much more convenient for me to travel to work with it."

But Mr Chen, who claimed he did not know that there will be a new speed limit later this year, admitted that he would sometimes travel at a speed of 25kmh.

MP: New rules on PMD usage won't be effective enough

MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Zainal Sapari said that he does not think the new rules on the use of PMDs on footpaths are effective enough.

He told The New Paper: "Based on feedback from residents, PMDs (personal mobility devices) travel at speeds that can cause bodily harm and easily hit pedestrians.

"In the long term, we need to look into legislation to make PMDs covered by insurance. Education on the dos and don'ts of PMDs also needs to be more aggressive."

He added that in the upcoming Parliament sitting, he plans to ask whether the Transport Ministry will review its position on making it mandatory for PMD users of a certain age group to have insurance coverage.

He also plans to ask what recourse is there for victims if there is a serious or fatal injury in an accident involving the use of PMDs.

In Parliament in May, Mr Zainal had asked if the ministry would consider making it mandatory for safety helmets and insurance coverage to cover third-party claims.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan had replied then that the ministry would monitor the situation and keep an open mind on whether change is warranted in future.

Mr Denis Koh, a member of the Active Mobility Advisory Panel, said that the new enforcement helps to prevent reckless riders.

"It is important to understand that the personal mobility device did not cause the accident. Rather, it was a result of the actions of an irresponsible user," he said.

"There are many responsible users out there as well."

Mr Koh added that it is the rider's responsibility to slow down in crowded areas and to dismount and push the vehicle if needed.

"So even if you run, run responsibly. Otherwise, should we ban running?" he said.

Road safety expert Gerard Pereira, a manager at the Singapore Safety Driving Centre, thinks that more measures should be put in place.

He said: "There should be more 'stop and push' signs, especially around bus stops."

This article was first published on September 23, 2016.
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He is one of the most recognisable faces at Indian gatherings.

And that tells something about the man. Mr K. Kesavapany spent several decades in the diplomatic service, which meant he was overseas for long stretches.

Yet, he always kept in touch with the community here. When he retired and moved back to Singapore, he plunged deep into community affairs.

Next year Mr Kesavapany will turn 80 but he shows no signs of slowing down.

He is connected with several organisations that work for the betterment of people.

He is the president of the Singapore Indian Association, a Governor with the Singapore International Federation, a term trustee of Sinda, a member of the Hindu Advisory Board, an active member of the Dyslexia Association of Singapore and an adviser to Apsaras Arts.

Numerous others seek his wisdom and guidance. And Mr Kesavapany is generous with what he has to share.

The Indian Association (IA) is an organisation with a long history, having been founded in 1925.

It has a glorious past, with visitors like Nobel literature prize winner Rabindranath Tagore and India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who visited it thrice and laid the foundation stone of its building.

But as years went by, the club lost its focus and direction.

There were taxes and debts to be paid and the building was run down.

It had also acquired the reputation of being a drunkard's club.

However, there were some die-hard supporters of the association, especially Mr M. Bala Subramanion, who never gave up hope, and they convinced Mr Kesavapany to step in.

He did, and along with then IA president Eddie Raj, turned the association around.

"We renovated the club and slowly got the community back.

Because of the vacuum created by IA, Sinda had to be created. IA used to look after the interests of Indians here till then," said Mr Kesavapany.

IA has a welfare fund, which was set up more than 50 years ago with the aim of repatriating Indian indentured labour.

Now that such a need doesn't exist, Mr Kesavapany and his team converted it into a fund to provide bursaries for needy students. But there were other Indian organisations doing that.

"So we felt we should go to the aid of people who are in danger of falling through the cracks.

We created a programme called 'Helping people from falling through the cracks'.

We collect our own money so we are able to respond faster.

Recently we had a fund raising lunch. We raised $100,000 for this purpose," said Mr Kesavapany.

The fund has since helped several people.

One was a 13-year-old girl who had a clenched fist.

When the girl got to secondary school she was bullied because of that and she started cutting herself. She came from a poor family. Her father suffered from depression and a brother was autistic.

"We sent her to Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu where a doctor operated on her for free. Now four of her fingers have been straightened and the last one is being worked on," said Mr Kesavapany.

He has also used IA to reach out to Indians who are new citizens or PRs, through cricket. But he could not achieve the kind of success he wanted.

"Cricket, we thought, would be a medium to integrate but the experience has not been that good. New Indians use our grounds, play and leave. Some never even step into the club.

They even bring their own food. So we are now working on football for the locals and working with Sinda," he said.

At Sinda, Mr Kesavapany is involved in social work.

He is part of the Indian Community After Care Council, run by Sinda and the Hindu Endowments Board.

His efforts with cricket may not have brought the desired results but that has not stopped him from working to help new Indians integrate.

"We try and collaborate where we can. There has to be a consciousness on both sides," he added.

One of those who worked with him in his integration efforts is writer and artist Subina Khaneja, a former president of the Indian Women's Association.

Said Ms Khaneja: "His initiative to bring the community closer through the game of cricket was what brought me in touch with him, and gave me a chance to work along with him and experience his magnanimity, his graciousness in dealing with each and every person.

As president of the Indian Women's Association he was my support, especially in our Integration efforts. Above all, it is his espirit lumiere, the light of his spirit, that makes him a true champion of the community."

Mr Kesavapany is quite happy with the progress made by IA and said it is time for him to step down.

His deputy at IA, Mr V.P. Jothi said Mr Kesavapany's leadership has brought about a profound change and provided new impetus to the 90 year old organisation.

He said Mr Kesavapany completely immersed himself in community work after he retired from public service and this is something which makes him stand out from his peers.

"He applied his innate leadership qualities and his public stature with humility to connect and contribute to diverse Indian community interest groups in the arts, cultural, education, social and charity space," said Mr Jothi, who added that he and his fellow members at IA are "happy and proud that Mr Kesavapany is receiving this prestigious tabla! Community Champion Award".

Mr Kesavapany has also used the skills he learnt in publishing books at the Institute of South-east Asian Studies, where he was director, to good use for the community. He has married publishing of books with rasing funds for a cause.

"At the Institute, I learnt to be an educational entrepreneur where you can use entrepreneurial skills for educational purposes and when I came to IA, I found I could use it for social work. So I published a book by social worker K.V. Veloo and gave him $10k for writing it. He returned the amount to the IA welfare fund."

He recently facilitated the publishing of a book on independent Singapore's first post-master general Bala Subramanion, who donated part of the proceeds to IA's Welfare Fund.

"Currently, we have sold more than a 1,000 copies of the book.

The third book is in the works. It is on Mr J.Y. Pillay. There are many other stories to be told," said Mr Kesavapany.

Another organisation that is close to Mr Kesavapany's heart is the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS).

In the eighties, the Rotary Club of Raffles City asked one of its members, the late Dr Jimmy Daruwalla who was tabla!'s first Community Champion, to set up an association to help dyslexic students.

At that time Mr Kesavapany's wife Padmini was a teacher of special needs children at Dover Court Preparatory School and she was invited by the Rotary Club for her views. "I went as my wife's chauffeur and ended up as a committee member," said Mr Kesavapany, a member of the DAS exco.

He said the initial years of DAS were difficult as many Singaporeans did not want to admit their children were dyslexic.

He feels that neither DAS, nor Dr Daruwalla - who was president of the association for 25 years - has been sufficiently recognised for its work. Mr Kesavapany worked closely with Dr Daruwalla, who died in July, to promote the work of DAS.

That was not the only loss this year for tabla!'s new Community Champion.

Mr Kesavpany was very close to the late Singapore president S R Nathan and their friendship goes a long way back.

Mr Kesavapany attributes his links to so many people in the Indian community to Mr Nathan.

"Once you get to know Mr Nathan you get to know a lot of people and you become part of the community," said Mr Kesavapany.

He says he is a firm believer in karma.

Most days he leaves the house in the morning and tries to have lunch outside.

This ensures he is able to meet people.

He also feels that any organisation or post is what you want to make of it.

"You can either do the minimum or you can do much more," he said.

He recited Omar Khayaam's lines from the Rubiyat when asked for the secret of his calmness.

The Moving Finger writes; and,

having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,

Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.

"That's my approach to life. Just take it as it comes. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Sometimes sad, sometimes happy. So I am not a man stressed with anything," he said.

patrickj@sph.com.sg

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SINGAPORE - A 43-year-old man was jailed for six weeks and fined $65,700 for abandoning 18 dogs at various locations around Singapore.

In a statement on Friday (Sept 23), the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said that grooming school owner Low Chong Kiat faced 49 charges related to failure to care for the dogs, and not complying with dog licensing and control regulations.

According to AVA, Low previously kept 30 dogs on his pet farm. When the farm closed in 2015, he transferred the canines to his grooming school, Prestige Grooming Academy.

As it is illegal to keep so many dogs in his school overnight, he subsequently decided to rehome 12 of the dogs, and abandon the other 18.

The 18 dogs, mostly poodles, poodle crosses and malteses, were left in various places across the island including Yishun, Tampines, Sengkang and Upper Serangoon.

The authorities were alerted to the case in March 2016, and began investigations immediately with the assistance from the Animal Welfare Group (AWG).

The abandoned dogs were found by the AWG. Two of the dogs were found to be suffering from serious medical conditions.

AVA said that it condemned acts of animal cruelty, including pet abandonment.

"We investigate all feedback on cruelty and will take enforcement action where necessary," the agency stressed.

Individuals who commit such offences while carrying an animal-related business may be fined up to $40,000, jailed up to two years, or both for first-time convictions.

Meanwhile, those who do not comply with dog licensing and control rules may be fined up to $5,000.

AVA also encouraged members of the public to report cases of animal cruelty via its hotline at 1800-476-1600 or through its website.

seanyap@sph.com.sg

When one think of HardWareZone, probably the first thing that comes to mind is their lively forums where you can participate in a variety of topics, from discussing the latest in tech, educational and travel advice, and even the best places to makan.

Deep in its underbelly though, lies arguably the forum's most visited, and rightfully controversial, sub-category named Eat-Drink-Man-Woman, or more popularly known as EDMW.

So recently, local app Wander and its founder Krystal Choo, was the subject of a much discussed thread in this sub-forum.

Wander CEO Krystal Choo enters

In case you haven't heard of this app called Wander, it is basically a mobile platform to connect with strangers, and chat about common interests. Now in its second iteration, Wander used to be a single traveller's app to connect with people overseas when they travel.

It started off with an innocent introduction to a newspaper article and a question asking if anyone has used it before.

Not long after, Krystal herself came in.

And of course, all the guys became more active. So she answered some of their questions.

Krystal also attached a photo of herself too for good measure since some of the guys asked for 'verification', and following that, the forum thread erupted.

After a while, Krystal came back to answer some more questions.

This time with a photo of her typical office look when she's not having meetings and events. This, of course invited endless replies from all the users (presumably guys) in the thread.

All good so far

I think that the way Krystal patiently replied to the few posts in the thread has been nothing short of graceful and seeing as how certain questions can be perceived as offensive by ladies.

For someone who is not familiar with EDMW, Krystal has definitely not taken the indifferent culture of the forum personally, and answered both genuine questions regarding her app, as well as those made in jest.

Admittedly I have visited EDMW before, and was even active across multiple sub-forums back when I was still schooling. In those years, I have seen some local female internet personalities (ladies with large followings on social media and blogs) tried to reach out to these 'fans' in the same and failed miserably.

While Krystal wasn't the one feeling offended, someone else soon did, and here's when it gets sticky.

329875

Photo Gallery

Wander CEO Krystal Choo answers questions and posts photos in HardwareZone forum

Source:

Internet screengrabs

Wander

A female reader comes in with disgust

As with any fairy tale of a lady making her presence known to the guys of EDMW, scenes like this is almost always the calm before the storm.

With an account registered just yesterday, user 'tarastar' came in and posted a very lengthy post (part 1, part 2) to berate the men of EDMW, of which in summary, is made up of stereotypical statements about what female entrepreneurs traditionally face.

This of course didn't sit well with the users.

So how now?

All I can say is, know your context before blindly scolding a bunch of strangers on the net, because it will only just blow up in the face if you are not careful.

No worries though, once again Krystal has taken some time to write a long post to calmly explain the situation - and answer more questions.

So here's what happened. User 'tarastar' is actually a friend of Krystal's, and through their conversations together regarding a separate thread on EDMW that touched on some matters that Krystal would rather not discuss, was not all too happy about it, and taken upon herself to post her opinions on her own volition.

This of course set off a chain of events which hopefully Krystal has helped to alleviate with her post.

As of now, it seems that the thread has gone back to normal, somewhat, with Krystal continuing to reply the other forum users.

What can we learn from this?

Well for starters, don't be a vigilante. When a friend confides in you something, and it involves the Internet, best to take a step back and look at what you are potentially dealing with first before embarking on your crusade.

Secondly, ignore the trolls but accept and reply to both positive and negative statements nicely. While the thread did attract multiple trolls, those who were in it to strike a conversation with Krystal, about her or her app, are met with similarly genuine replies.

Lastly, EDMW unfortunately is not a place where it is made up of nerds who are on their computers 24/7, posting endlessly and constantly ogling at pictures of pretty girls. People need to understand that online communities are made up of people from all walks of life, even though some websites are targeted at certain demographics.

As hard as it is to believe, EDMW has lawyers, investment bankers, doctors, and the likes, all the way down to students. So if you were to post a topic about anything there, chances are, there is someone knowledgeable in it.

Vulcan Post is all about living life with a digital edge, up and coming startups, and people who inspire conversations.
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SINGAPORE - What comes to mind when a friend mentions Queenstown? Is it sports shoes?

What about Geylang? We'd bet that more than a few of you said "prostitutes" or something to that effect.

According to a map that purports to chart what each neighbourhood in Singapore is most popularly known for, Yishun is the place to find murderers and siao langs (the "crazies"), and Bukit Batok is known for "rat hill".

High-res map

As Coconuts Singapore rightly pointed out, the map is most politically incorrect, but, yet, infinitely funny.

It supposedly charts Singapore according to how users at Hardware Zone's popular Eat Drink Man Woman (EDMW) sub-forum refer to these places and was posted on reddit's Singapore section yesterday.

Spend a few moments looking at the map and you'll notice how Bukit Timah is described as 'Rich People', while those in Upper Bukit Timah are 'not so rich'. City Harvest Church gets a mention too and there's nothing more apt than simply calling it 'China Wine'.

Look towards the east and Bedok Reservoir is marked out as 'Suicide', while East Coast Park is known as 'Beach'. Over at the northern-eastern region, Sengkang and Punggol are simply lumped together as 'BTO'.

Even Johor Baru has been marked out. The Woodlands Causeway Checkpoint is labelled "Traffic Jam" and as you cross over, the area is known as "Car Thief", "Massage", and "$1=3RM".

So, what is your neighbourhood known for? Our office is near the haunt of the "Bishan Gay" and a few stops away from where "Tammy" went to school.

sinsh@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Singapore has been ranked one of the healthiest countries in the world, according to a new study published in medical journal The Lancet.

In the study, which is based on the health-related Sustainable Development Goals that were set out by the United Nations, Singapore shared top spot with Scandinavian countries Iceland and Sweden in the ranking of 188 countries.

According to Bloomberg, more than 1,870 researchers in 124 countries collated data on 33 different health-related indicators, such as poverty, nutrition and rate of infections of diseases such as HIV, malaria and Hepatitis B.

Each country was rated on a score of 0-100, and Singapore scored 85.3, just slightly behind Iceland's 85.5.

The Republic received a perfect score (100) on indicators such as disaster (death rate due to forces of nature) and sanitation (prevalence of population using unsafe sanitation). It was also the only country to score 100 for poisons (death rate due to unintentional poisonings).

However, Singapore did not fare as well on indicators measuring HIV infections and levels of PM2.5 particles.

On a broader level, the data shows varied rates of progress towards the different health goals, The Guardian reported. While more than 60 per cent of countries have already met 2030 targets on reducing maternal and child mortality, no country has met the goal of eliminating diseases such as tuberculosis or HIV by 2030.

Unsurprisingly, developed countries, especially those in Western Europe and Scandinavia, dominated the top of the rankings. But the United States was ranked only 28th, with poor scores in measures such as interpersonal violence, suicide rates, obesity and maternal mortality.

Among Asian countries, Brunei was the second-highest ranked after Singapore at 21, followed by Japan (27), Taiwan (32) and South Korea (32).

The massive study was funded by, but received no input from, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg reported.

SINGAPORE - Entered Changi Airport's transit area? You'd better be getting on a plane, because misusing your boarding pass could get you in trouble with the law.

The police arrested a man and a woman in September 2016, who are believed to have entered the transit area on Sept 16 to purchase Apple's newly released iPhone 7. They apparently had no intention of departing Singapore.

iPhone 7 launch in Asia

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

AsiaOne, Reuters, The Straits Times, AFP

The police reminded all passengers who enter the transit hall with a boarding pass that they should be there only for the purpose of travelling to their next destinations.

"Those who abuse their boarding pass to enter the transit areas, with no intention to proceed to their next destination, are liable for an offence under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act," the police said.

Here are 12 other offences you may not have known about.

1. Annoying someone by behaving badly in public while drunk

According to section 510 of the Penal Code, whoever, in a state of intoxication, appears in any public place, or in any place which he cannot enter, and behaves "in such a manner as to cause annoyance to any person", may be jailed up to six months, fined up to $1,000, or both.

That's going to be many people on a Saturday night at Clarke Quay.

2. Annoying someone in a public place through an act, or by reciting or uttering a song with lyrics that are obscene

According to Section 294 of the Penal Code, this carries up to three months in jail, a fine, or both.

Now you know what to do if someone propositions you with a lewd song

3. Sale, distribution, rental of all things "obscene", including paintings, books, figures

According to Section 292 of the Penal Code, the penalty is up to three months in jail, a fine, or both.

What is considered obscene?

According to the Singapore Statutes, the word "obscene", is anything that tends to "deprave and corrupt persons" who are likely to see or read the materials.

You might want to think twice about selling that old sex toy on Carousell then.

4. Purposely obstructing a person, so as to prevent him from proceeding in any direction that he is allowed to walk in

According to Section 341 of the Penal Code, this carries a jail term of up to a month, a fine of up to $1,500, or both.

5. Using false weight or measure

According to Section 265 of the Penal Code, whoever fraudulently uses any false weight or false measure of length or capacity, or fraudulently uses any weight or any measure of length or capacity as a different weight or measure from what it is, may be sentenced to up to a year in jail, a fine, or both.

Hopefully, the vendors at the wet markets know this.

6. Your dog injuring a person

Any owner of a dog which causes injury to any person may rack up a fine of up to $5,000.

A leash might be cheaper than $5,000.

7. Bathing or washing yourself in on a public road, in a public tank, reservoir, or any water body

This will fetch a maximum fine of $1,000

Taking a shower at a swimming pool toilet may cost less.

8. Flying a kite that obstructs traffic on a public road

Anyone who flies any kite, or plays at any game, or does any act which obstructs or interferes with the traffic in any public road, or the use of the wires of any telephone may have to pay a fine of up to $5,000.

West Coast Park and Marina Barrage are good alternatives if you really would like to fly a kite.

9. Annoying someone by making noise in any way, including by an instrument

Any person who makes any noise " to cause or be likely to cause annoyance or inconvenience to the occupier of any premises in the vicinity" may be fined up to $1,000.

Does your neighbour's bad karaoke singing at 3am count?

10. Taking alcohol into a public hospital

Anyone who takes or tries to take without "due permission" into any public hospital any intoxicating liquor, drug or preparation may be jailed up to two months, fined up to $1,000, or both.

It is probably not the cure, no matter how convinced you are.

11. Making business deals at MRT stations

Tucked away among the better-known rules of riding the subway - no eating, no drinking, no smoking - is a Rapid Transit Systems Regulations prohibition against selling goods across the fare gate.

This rule has been in place for decades, but just in case you had not heard of it, at least one train station now has a notice in place for commuters.

Full-time national serviceman Xavier Lur was at Beauty World station on the Downtown Line when he spotted a sign with a quote from the relevant law: "No person shall for the purpose of any trade or business transfer any article or goods between the paid area and unpaid area unless the article or goods is taken by a person through an automatic gate."

Ms Tammy Tan, senior vice president, corporate communications, SBS Transit, explained: "For commuter safety and security, we do not encourage loitering in our premises particularly at stations with high passenger flow.

"The notice has been put up at the Beauty World Station as we have noticed increasing numbers of commuters loitering to conduct what appears to be transactions in our premises."

12. Leaving your vehicle engines idling

Enjoying the air-conditioner in your car while waiting for your friends to return? Too bad - you could still be handed a fine.

Since June 2016, repeat offenders who leave the engines of their stationary vehicles switched on have faced higher fines by the National Environment Agency.

Motorists who are caught for a second or subsequent time now have to fork out $100, up from the previous $70. If the sum is not paid, they could face a maximum court fine of $5,000.

Under the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations, it is an offence to leave the engine of a motor vehicle running while it is stationary for reasons other than traffic conditions.

So wind down those windows and turn off that engine - you may save on that petrol bill.

Source: Singapore Statutes Online

This article was first published on September 23, 2016.
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Singapore - Some 40 less privileged seniors from Community Network Senior Services (COMNET) of Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre (AMK FSC) were treated to lunch and shopping at The Seletar Mall, a retail mall owned by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) on Friday (Sept 23).

The elderly folks were accompanied by about 15 SPH staff volunteers for a specially arranged lunch at Bali Thai, and each of them was given a $20 mall voucher for their shopping.

The COMNET, which began as a Befriending Service in 2007, aims to support vulnerable and low-income seniors to live independently and actively in the community, and empower them to seek life satisfaction with the support of community resources.

COMNET operates four Senior Activity Centres (SACs) in Ang Mo Kio, Sin Ming and Sengkang, where they engage seniors in various activities such as morning exercises, games, health and wellness programs, as well as art and craft sessions.

This charity outing was organised by the SPH Staff Volunteers Club and supported by The Seletar Mall.