Investors reading the tea leaves on the state of the private residential market can expect fresh clues to emerge this weekend with three new projects on preview.

The trio are neatly spread across the main regions and price points, with boutique development 38 Jervois in the prime District 10, Queens Peak on the city fringe, and Parc Riviera in the suburbs.

Going by brisk sales at recent launches Forest Woods and The Alps Residences, analysts expect home hunters to pick up smaller units again at upcoming projects.

"The underlying demand is still there, but buyers are looking for value. It is still a play on unit sizes and overall quantum," said Mr Desmond Sim, head of CBRE Research for Singapore and South-east Asia.

Consultancy Knight Frank said the encouraging sales at Forest Woods - near Serangoon MRT station and Nex shopping mall - on its first weekend "reflect a possibly new price acceptance level for projects with strong attributes".

"There could be more interest for new project launches going forward, especially projects on the city fringes, where they present the dual attributes of close proximity to the city centre and lower prices compared with prime district projects," noted Knight Frank Singapore research head Alice Tan.

The city-fringe project being previewed this weekend is Hao Yuan Investment's 736-unit Queens Peak in Dundee Road, which has direct access to Queenstown MRT station.

Indicative average prices at the 99-year leasehold project range from $1,430 per sq ft (psf) to $1,830 psf, with starting prices ranging from $680,000 for a one-bedder to $2.96 million for a five-room unit.

Hao Yuan Investment said yesterday that the project will be grouped into two collections - Botanic Collection, comprising one- to three- bedroom units from the eighth to 26th floors; and Skye Collection, with three- to five-bedders and single-storey penthouses from the 28th to 44th floors.

Buyers with deeper pockets might look to freehold 38 Jervois being developed by Prominent Land. The preview will be held at The Luxe Art Museum in Handy Road.

The 27-unit project has 21 one- to three-bedroom units and six penthouses, with an average price of $2,100 psf onwards, the developer told The Straits Times yesterday.

Unit sizes range from 474 sq ft for a one-bedder to 1,098 sq ft for a two-bedroom plus study penthouse. Prominent Land said the starting price for a one-bedder is $1.08 million; for a two-bedder it is $1.48 million; and for a three-bedroom unit, it is nearly $1.81 million.

It had acquired the site with a detached house at 38 Jervois Road from a person understood to be Mr Eng Fook Hoong in February last year for $25 million, or $1,686 psf.

The mass market project to be previewed this weekend is the 99- year leasehold Parc Riviera in West Coast Vale by EL Development.

The average price of units is expected to be about $1,250 psf, with a total of 752 units up for sale, about 64 per cent of which are one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Market watchers expect these project launches to push new home sales past 1,000 units a month this month and next, but it is too soon to declare that the property market has turned a corner. "I think the trough is very near... the market will see a comfortable landing, but don't expect it to take off quickly. It's likely to be a U-shape recovery," said Mr Sim of CBRE Research.

For investors looking for overseas exposure, CapitaLand is launching its latest Vietnam residential development in Ho Chi Minh City - D1Mension - at The St Regis Singapore tomorrow.

New launches

PRIME DISTRICT 10: 38 JERVOIS IN JERVOIS ROAD
DEVELOPER: Prominent Land
DEVELOPMENT: Freehold, 27 units
PHOTO: PROMINENT LAND

CITY FRINGE: QUEENS PEAK IN DUNDEE ROAD
DEVELOPER: Hao Yuan Investment
DEVELOPMENT: 99-year leasehold, 736 units
PHOTO: HAO YUAN INVESTMENT

SUBURBS: PARC RIVIERA IN WEST COAST VALE
DEVELOPER: EL Development
DEVELOPMENT: 99-year leasehold, 752 units
PHOTO: EL DEVELOPMENT

This article was first published on Oct 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A group of Singapore researchers is proposing a skills-based, tiered system of work pass for foreign maids who look after the elderly.

It could offer better pay and perks, like an option to live in their own accommodation, for those who are more skilful.

The move could ensure Singapore stays an attractive destination for domestic workers, said the researchers.

Currently, all maids get the same work permit regardless of their experience or skills.

The researchers from the National University of Singapore's Asia Research Institute (ARI) made the suggestion following interviews with industry players like maid training centres in Indonesia for their ongoing study.

The main grouse they found in Indonesia is that Singaporean employers pay less and deduct more from the maid's salary, as it is done over a shorter period, than their counterparts in Taiwan and Hong Kong, said the institute's research and communications officer Kellynn Wee.

The monthly deduction is to repay the employer for paying the worker's recruitment and placement fees in advance.

The tiered system, listed in a report, will be among the issues to be discussed at a seminar today.

The meeting, organised by ARI, will focus on the employment of foreign domestic workers and how they and employment agents figure in Singapore's care industry over the long term.

It comes amid efforts to further improve Singapore's home-based care industry for its greying population. One in five people here is expected to be older than 65 by 2030.

Many Singaporeans, however, prefer to hire a foreign maid for eldercare instead of a local nurse. This is despite many of the maids not being qualified or equipped to do the job, the researchers noted.

Added Ms Wee: "The tiered system would provide a way upwards for domestic workers who come here and have experience with the culture. It is an incentive to stay here longer and get more training."

Another suggestion they made is to study the feasibility of replacing the current system of deducting the hiring fees from the maid's salary.

The maids and Singapore employers could be overcharged because the collection of the fees by Singapore maid agents on behalf of overseas recruiters is not well-regulated, they said.

Indonesia has begun requiring the maids to take a bank loan to pay the recruiters.

These recommendations are derived from a year of interviews with players such as employment agents, non-governmental organisations, and recruitment centre owners here and in Indonesia.

Enumerated in a brief report last month, it is a joint effort with ARI research assistant Charmian Goh and Professor Brenda Yeoh, research leader at ARI's Asian Migration Research Cluster and dean of the university's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Best Home Employment Agency owner Tay Khoon Beng, who was one of those interviewed for the study, feels letting maids live outside the home is a natural progression for the industry.

"In the future when there are fewer kids, more older people, better childcare and smaller homes, maids may not need to live in," he said.

"Multiple families could share one helper, which could lower the cost of hire and raise the income of helpers."

This article was first published on Oct 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

In his first four years in primary school, he had never fared poorly in any examination subject, usually averaging about 70 marks.

But in this year's mid-year exams, the Primary 5 pupil found out that he had failed two papers - mathematics and Higher Chinese.

On May 18, the boy was found dead at the foot of his Sengkang block, just nine days after his 11th birthday.

He was due to collect his exam results that day for his parents to acknowledge.

A coroner's inquiry into the boy's death yesterday was told that his 45-year-old mother thought he had killed himself over his exam results by jumping from his bedroom window in the 17th-storey flat.

But his father, a 47-year-old customer service engineer, felt his son had accidentally fallen to his death.

The identities of the boy, his family members and his school cannot be disclosed because of a gag order.

Yesterday, investigation officer Inspector Lynn Ong told State Coroner Marvin Bay that the boy's mother, a housewife, had expected him to score at least 70 marks per subject for his exams.

He had scored about 70 marks for every subject from Primary 1 to Primary 4.

If he did not meet her expectations, she would cane his palm lightly, Insp Ong said, adding: "She would hit him once for every mark short of 70 marks."

However, she would cane him only if his average score across all subjects was below 70 marks.

"Sometimes, she would look through his examination papers first, and if they were difficult, she would not hit him."

His mother also rewarded him when he did well, such as buying him a gift.

For the mid-year exam, he had asked for a kite, and she bought one for him on May 14, even before the results were out. He went out to fly the kite with his father the next day.

The school principal described the boy as an average performer who was generally able to cope with school.

The principal also said that pupils tend to see a dip in their exam results in Primary 5 because of changes in the exam format to prepare them for PSLE.

The boy found out his results before May 18, when the exam papers were returned to the pupils for checking.

Out of 100 marks, he scored 50 for English, 53.8 for Chinese and 57.5 for science. He fared poorly in two subjects, scoring 12 marks for Higher Chinese and 20.5 for mathematics.

UPSET

The boy's Chinese and Higher Chinese teacher noticed that he was visibly upset after receiving the results for both subjects.

However, his science teacher saw him on May 17, a day before he was supposed to take his results home to show his parents, and he was cheerful and bubbly as usual, the court heard.

On May 18, his father noticed that he was taking a longer time than usual to get ready for school.

His mother tried to open the bedroom door, but it was locked.

She used a spare key to unlock it, and when they entered the room, he was nowhere to be seen.

The couple, who also have a 16-year-old daughter, looked out of the window and saw their son lying on a grass patch at the foot of their block.

His mother called the police at around 6.50am.

She called his school about 15 minutes later and told the principal what happened and said she needed help as her husband was distraught.

Insp Ong said that when the principal arrived at the scene, the mother was "very emotionally unstable".

"She heard her lamenting in Mandarin, saying 'I only asked for 70 marks, I don't expect you to get 80 marks,'" Insp Ong added.

A paramedic pronounced the boy dead at the scene at around 7am.

The police do not suspect any foul play.

The cause of death was found to be multiple injuries, consistent with those sustained after a person had fallen from height.

Coroner Bay will deliver his findings today.

HELPLINES

If you are in emotional distress, you can get help from:

Samaritans of Singapore (24-hour hotline): 1800-221-4444

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Care Corner Counselling Centre (in Mandarin): 1800-353-5800

Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222

Aware Helpline: 1800-774-5935

This article was first published on October 21, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

Start-up nuTonomy has put its tests of driverless cars on hold following an accident involving one of its vehicles on Tuesday, The Straits Times understands.

However, tests by three other agencies - A*Star, Delphi and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (Smart) - conducting self-driving trials in the one-north area are still ongoing.

Dr Eng You Hong, a postdoctoral associate with Smart, said his team would "strictly follow safety protocols" as they had done over the past year.

One of nuTonomy's self-driving cars hit a lorry in Biopolis Drive at one-north while on a test drive on Tuesday. The vehicle, which had two engineers on board, was said to be travelling at a "low speed" and was changing lanes when the accident happened at about 9.30am. No one was hurt.

The Traffic Police and Land Transport Authority (LTA) are still investigating the incident.

"Additionally, the company is conducting its own investigation into the exact cause of the incident," said nuTonomy in a statement on Tuesday.

nuTonomy is one of two firms selected by the LTA to test on-demand driverless taxi services here.

There has been a push towards the adoption of driverless technology in recent years.

On Monday, the National Environment Agency and Transport Ministry issued a request for information for the development of driverless road cleaners.

Two days later, Nanyang Technological University signed an agreement with the LTA to hold trials of self-driving buses beginning in 2018.

Singapore's drive for autonomous vehicles is still in its infancy and is unlikely to be set back by the accident, said experts.

"Driverless vehicles here are still in the testing stage," said Dr Park Byung Joon, SIM University senior lecturer in urban transport management, adding that he believed nuTonomy would still be able to launch commercially here in two years' time.

This article was first published on Oct 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Senior Staff Nurse Noraini Umar left her job 10 years ago to care for her young son and ailing parents. Now that her parents are better and her son is older, she returned after a three-month mandatory refresher.

"There were so many changes. Now, technology is applied in many aspects of our work," she said of the the course.

Since April, 19 nurses have returned to the aged-care sector under a scheme to bring back nurses who had stopped work, part of a large-scale effort to ramp up the number of healthcare workers.

"With their previous nursing experience, they are valuable assets and contribute to caring for patients and residents and helping them to stay well in the home and community environment," said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong yesterday, as he launched the Healthcare Manpower Plan 2020.

The plan includes a push to have Singaporeans' healthcare needs met within their community, and less in the hospital.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it will expand and improve existing polyclinics and family medicine clinics even as more are built - allowing seniors to age in the neighbourhood they are familiar with.

It is also building more community hospitals, nursing homes and senior care centres in the community and making home care more accessible and affordable.

Family doctors too have a role to play. Now, 122 are working with the Institute of Mental Health so people with stable mental health conditions can get care close to their homes.

But with this expansion of primary and community care, more healthcare workers such as nurses, therapists and healthcare assistants will be needed.

Mr Gan told The Straits Times: "Given the current softening of the economic climate, we will want to ramp up efforts to build a stronger local core in the healthcare sector, in a few ways."

This will be done by expanding the training and recruitment to enable young job seekers, mid-career entrants, former nurses and part-time workers to get work in healthcare.

MOH will invest in skills training and job redesign "so that our healthcare workforce can do more at each level", he said.

To retain current workers, it will enhance both career development and work environment.

Mr Gan said Singapore will further develop community nursing as an option for nurses. "If we are shifting care beyond hospitals to community and home, we will need to change the skills profile of our future workforce," he explained.

Both Nanyang and Ngee Ann polytechnics have doubled the time their student nurses spend in community care, while physiotherapy and occupational therapy students at the Singapore Institute of Technology will have six to seven weeks of clinical work in a community setting.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam promised in the Manpower Plan: "We will be investing even more heavily in everyone working in healthcare, so that they have the skills to deliver the best quality care while taking advantage of new technologies."

This article was first published on October 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

He gets paid to scare people

Halloween is Institute of Technical Education (ITE) student Mathias Lim's favourite holiday because he gets to dress up as his favourite villains, scare people and "not get thrown into jail".

The 23-year-old is not a prankster, however, but a scare actor - someone who acts as a zombie, ghost or psycho killer at Halloween events organised by *Scape, a youth hangout.

Over the past five years, he has morphed into knives-for-fingers killer Freddie Krueger, a werewolf, a clown and Ghostface from the Scream film series. He declines to reveal how much he is paid.

Beginning on Wednesday evening, the 10,000 sq ft Ground Theatre in *Scape will turn into The Doll Factory, the home of a deranged doll-maker who killed his family members in order to preserve them as dolls. This is adapted from a true story.

here will be seven zones in this maze. Participants will move from the gory slaughter house to the showroom where the evil doll- maker keeps his prized collection. Turn the wrong corner and visitors may run into a scare actor such as Mr Lim.

To maintain suspense, he will not reveal what he plays at this year's Halloween event at *Scape, but he shares some of his scare tactics.

"I stalk people from behind or sometimes, I stand very still and make a very slight movement or sound just as a person approaches," he says.

It helps that many Singaporeans "scare easily", he adds.

The one thing he will never do is to touch the participants and neither are participants supposed to touch him, but there are the "rare occasions" when a person reacts to a fright by punching an actor.

"Some people just react in more extreme ways," he says.

His most memorable moment was when he played Freddie Krueger and scared big and muscular man to tears. "It was very strange to see this huge guy cry and hide behind his girlfriend," he says.

Mr Lim enjoys cosplay, so he considers his part-time job as a scare actor a bonus.

While cosplaying, he has taken on the alter egos of characters such as the infamous Joker as well as the good guys such as Spider-man and Red Ranger from superhero TV series Power Rangers.

He makes some of his costumes from scratch and has participated in conventions such as the Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention.

He says: "When I put on the costume, I turn into someone else. It's an escape from reality."

MERMAIDS AND MANATEES GET INTO SPIRIT OF HALLOWEEN

A new breed of marine creatures will be sharing the waters with the gentle manatees as part of the Halloween programme at River Safari.

Four "mermaids" will perform a 15-minute choreographed underwater show called Mermaid Mania together with 12 manatees in the park's Amazon Flooded Forest aquarium exhibit.

The show will run on six evenings starting tonight.

With long glittery fish tails and the upper body of a human female, these "mermaids" are underwater dancers from the Singapore Mermaid School.

They wear fish tails custom-made from silicon and are trained to frolic in the water like the mythical creature popularised by the Disney princess Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989).

They can hold their breaths for up to a minute, after which, they will re-surface for a quick breath.

The mermaid performers are led by Ms Cara Nicole Neo, or Syrena as she likes to be called when in character.

The 24-year-old is considered Singapore's first professional mermaid and founded The Singapore Mermaid School last year, a centre dedicated to teaching people how to swim in mermaid gear for fun and fitness.

While she often performs at children's parties and corporate events, this is her first aquarium gig.

"We weren't sure how the manatees were going to react to us initially but it turns out they love us," she says with a laugh.

They have been rehearsing with the animals once or twice a week for the past 11/2 months. The sessions are accompanied by aquarists to ensure the safety of both animals and humans.

The human swimmers have developed such good rapport with the manatees that the gentle creatures are beginning to mimic their actions.

Ms Neo says: "The aquarist told us that some of the manatees now move their fins like how we do when we wave to the audience."

Swimming in the aquarium is a "dream come true" for Ms Neo as she hopes to "spread the magic" of mermaids.

She says: "A mermaid is a very empowering role model for both little and big girls. I work with a lot of girls with low self esteem but when they go underwater, you can see how beautiful and strong and graceful they feel."

River Safari has held Halloween- themed events since 2014, typically family-friendly programmes where kids can dress up and also learn about the various creatures at the park.

This year, besides the mermaid performance, there will also be Monster Boo!, a live animal presentation during which children can get close to and even touch a slithery python, a large pelican and a furry binturong.

SAFARI BOO

Where: River Safari, 80 Mandai Lake Road When: Tonight to Oct 23 and Oct 28 to 30, 6 to 10pm. Mermaid Mania is at 7.45, 8.45 and 9.45pm. Monster Boo! is at 7,8 and 9pm.

Admission: $18 to $22 for adults and $5 to $10 for children (aged three to 12)

Info: Tickets are available only online. Go to safariboo.wrs.com.sg

Scary thrills

SINGAPORE HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL

Fend off an army of flesh-eating zombies while navigating a maze at the inaugural Singapore Halloween Festival held at Fort Canning Park.

Participants need to form teams of three to enter the zombie maze challenge. They will then battle the undead through a series of obstacles using Nerf guns. The group with the fastest time will win a PlayStation 4 for each of its members.

Those who want a less scary experience can check out the other activities in store - trampolines and bouncy castles for the children and, for the adults, DJs spinning music ranging from retro to deep house.

Food served from the likes of modern Japanese izakaya Neon Pigeon and booze from Irish pub Molly Malone's will be sold too.

The event is organised by events company Sensat1on.

Where: Fort Canning Park, Fort Gate When: Oct 29, 11am to 11pm

Admission: $25 for each entry into the festival and $15 for a team of three to enter the zombie maze challenge (minimum age to play is 12 and parental consent is required for those under the age of 18). Children under the age of 12 enter for free.

Info: www.sensat1on.com

HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS 6

Singapore's biggest scarefest has upped the ante this year with five themed haunted houses.

Held at Universal Studios Singapore in Resorts World Sentosa, this will be the sixth edition of the popular event, which drew more than 170,000 people last year.

One of the houses is inspired by the old Changi Hospital, considered one of the spookiest spots in Singapore.

In this haunted house, vengeful spirits, bloodied patients and a pontianak (a female ghost in Malay folklore) wander the hallways.

Another house has the familiar setting of the hawker centre. The patrons are victims of "radioactive food poisoning" and are now hungry for humans.

The other houses feature witches and demonic shape-shifters. One is a macabre art exhibition featuring the twisted memories of an artist whose family died in a fire.

Besides looking out for the walking dead played by actors, watch out, too, for 25 animatronics hidden in the haunted houses, such as a moving truck.

About 1,600 gallons of mist will be used to evoke an eerie, disorienting atmosphere.

After surviving the haunted houses, you can check out the stage performance Jack's Recurring Nightmare, featuring Jack the diabolical clown and his freaky disciples, who will execute daredevil feats.

Finally, there will be a carnival procession inspired by Mexico's colourful Day Of The Dead parade, an annual celebration to remember and honour the dead.

The procession will culminate in the March Of The Dead, an outdoor show featuring the sinister beauty Lady Death.

Where: Universal Studios Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa

When: Tonight and tomorrow and next Thursday to Oct 31, 7.30pm to 12.30am (Thursday, Sunday, and Monday) and 7.30pm to 1.30am (Friday and Saturday)

Admission: From $65 for Thursday, Sunday and Monday and $69 for Friday and Saturday. For those aged 13 and older

Info: www.halloweenhorrornights.com.sg

NIGHTMARE ON BUGIS STREET

When the lights go out, the meandering pathways in Bugis Street will turn into playgrounds for possessed dolls and ghosts.

Two of the three levels of the shopping arcade will be transformed into scare zones modelled after horror flicks Annabelle (2014) and Thirteen Ghosts (2001).

If visitors get too spooked out, they can head down to the first floor and distract themselves at a late-night flea market. There, they can get their faces painted to look like a zombie or spirit and spook someone else for a change.

Where: Bugis Street, 3 New Bugis Street When: Oct 28 and 29 and Nov 4 and 5, 10pm to 2am

Admission: Standard ticket from $45, $35 for students aged 13 and older with a valid student ID

Info: www.bugisstreet.com.sg

Dressed to kill

ZOUK HALLOWEEN 2016: THE SCREAM DINER

Torture chambers, chunks of meat hanging from the ceiling, bloody kitchen pots and other gruesome surprises will take over Zouk as the home-grown club is transformed into an American diner that is also a blood-soaked crime scene.

This is the story: The Scream Diner's owner Mr O'Donnell, a prime suspect in an unsolved case of missing patrons, is back and he is set to continue what he started.

Look out for his assistants, too, who will be roaming around the club, ready to pounce on unsuspecting diners .

There are prizes worth up to $15,000 for the best-dressed. These include the grand prize of $1,000 cash, four ZoukOut VIP tickets and complimentary accommodation at hotel W Singapore - Sentosa Cove.

Where: 17 Jiak Kim Street When: Oct 29, 10pm till late Admission: $33 for women and $38 for men (includes two standard drinks); those in full costume get free and priority entry

Info: www.zoukclub.com.sg

TRAIN TO NOVA

New club Nova is bringing the horrors of recent hit Korean zombie thriller Train To Busan (2016) to life in its first Halloween party on Oct 29 called Train To Nova.

The club will morph into a train station - similar to Daejeon station in the flick - where zombies lurk.

DJ duo Rave Republic will be spinning electronic dance music and open format tunes on the deck.

For revellers who dress in the best outfit, there will be prizes including five tickets to Swedish house duo Dada Life's party at the club on Nov 5.

Where: 02-29 Orchard Hotel, 442 Orchard Road When: Oct 29, 10pm till late

Admission: $18 for women and $25 for men (includes two standard drinks after midnight, free entry for those in full costume and before midnight)

Info: www.facebook.com/Clubnovasg

BATTLE ROYALE: HALLOWEEN 2016

Put on boxing gloves and a game face as it is going to get ugly at OverEasy Orchard's fight club.

There will be no ghosts and zombies, but visitors might spot martial arts legend Bruce Lee or heavyweight great Muhammad Ali battling it out on the dancefloor.

The best walk away with the grand prize of a four-day, three-night stay at a Bali villa, worth more than $1,000.

Where: 01-01 Liat Towers, 541 Orchard Road When: Oct 29, 10pm till late

Admission: Free

Info: Call 6684-1453 or e-mail orchard@overeasy.com.sg

CIRQUE LE SOIR AT CE LA VI

A human pincushion, a fire breather and a performer who combines drumming with swallowing tricks will be bringing the bizarre and outrageous to rooftop nightclub Ce La Vi Singapore for Halloween.

They are from the famed outlandish London nightclub Cirque le Soir, who was at Ce La Vi last year, too, for its Halloween party.

Where: SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands, Tower 3, 1 Bayfront Avenue When: Oct 29, 9pm till late

Admission: Online early-bird price of $48 (inclusive of one house pour) or $68 at the door

Info: sg.celavi.com

Family-friendly spooks

PARADE OF THE DEAD

Scary clowns will invade Downtown East's D'Resort next weekend as part of the Parade Of The Dead. They will be walking around the resort and barbecue pits and guests and members of the public are welcome to join the procession.

They can also take part in the Circus Carnival, which has Halloween face painting, games and tarot card readings.

Where: Rainforest Terrace, D'Resort, Downtown East, 1 Pasir Ris Close

When: Oct 29, 7 to 10pm Admission: Free

Info: www.downtowneast.com.sg

THE NOT-SO-CREEPY HALLOWEEN

Send your child on a secret mission at the Science Centre Singapore to catch villains scattered throughout the centre and unravel the science behind their destructive plots.

They might run into Lady Rust and learn how environmental conditions affect the rusting of metals. And an encounter with Lord Rubbor will show why electricity requires a conductor to flow.

Over at Snow City, an indoor snow centre, the kids can sit in for a spooky storytelling session or go trick-or-treating in the snow.

Where: Science Centre Singapore, 15 Science Centre Road

When: Oct 29 to 31, 10am to 6pm

Admission: $5 for each trail booklet in addition to admission charges to the Science Centre. Suitable for kids aged five and older. Standard charges apply for entry to Snow City activities.

Info: www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/halloween.aspx

HALLOWEEN FUN IN THE HEARTLAND

The Halloween festivities are spreading to the suburbs as grassroots organisations organise familyfriendly events at community clubs (CC).

One example is the sixth edition of the Woodlands Fright Night happening tomorrow and on Sunday at the Woodlands Community Club.

Older kids can head into the haunted house maze while the younger ones can hop on a haunted train.

Over at Potong Pasir Community Club, the three storeys of the building will be converted into a Paranormal High School on Oct 28 and 29.

Participants will be armed with Nerf blasters as they make their way through scare zones where ghosts lurk. They also have to solve puzzles while at it.

Recommended for children older than seven.

Where: Various locations including Woodlands CC, 1 Woodlands Street 81; and Potong Pasir CC, 6 Potong Pasir Avenue 2

When: Throughout the month. The event at Woodlands CC takes place tomorrow and on Sunday from 5 to 10pm; the event at Potong Pasir CC is on Oct 28 and 29 from 6pm till late.

Admission: Depends on the event. $1 for entry into Woodlands Fright Night and $15 for Paranormal High School Info: Check with the CC if it has a Halloween event lined up

This article was first published on October 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The difficulty some people have with long-term memory loss in old age could be linked to an abnormally high level of zinc in a special region in the brain, suggests a new finding by Singapore scientists.

The team of three from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that the drug TPEN could help to reverse this.

Zinc is a mineral - found in food like cabbage and shiitake mushrooms - that is essential for a body to function well, playing a role in maintaining a person's sense of smell and a healthy immune system.

It is also found in the nerve cells in the brain's hippocampus, a region associated with learning and long-term memory, where it helps the cells to communicate with one another.

While previous research found that the level of zinc in the blood declines as a person ages, the researchers from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine claim that their study on animals indicates a significant increase in zinc in the hippocampus of aged brains.

They believe the level of zinc in the blood does not accurately represent the amount of zinc in the brain, and that their finding warrants further investigation.

The study was published recently in peer-reviewed scientific journal Aging Cell.

The scientists believe that the increase in zinc likely happens due to malfunctioning "transporters".

"These transporters within the hippocampus work as gatekeepers that ensure there is not too much or too little zinc," explained Assistant Professor Sajikumar Sreedharan, who led the study.

"But they go awry in advanced ageing," he added.

A study of rats found that this high level of zinc in the hippocampus - nearly doubled in an aged brain compared to an average adult brain - affects the animal's ability to form long-term memories.

Long-term memory is formed through a process called consolidation, where it is converted from short-term memory through association.

A person is more likely to remember the name of the wine he drank at his wedding than the wine he drank last week because in the first instance, the wine - which by itself is a short-term memory - is associated with his wedding, a strong memory.

The team found that this ability to associate is impaired when there is a high level of zinc in the hippocampus.

They also found that when they gave the drug TPEN to the rats, it helped restore their ability to associate and form long-term memories.

The drug is currently used only in pre-clinical studies. It has previously been used to study the role of zinc and how it is released in neurons.

Previous studies on animals have also suggested that a high-zinc diet leads to learning and memory deficits in old age.

"The common practice so far is to recommend the use of zinc supplements in old age as there is a lot of evidence that points to systemic zinc deficiency," said Dr Mahesh Shivarama Shetty, who recently obtained his PhD from NUS.

"What our study suggests is that perhaps you should rethink whether taking a lot of zinc supplements is really helpful," he said.

Next, the team plans to do further studies on the malfunctioning transporters and to study the level of zinc in post-mortem human brain tissues of older people.

Professor Christiani Jeyakumar Henry, director of the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, said the NUS study further reinforces the link between diet and memory.

"The association between zinc and memory opens up a new line of research that attempts to understand how diet may be used to modulate many aspects of human brain activity," he said.

This article was first published on Oct 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Party fun or devilish chills? Treats or tricks?

If you're still scratching your head as to where to enjoy things macabre as the spooky Halloween mood creeps up on us, here are some suggestions - from mild ones that will not traumatise tots to those designed to give you a hair-raising experience.

For kids, family

1) Touted as a 'merry-not-scary kids event', Safari Boo is a family-style party which begins at dusk at the River Safari this weekend (Oct 21-23) and the next (Oct 28-30).

Themed Aliens and Monsters, the 6-10pm event will thrill kids and visitors with an underwater performance featuring four 'mermaids' swimming alongside some friendly manatees.

Although the event also offers encounters with 'monsters' and 'aliens', they are unlikely to be scary enough to send kids screaming for mummy. Put on monster or alien outfits as a family during Monster Boo! time at 'Area 51' and stand a chance to win prizes.

Lastly, be warned: Look out for tricks as you're trying to reach out for the tempting treats. Website: https://safariboo.wrs.com.sg

2) Another suitable outing for kids is 'The Not So Creepy Halloween' at Singapore Science Centre.

The day event on Oct 30 - 31 allows participants to play undercover agents on a 'top secret' mission to nab the super villains who have taken over the building.

Wear your best costume for an Instagram shot and stand to win a magnetism kit worth $49.90.

3) Even the government's clubhouse HomeTeamNS Sembawang is jumping on the bandwagon with 'Terroween'.

Enjoy a 'Boo-fay" with tricks and treats, party games, a treasure hunt, tarot card reading at its 'House of Torment' tomorrow night (Oct 22). Scoot for your life if you bump into a serial killer.

Open to HomeTeam, Safra and PAssion members, but they can bring their family and friends. Suitable for kids who are accompanied by adults. Website: http://www.hometeamns.sg

4) Cold Storage Spooktacular Carnival on Oct 29 is probably the least scary event for kids.

They can take part in a record-breaking feat for the "Most Number of Halloween Pumpkins Painted"! at Guthrie House. The pumpkins and painting kits are limited, so sign up quick via this link - goo.gl/UbvwrR

You and your family can try to win Halloween hampers in the 'best-dressed' and 'scariest roar' contests. Other activities include face-painting, balloon sculpture and Lolli Spider workshops.

Details at Cold Storage Facebook page.

5) If you've laughed your head off at Florence Foster Jenkins' bad singing of opera (as seen in the movie showing currently), you might be tickled again at OperaCalypse Now!

Presented by L'arietta Productions, a chamber opera company, the musical fantasy takes you to a bizarre world of asteroid disasters and brain-chomping zombies accompanied with piercing screams and quirky arias.

The plot: Love in catastrophic times. Nov 5 - 8 at Aliwal Arts Centre. This post-Halloween event is suitable for the whole family. Giggles and squeals are welcome.

Details at http://lariettasg.peatix.com
 

For party-lovers

1) Rooftop skybar CÉ LA VI at Marina Bay Sands is bringing back London's award-winning boutique club Cirque Le Soir for another thrilling experience this Halloween.

If you don't want the magicians, acrobats, clowns or sword swallowers to steal the show on Oct 29, then come dressed in your best Halloween costume. You stand a chance to snag a magnum bottle of champagne when you post your picture with the hashtag #CLVFreaks.

From 9pm till late. For more details, visit http://sg.celavi.com

2) If you're familiar with Zouk's legendary Halloween parties, you need not be reminded that entry is free for all those in a full costume. But entry is not guaranteed if the club is already full, so arrive early on Oct 29.

To give you an idea as to what to wear, the theme is The Scream Diner in a 1950s setting.

Be warned: Party-goers gulping burgers and alcoholic slushies might go 'missing'. As the plot unfolds, the prime suspect will go missing too. Don't bother figuring it out now - just enjoy the suspense as you get entrapped in the confines of 17 Jiak Kim Street.

Why you should be there: The best Halloween getup stands a chance to win a combination of cash prizes, ZoukOut VIP tickets and accommodation at W Singapore - Sentosa Cove during ZoukOut plus flights to your favourite cities in Asia which offer unique party experiences.

Furthermore, the winner of the best #ZoukHalloween social media post will win a 2D1N stay at Resorts World Sentosa BeachVillas. More details at http://zoukclub.com

3) OverEasy Orchard is also offering an American Diner theme, but it will be a Battle Royale between costumed fighters. Come dressed as Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris or Sigourney Weaver for a campy fight night on Oct 29.

The nastiest 'baddie' will win a holiday to Bali. Details in OverEasy Facebook page.

4) Slip into your horror-party best before you pub crawl at Clarke Quay on Oct 29. Clubs and bars like Attica, Crazy Elephant, Harry's, Highlander, Hooters, Paulaner and Prive will also take part in 'Nightmare on Clarke Street' with spooky-themed entertainment and drinks.

Photo opportunities abound at creepy stops such as 'Clarke Quay Abandoned Hotel' (near the taxi stand) and 'The Bloody Butcher Shop' (near Tan Tye Gate). More details athttp://www.capitalandmallasia.com.sg

Not for the faint-hearted

1) An intense roller coaster of traumatic extremes could make this the mother of all Halloween events in Singapore.

Universal Studios Singapore has launched Halloween Horror Nights, a massive scare fest every night from now till Oct 31.

You'll get to check out not one, but five 'haunted' buildings and two 'scare' zones, all fleshing out frightful scenes from true horror tales at notoriously haunted places in Singapore and abroad.

Fat hope if you think an escape from nightmarish hell is possible. You are likely to see yourself fleeing from the old Changi Hospital to Salem Witch House. Or running into all kinds of ghouls or a pile of dead bodies with the revolting smell of rotting flesh.

For details, visit www.halloweenhorrornights.com.sg

330738

Photo Gallery

Lingering souls at haunted houses of USS' Halloween Horror Nights

Source:

The Straits Times

The New Paper

2) Bugis Street will not just be about shopping fun when the landmark market village presents Nightmare On Bugis Street.

This year's Halloween event promises to be bigger and scarier, with two scare zones, dark alleys, creepy puppets and prison inmates.

If you're scared stiff after the event, nurse yourself back to sanity with some late-night retail therapy. There will also be a flea market and thumping music by a DJ. This event will be held nightly from Oct 28 to Nov 5. Check out Bugis Street Facebook page.
 

3) SCAPE's The Ground Theatre will be turned into The Doll Factory in its sixth edition of Museum of Horrors from Oct 26 to Nov 6. The plot is no fairy tale: A deranged doll maker murders his family in order to preserve them as dolls forever. Expect terrifying screams, bodies in a slaughterhouse, vengeful 'souls' at a graveyard and creepy dolls.

If you manage to get out of a dark maze, drop by at the gift shop. You never know who or what will follow you after you have snagged a queer knick-knack.

Find out more at http://museumofhorrors.peatix.com/

chenj@sph.com.sg

Two e-scooters were seized by the authorities over the past week as part of a crackdown on reckless riders here, even as calls have been made by the public to ban the devices in the wake of recent incidents of riders caught on video travelling on roads.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it had carried out several enforcement operations over the past few weeks on e-scooter users who had been riding recklessly and at high speeds on roads as well as footpaths.

This was in response to complaints.

An e-scooter was seized on Tuesday as part of operations carried out at Upper Aljunied Road.

The rider, who had been speeding on the road, is assisting the LTA with investigations.

Another e-scooter was also confiscated on Saturday as part of enforcement operations in Yishun.

Said the LTA: "We take this opportunity to remind all e-scooter riders that it is an offence to use their personal mobility devices on the road and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action against any rider found doing so."

Those who use unauthorised vehicles such as e-scooters on roads face a fine of up to $2,000 or a jail term of up to three months for the first offence if convicted.

News of the clampdown comes after a number of videos depicting unsafe actions by e-scooter users went viral over the past week.

A video taken last Friday showed a man on an e-scooter, said to have been travelling at about 50kmh along Aljunied Road, riding beside a bus.

Another shows an e-scooter user riding in the middle lane of what is believed to be Serangoon Road, surrounded by traffic.

A third video shows six e-scooter users, said to be moving at about 80 or 90kmh, racing down a deserted stretch of road. It is not known when or where the video was taken.

The videos sparked calls by members of the public for stricter regulations on the devices, with some even saying that they should be banned.

Victor Lee, general manager of e-scooter distributor Falcon PEV, said banning was "too serious a call" given that most users are law-abiding.

He added that as an additional safety measure, e-scooter users could be licensed.

Chairman of e-scooter enthusiast group Big Wheel Scooter Singapore Denis Koh said it was doubtful that e-scooters would be outlawed, given the effort that had been put into coming up with the proposed regulations.

"I don't think that there will be a reversal of any proposals because of a few black sheep," added Mr Koh, who sat on the Active Mobility Advisory Panel that proposed regulations for the safe use of personal mobility devices.

There were 27 accidents involving e-bikes last year, five of which were fatal.

Though these raised concerns about the safety of e-bikes, they were not banned.

Instead, since December last year, e-bikes have faced stricter regulations.

These include having a maximum speed of 25kmh and a maximum weight of 20kg.

Get MyPaper for more stories.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will engage a conservation specialist to advise on how best to minimise the impact of upcoming tunnel works on the historic 1924 Ellison building.

The authorities had said in August that one of the building's nine units would be torn down to make way for the upcoming North-South Corridor, a 21.5km expressway.

They said then that the building's demolished corner - comprising house numbers 235, 237 and 239 - would be rebuilt once the tunnel is completed in 2026.

This was despite the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) conservation gazette of the building at the junction of Selegie and Rochor Canal roads.

It was constructed by Romanian Jew Isaac Ellison and is known for its cupolas and the Star of David on its facade.

The news led heritage lovers to express concern and appeal to the authorities to reconsider.

Yesterday, both LTA and URA told The Straits Times that implementation plans will be finalised only after the completion of the conservation specialist's report and discussions with heritage groups.

Some observers said this appears to be a turnaround, after both agencies had earlier said it was not possible to completely avoid the building "in order to realise an important national infrastructure" as a section of it lies along the corridor's alignment.

But LTA said yesterday the intention to hire a conservation expert had always been part of the plan.

Both LTA and URA said they had met heritage experts twice this month and had engaged the heritage groups to hear their views on possible measures to protect Ellison Building during the construction process.

ST understands these sessions were attended by representatives from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos) Singapore, the Singapore Heritage Society, the Singapore Institute of Architects and a heritage blogger.

The experts said they suggested several other possibilities at the first session.

These included: propping the structure up and strengthening the foundation while the corridor is built; providing underpinning support for the building while works are being done; and gutting out the first floor, while propping up, reinforcing and retaining the second floor.

NMP Kok Heng Leun, who was at the first meeting, urged the authorities to consult earlier before decisions are made.

He said: "The conversation should start earlier..."Conservation is never an argument against development and conservationists cannot be seen as hindering development."

Get MyPaper for more stories.

A fire broke out at Raffles Girls' School at Anderson Road on Wednesday (Oct 19) evening.

Singapore Civil Defence Force said the fire started in the science laboratory.

Seventeen staff were evacuated and no injuries were reported. 

SCDF received the call at 7.33pm. 

The fire was extinguished shortly after SCDF arrived at the school.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This article was first published on October 19, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - A temporary market for stallholders who lost their livelihoods when a fire swept through a wet market and coffee shop in Jurong last week will be built before Chinese New Year.

Jurong GRC MP Ang Wei Neng, who held a closed-door meeting with 26 stallholders on Wednesday (Oct 19), said a majority of them - more than 80 per cent of those who turned up - had agreed to take up stalls at the market.

Stallholders will pay a rent of $800 per month, excluding utilities and conservancy charges, similar to what they pay currently.

The temporary market is part of a plan to help stallholders after a blaze engulfed their premises at Block 493 and Block 494 on Oct 11.

332030

Photo Gallery

Fire destroys Jurong coffeeshop and wet market

Source:

The New Paper

The Straits Times

Shin Min Daily News

Lianhe Wanbao

Berita Harian

A 41-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly starting the fire.

Rebuilding a new permanent market is expected to take more than a year.

Demolition of Block 493, which housed the wet market, started on Wednesday (Oct19) and will take about three weeks to complete, said the Housing Board(HDB).

Stallholders, however, were unable to retrieve items from their stalls as the building structure had worsened over the past few days.

Allowing them to enter the site would have endangered their lives, said HDB, adding that even the workers belonging to a HDB-appointed professional engineer were barred from going in.

The demolition will start from the roof. Long-arm crushers and excavators will be used to bring down the roof, and crush and flatten the building.

A small section of car park J54, near Blocks 493 and 494 will be boarded up to facilitate the works, which will be carried out from Monday to Saturday between 8am to 7pm. Police officers will be around to maintain order at the site.

HDB said it will "do its best" to minimise inconvenience to surrounding residents.

Only four stallholders have taken up an offer of alternative stalls by the National Environment Agency, which would allow them to resume business within a month.

Most of the others have applied for stalls located in the west.

A job fair featuring 16 employers, mostly from the food and beverage industry, will also be held next Thursday (Oct 27) at Jurong Green Community Centre to help affected stallholders.

This article was first published on October 19, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

He proudly poses with his handiwork on Facebook.

Using the name Arjan Pheimrung Wanchanna, he displays for sale items such as snake and animal skin amulets, little monkey skulls, crocodile heads and other charms.

This man is one of the many Thai Arjans, or spiritual masters, who visit Singapore regularly to perform blessings and spiritual tattooing.

However, his use of animal parts in amulets has put him in the crosshairs of at least one anti-trafficking non-governmental organisation (NGO), Global Eye.

What was even more shocking was Arjan Pheim's offer of more powerful charms.

332982

Photo Gallery

Human foetuses smuggled into S'pore; illegal animal parts sold online

Source:

Facebook screengrab

Screengrabs from Carousell

WeChat

In an exclusive interview, Global Eye operatives told The New Paper that Arjan Pheim had claimed that he could smuggle human foetuses, dead tiger cubs and adult skull fragments into Singapore.

Posing as interested buyers, the operatives met the Thai in a hotel room at Joo Chiat Road in March this year.

They secretly recorded the meeting, during which Arjan Pheim said in Thai: "I can guarantee. I have shipped (contraband wildlife and human parts) to Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and China."

He also showed them pictures of his illegal merchandise on his mobile phone (which has been reproduced in a TNP video clip).

He also had images of a wet-looking tiger cub in a translucent pail and what looked to be a complete leopard skin.

More disturbing were pictures of a dried human-like foetus with the eyes and tiny fingers clearly visible. He later showed other samples of "ready-to-sell" foetuses wrapped in gold leaf.

The trafficking of wildlife and the smuggling of human parts are illegal in Singapore.

DEEPLY DISTURBED

Global Eye chief executive officer Fiachra Kearney told TNP that traders such as Arjan Pheim not only destroy animal species, but "also destroy our dignity as human beings".

Mr Kearney said: "The Arjans kill and mutilate beautiful animals in the name of spiritual benefit, and how the drying of human beings benefits our collective spiritual well-being is something I can never understand.

"I imagine many Singaporeans would be deeply disturbed to know that these Arjans are entering their country and selling these items."

TNP learnt of Arjan Pheim's visits to Singapore late last year. Our investigations revealed that some Singaporeans and local amulet shops had promoted his illicit merchandise on their Facebook and Carousell pages.

We also found posts offering to sell dried female genitalia, or what is known as Yoni, and oil purportedly made from a female corpse.

TNP alerted the Singapore authorities, as well as Global Eye when other visiting Arjans were also found to be touting similar banned charms.

Arjan Pheim even told the undercover operatives that his products are illegal in both Thailand and Singapore.

Describing how he would smuggle a dead tiger cub into Singapore, he said: "You pack it with toys. It's all right. Lukok size is small. Not big size."

Claiming to have two dead tiger cubs, also known as tiger lukok, Arjan Pheim said that each would cost 70,000 baht (S$2,700). The operatives left the meeting with samples of animal skin amulets.

In Thailand, the use of human foetuses for occult purposes is not uncommon, a senior police officer in Chiang Mai told TNP during a telephone interview in June.

Major-General Pacha Rattanapan said he once investigated a case of four dead foetuses found near a temple in 2015 following the arrest of a man.

ABORTION CLINICS

He said that the foetuses were usually acquired from abortion clinics, adding: "After a woman has an abortion, the remainder (foetus) is then thrown away, and there are people who will purchase them to make Kuman Thongs (child spirits)."

He said the trading of foetuses is "illegal under Thai laws" because it is similar to concealing a corpse and not declaring a death.

The chief abbot of a Thai temple in Singapore said the Arjans' activities are not related to Buddhism.

Said Phrakhru Udom of Uttamayanmuni Buddhist Temple in Choa Chu Kang: "Arjans are not part of the Buddhist Sangha (community). Nowadays, there are a lot of cari makan (Malay for profiteering) Arjans."

Mr Ricardo Choo, who authored The Spirit & Voodoo World of Thailand in 2011, said Arjans come to Singapore because there is a lucrative market.

He told TNP: "The cost price (of a human foetus) is $2,000. Some people are willing to pay $4,000 to $5,000 in Singapore."

TNP understands that during his time in Singapore, Arjan Pheim was preparing four dead tiger cubs to be sold as "good luck charms".

He did not respond to TNP's request for an interview.

Smuggling in human parts is against the law

It is illegal to smuggle human parts into Singapore.

Shipping restrictions exist for human remains, including ashes, which have been classified as prohibited items for import into Singapore, said the Singapore Post website.

A permit is required from the National Environment Agency to transfer human remains from overseas to Singapore for cremation or burial.

But Arjan Pheimrung Wanchanna's purpose for bringing human parts here is not for burial - they are to be used as powerful charms.

He admitted to previously smuggling amulets made from protected wildlife and human parts like foetuses and skull bones into the region, including Singapore.

Doing so is illegal, lawyer S. Balamurugan told The New Paper.

He said: "There is a dearth of cases relating specifically to the smuggling and sale of human body parts, but this has been addressed in the Human Biomedical Research Act 2015, which prohibits the commercial trading of human tissue under Section 32.

"Nevertheless, the buying or selling of human organs or human blood is currently prohibited under section 14 of the Human Organ Transplant Act (Hota)."

Anyone found guilty of breaching Hota can be fined up to $100,000 or jailed up to 10 years, or both.

The snake and supposed "tiger" skin amulets, which Arjan Pheim gave to the two undercover operatives from Global Eye, were surrendered to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore.

Tests showed that the skin samples were from a leopard cat and a reticulated python. Both are protected species.

Anyone found possessing, selling or advertising endangered species which have been imported without a permit faces a fine of up to $50,000 per specimen (with a maximum of $500,000) and/or a jail sentence of up to two years.

The same penalties apply if netizens are caught advertising or selling illegal wildlife - whether real or fake - on the Internet.

This article was first published on October 20, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

Trouble has erupted at MindChamps Reading & Writing at One KM in Tanjong Katong.

Seven trainers and two administrative staff at the centre have alleged that they were taken by surprise when the school closed early last month without notice.

They also told The New Paper (TNP) they have not been paid since July 21.

The first sign of trouble was when Mr Jack Ye Junfeng, 39, and Mr Daniel Ding Runqiang, 38, the two directors of MindChamps Reading & Writing at One KM, did not show up for work in August.

Ms Faith L, a trainer in her 30s, said: "We were notified (by the headquarters) to continue teaching and were assured that we will be paid."

But on Sept 11, the shutters came down.

"It was only when a parent called to ask why lessons had stopped that the staff found out," she told TNP.

When contacted, Mr Ye said he is no longer a director of MindChamps Reading & Writing at One KM.

"I had been voted out in August so I cannot speak on behalf of the centre," he said.

But when asked for details on who voted him out and when the vote was held, Mr Ye declined to comment further.

His partner, Mr Ding, could not be reached and his mobile phone line is no longer in use.

When TNP team visited the shop unit on the third storey of One KM, its shutters were down.

Other tenants at the shopping mall said the centre had been closed for about a month.

Established in 2008 by founder David Chiem, MindChamps Holdings commands the largest market share among premium pre-schools in Singapore, with more than 30 MindChamps PreSchools and MindChamps Reading and Writing Centres islandwide.

Its director of communications Greg Parker told TNP in an e-mail that the MindChamps Reading & Writing at One KM was a franchise and, as one, "it is ultimately owned by the franchisee who is responsible for the running of the business and all associated costs".

But it had "failed to meet MindChamps HQ's stringent quality control" and therefore its franchise licence has been revoked.

One of the trainers, Miss Dolma T, who would say only that she is in her 20s, confirmed this.

PROGRAMMES

"Their programmes are excellent, but they didn't focus on training the teachers or paying us on time," she said.

Mr Parker said the headquarters had stepped in to "service all One KM centre students" and fully refunded those who chose not to continue.

He also said that MindChamps has "ensured that the employees were paid up to the end of August".

"We understand some employees are still owed about a week's wages which were accrued in September," he said.

"We are supporting those employees in claiming for their unpaid wages from the franchisee through the small claims court.

"If they fail to claim back their money from the franchisee, we will also make good on any remaining unpaid wages.

"In addition, we also offered positions to those employees at HQ and other centres."

But several trainers said they are still owed their salaries from between July 21 and Sept 11.

Miss Dolma said she is still owed a month's salary of $1,500.

"I think HQ only paid the full timers. We have had to go to MOM (Ministry of Manpower) ourselves to put up a claim. I just feel that this whole thing has just been handled irresponsibly," she said.

The first case will be heard in the Labour Court today at 8.30am.

Read also: California Fitness shuts all branches in Singapore

Read also: $20.8m owed to California Fitness members

This article was first published on October 20, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

The Government has met the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS), in the wake of a statement by the religious body urging the authorities to review the decision to allow two operators to offer online betting services.

After the meeting, the council, which represents more than 250 churches here, said yesterday it now recognises that the Government's decision is a "judgment call".

In a new statement to its members, NCCS said: "Given the data on the current remote gambling landscape, the Government deems this to be the best approach to mitigate driving remote gambling activities underground and exacerbating law and order concerns.

"The Government acknowledges the council's deep concern about the negative social consequences of legalising two remote gambling platforms, and will regularly monitor the overall impact."

The council had put out an initial statement two weeks ago, saying it "finds it difficult" to accept the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) rationale that a complete ban would only drive remote gambling underground, making it harder to detect.

This "cannot be the best option for Singapore", the NCCS said then.

Since then, its representatives have had a "candid and important face-to-face discussion" with MHA and the Ministry of Social and Family Development, said the council.

It said the Government "is willing to proactively strengthen the family and social environment to prevent and mitigate the harmful consequences of online gambling".

The Government has proposed to meet council leaders in the next three to six months "to take this further".

Last month, MHA gave the green light to allow Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club to conduct online betting.

These will be rolled out on Oct 25 and Nov 15 respectively.

The authorities' approval followed applications by the local operators to be exempted from the Remote Gambling Act passed by Parliament two years ago, banning phone and online gambling.

NCCS was the first religious body to weigh in, saying the Government is sending "confusing and conflicting signals".

Yesterday, the council said that at the meeting, the Government explained this was not the case.

This is because when the Act was passed in 2014, the authorities had already said some exemptions would be given as they did not think a complete ban would work.

The Act, including the provision of exempt operators, was also discussed with social service leaders and religious representatives before it was passed.

During the meeting, the Government maintained that allowing exempt operators to provide online gambling services under stringent controls is the best approach to contain any adverse social consequences - a conclusion based on its assessment of possible scenarios.

But the council added that it still has its reservations about this conclusion, arguing that the family and social fabric of Singapore is "currently not strong enough" to provide the safeguards against problem gambling.

It said it will be rolling out a slew of measures to address the harmful consequences of online gambling.

The first is to set up a task force to explore ways to strengthen the family and Singapore's social fabric; to care for problem gamblers within and outside of their congregations; and to work with the Roman Catholic Church, other faith communities and the Government on this area.

The second is to publish a tract on gambling "that can be placed in the hands of every church member and can be used as the basis for teaching and discussion on the subject".

Lastly, the council aims to monitor the situation of online gambling closely and to provide feedback to the authorities with the aid of its member churches.

Other religious bodies have chimed in on the issue as well.

The Catholic Church on Oct 12 urged the Government to monitor the situation closely, and requested regular consultations and updates on the consequences of its decision.

Muslim leaders have also reminded the community about the ills of gambling - including online gambling, which they said is "firmly" prohibited in Islam.

In its letter, NCCS said it will always endeavour to "play its part as a responsible intermediate organisation to seek the welfare of our city-state and to work together with the Government and other religious and grassroots organisations to promote the common good".

This article was first published on Oct 20, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Officers from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) paid a visit to the Singapore Table Tennis Association's (STTA) Toa Payoh headquarters yesterday, with sources revealing that a national men's player and his relative were being investigated for alleged attempted bribery of an official from the national sports association.

The New Paper understands that national men's player Li Hu was the paddler in question, but it remained unclear what prompted the alleged bribery attempt that was brought to the attention of authorities by the STTA.

In addition to the paddler and his relative, the CPIB also took statements from STTA officials.

When contacted, the STTA declined to comment on the matter as investigations are ongoing.

In response to queries from The New Paper, the CPIB declined to ascertain facts of the case.

"Due to the nature of our work, we will not confirm or deny whether any individual or identity is being investigated for corrupt practices," said its statement.

Li is currently ranked 58th in the world and struck gold at the 2015 South-east Asia Games held in Singapore.

He was part of the men's winning team and partnered Gao Ning to win gold in the men's doubles gold. He also clinched a bronze in the mixed doubles.

He is the Republic's second highest ranked men's paddler, with Gao Ning sitting 17 spots above him in 41st spot.

While Gao made it to August's Rio Olympics, Li did not.

He was beaten to the qualifying spot by teammate Chen Feng (world No. 149) in the final of the South-east Asia segment of the table tennis Asia Olympic qualifiers in Hong Kong in June.

The men's team did not qualify for the Olympics.

This year, Li's best showing was a second-placed finish in the men's singles at the Australian Open.

This article was first published on October 20, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

Even as it expands its full-time degree offerings and places, SIM University has maintained its appeal among its key target group - working adults eager to pursue part-time degree studies.

The university, which looks set to become Singapore's sixth autonomous university, launched full-time degree programmes two years ago and now has 900 school leavers enrolled in six degree courses.

But based on enrolment figures released recently, its mainstay continues to be its 13,000 students enrolled in 60 part-time courses from counselling to accounting.

UniSIM said it continues to receive more than 5,000 applications a year from working adults and mature students who want to pursue a degree.

Communications, logistics and supply chain management, early childhood education, social work, and building and project management are among the courses that continue to draw students.

Nearly 400 people applied for the 60 places in UniSIM's law school, which starts its two new programmes in January.

The school, Singapore's third law school, hopes to plug a gap by training criminal and family lawyers.

UniSIM president Cheong Hee Kiat expects demand for its part-time degree courses to remain healthy over the next few years because of the SkillsFuture initiative, which encourages workers to update their skills to thrive in the workplace.

"Working adults want to further themselves in their career. Some want to make a switch. UniSIM offers them a flexible path to work and study for a degree at the same time," he said, noting that a UniSIM part-time student is 28 years old on average. Most have three to five years of work experience, and attain their degrees in four years.

He said one of the main draws is the Ministry of Education's (MOE) subsidy that covers 55 per cent of the tuition fees for Singaporeans. "It's recognition by MOE that UniSIM offers quality degrees."

Students say another draw is that the courses are job relevant and recognised by the industry.

Many of its 60 courses are accredited by professional bodies. Its popular accountancy degree, for instance, is recognised by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority.

Its Human Factors in Safety course is recognised by the Ministry of Manpower and meets a rising need for workplace safety and health professionals.

By 2018, 19,000 will be needed, up from the fewer than 5,000 now.

Professor Cheong also noted the good outcomes for UniSIM graduates.

In a survey last year, seven in 10 working adults reported a salary increase within a few years of graduating from UniSIM. The average increase in annual salary was 21 per cent.

UniSIM students welcomed the MOE's move to convert the university into an autonomous institution, saying this will boost its stature and the recognition of its degrees.

Said Ms Felicia Teo, 28, a business development executive who is studying for a marketing degree: "UniSIM is well thought of by employers. In fact, it was my employer who encouraged me to take up this course. But if it is on a par with the other five universities, then there would be even more recognition for my degree."

If the Government's proposal is accepted, then the privately run university will come under the ambit of the MOE and be fully funded by it.

Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung, who announced the proposal at UniSIM's convocation last week, pointed out that UniSIM has supported generations of working adults and mature learners.

Prof Cheong said UniSIM will keep its focus on applied learning and customising courses for working adults.

"UniSIM aims to become the standard bearer for continuing education and training," he said.

This article was first published on Oct 20, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A man is playing the mridangam drum on a makeshift stage in a courtyard at the Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown.

Across the courtyard, worshippers clasp their palms together in a show of devotion to the temple's deities, while volunteers nearby pluck neem leaves to prepare for prayers.

The festivities are part of the Navarathri festival, a nine-day celebration from Oct 1 to 10 that is part of the lead-up to the annual fire-walking festival to be held this Sunday.

Singapore's oldest Hindu temple has been a venue for the festival for more than 170 years.

"More than 4,000 male participants will walk on fire. It's one of the larger-scale festivals in the region," said chairman of the temple management committee S. Nallathamby, 57.

"During the ceremony, the grass patch is dug up and we replace it with charcoal," he added, pointing to the plot of land, about 6m by 3m, next to the stage.

333111

Photo Gallery

Oldest temple in S'pore draws crowds every day

Source:

The Straits Times

Devotees walk across hot coals in exchange for a wish or blessing granted by the goddess Draupadi.

The event has become so popular that the temple now streams a live telecast of the festival online for viewers to watch from home.

Visitorship to the temple throughout the year has also grown, said Mr Nallathamby.

Set up in 1827, the temple is the oldest in Singapore and was gazetted as a national monument in 1973.

Today, it hosts around 300 tourists on any given day, up from about 100 from five years ago, Mr Nallathamby said.

It is also on more travel itineraries.

"Whoever goes to Chinatown, will visit the temple," he said, adding that more tourists are bused to the temple as well.

He said: "In the old days, there were not so many visitors... there was not so much awareness. Today, it is so widely publicised, also because of social media... It has a lot of history behind it and that probably brings the crowd."

First built as a humble wood and attap structure in 1827, the Sri Mariamman Temple was founded by Penang government clerk Naraina Pillai, who accompanied Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, on his second visit to the island in 1819.

Many of the temple's early devotees were Hindus who came from South India to Singapore to work as coolies, craftsmen or merchants.

The temple was a place of lodging for new immigrants till the 1900s, and also the registry of marriages, births and deaths for Hindus.

Mr Nallathamby remembers his visits during the 1960s. "As a child, I used to go with my parents to the temple, we were living close by in Tanjong Pagar," he said.

"In the early days, the place didn't have paved stones. It used to be full of sand. As kids, we used to play around with the sand."

Entire families would go to the temple on Fridays. Children would play while the parents prayed. "It was a space of social gatherings."

For retiree Ratha Krishan, 69, who started visiting the temple regularly after meeting his wife when he was 18, it is a special place.

"I was a little rascal before that," he laughed. "After I met my wife, I started going to the temple to pray and I feel changed."

The temple houses statues of deities such as Sri Ramar and Sri Murugan, each in a colourful shrine. It also has a wedding hall.

The temple has a tower crowning its entrance in South Bridge Road. The five-tiered structure is carved with images of Hindu deities, abstract floral decorations and Indian sepoys from the times of the British Raj.

Inside, the main deity Sri Mariamman faces the entrance to the east, where the sun rises.

"In the old days, before people had electricity, the rising sun would light up the whole temple," said Mr Nallathamby.

Over the years, the temple has gone through several restoration exercises, with the latest in 2009.

Long-time temple goers still maintain a deep connection with the place, no matter how it looks on the surface.

"The bond I have with this temple goes a long way," said Mr Nallathamby.

This article was first published on Oct 20, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The word sticks in the craw.

We are constantly told how glib, torpid, and entitled they are.

In youth speak, they are the worst.

But a casual experiment here at The Business Times (BT) has shown them to be less uniform than thought.

Their spending habits, in particular, turned out to be extremely diverse - informed more by their parents' wealth and largesse, and less by some notional demographic common ground.

Coined in 2000 by researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss, the term "millennials" refers to those born in 1982 and some 20 years thereafter.

While Mssrs Howe and Strauss saw the young generation as one full of promise - their book was titled "Millennials Rising" - the term has acquired a pejorative patina over time.

Three years ago, Time Magazine famously characterised millennials as "the me me me generation" - "lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents".

It's a stereotype that lives on, especially in the financial sense.

A 2012 study by the Pew Research Institute found that about one-fifth of millennials in their 20s still draw an allowance from their parents or family.

More middle-aged parents say they are the primary source of financial support for their adult kids, too.

Even so, these statistics are based on millennials in the US; what does the picture look like in Singapore?

With a bumper crop of interns this year, BT decided to conduct its own non-scientific investigation.

We asked 13 young millennials - comprising 11 interns and two temp staff - to meticulously track their expenditure every day, over four weeks.

Three were in their teens, eight were aged 20 to 25, and the two temps were older than 25 but under 30.

Hilarious one moment and heartbreaking the next, these are their stories.

First, the basics: Where their spending money came from. For starters, our interns drew a salary of either S$550 (polytechnic students) or S$800 (university students).

The temp workers were paid more, although BT is not disclosing these figures.

On top of their salaries, eight of the 11 interns continued to receive an allowance from their parents or family - with the lowest monthly sum being S$100, and the highest, S$800.

Three had other part-time jobs to raise additional cash - one babysat on the weekends, while two gave tuition to younger students.

These different streams of income meant widely varying levels of purchasing power.

The interns had disposable incomes ranging from S$650 to more than S$2,000.

But when it came to spending within their means, only half - or seven of the 13 millennials - managed it.

Three weren't able to say for sure, because they failed to track their spending diligently; the other three ended up spending more than they earned.

Profligacy and prudence

The three who spent beyond their means were female, and in every case, big-ticket shopping items were the culprits.

For example, one spent S$3,000 on a Tod's handbag, with her parents forking out half of the money required.

A further S$375 was spent on a Kate Spade bag, this time without her parents' help.

Explaining why her parents agreed to help her pay for the Tod's bag, the intern says: "They knew that I had wanted that Tod's bag for quite long, so they said: 'Why don't you save up half, then we'll pay for the other half,' (because they knew) there's no way I can produce S$3,000 for a Tod's bag."

Another intern, meanwhile, spent almost two grand in four weeks on clothing, accessories, make-up, as well as hair and skin care: S$1,040 on clothes, bags, and shoes from online retailers ASOS and Shopbop; S$300 on "lotions and potions" from Amazon; S$364 on make-up from various brands at Takashimaya; and S$195 on three jars of Dior moisturiser.

Taken together, this came up to S$1,899.

She paid for less than half of this herself, and her parents footed the rest of it.

She knows that this sounds extravagant. Hair and skin care, as well as make-up, are "investments in (her)self", she believes.

"I see these as necessities, but I think my understanding of what I 'need' in life is a little bit warped," she says.

"I'm the kind of person who says I can't survive without my Clarisonic."

(For the uninitiated, Clarisonics are a high-end brand of motorised facial cleansing brushes, that cost upwards of S$200.)

To be sure, these interns were only able to splash out on pricey goods because of their parents' perpetual succour.

Indeed, the more prodigal ones tended to have greater parental financial support.

The first intern, for instance, was given an Audi that she cannot drive, because she does not yet have a driver's licence.

The second intern's parents match her salary "as an incentive for (her) to work" - effectively doubling her monthly income.

Other parents, though, take a wholly different approach.

One intern is expected to contribute a portion of her salary towards the family's car loan.

She has also been told that once she graduates and gets a full-time job, she will have to help service her parents' mortgage as well.

333438

Photo Gallery

Spending habits of millennials in Singapore

Source:

The Business Times

Another intern describes her family as "not very well-to-do".

Her four-room HDB flat houses 10 people - her father, stepmother, grandfather, grandmother, two siblings, two step-siblings, and a helper. Her bedroom is shared four ways: with her sister, stepsister, and helper.

She gets no allowance from her divorced parents; it is her grandfather who gives her S$10 a day as pocket money.

Because this excludes Saturday and Sunday, this adds up to S$200 in allowance per month - a quarter of what some of her peers receive.

It's a sum she feels guilty accepting, too, given that her grandfather is already in his 70s.

The 19-year-old says: "I grew up in a family where it was my grandpa who was always giving us an allowance.

Because of that, he's still working in some shipping company.

"I feel bad because I still get an allowance; it should be the other way around.

"So when I make a big purchase - my phone, or my laptop - I'll work and save it to buy it on my own, instead of having to make (my family) pay.

It makes me understand how difficult it is to earn money, and how easy it is to just spend it."

For her, part-time jobs have been par for the course since she was 17, when she entered the working world as a Starbucks barista.

In the two years since, she has rolled sushi at Makisan, curated tours at the Mint Museum of Toys, handled events at Culinaryon, and waitressed at Marina Bay Sands.

Unsurprisingly, she was one of the thriftiest in the BT group - often paying less than S$5 per meal, staying in on weekends, and taking public transport with her student concession pass.

What's trending

Despite being such a variegated bunch, BT's millennials showed some commonality in their spending habits - particularly with regard to food, transport, and entertainment.

For one thing, most of them ate pretty poorly. Several favoured cup noodles for dinner, with one intern confessing: "I realise it's bad for my health, but I really love it."

Breakfast choices were also not the most fresh or nutritious.

One intern spent S$9 on breakfast at doughnut store Krispy Kreme, while another frequently ate at McDonald's for his first meal of the day - at least once each week.

In fact, McDonald's was a popular choice among the group.

One intern, for instance, ate six dinners and one lunch at the fast food chain - chalking up seven meals at McDonald's over 20 work days.

For transportation, most preferred to use their student concession passes for public transit.

But a sizeable number - five, to be exact - travelled exclusively by private car hires.

This didn't necessarily translate into more money for taxi companies like ComfortDelGro, because only one of the five would flag down such cabs.

The rest - two temps, two interns - only used ride-booking apps like Uber and Grab.

When asked why, one intern says: "I dunno leh, I don't like that taxi car smell."

He later qualifies his answer: "I don't, like, hate taxis. It's just about what's more convenient or faster."

This intern favoured Grab over Uber because of the former's fixed-rate system - where one is told from the outset how much the ride will cost.

"Uber can be cheaper than Grab, but the fares are not fixed.

So if you're stuck in a jam or the driver takes a longer route, (you'll end up paying more). But with Grab, the fee is fixed from the beginning; I like knowing how much I'm spending before I get into the car," he says.

(Since Aug 31, Uber has instituted upfront fares in Singapore.

Explaining the move, Uber said: "Based on tests in other cities, riders request more trips if they are offered an upfront price.

In other cities like the US, trip requests increased even during surge times.")

This affinity for on-demand services also manifests in the way they consume movies, TV shows, and music. At least five members of the group subscribe to a music- or movie-streaming service such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Netflix.

One millennial even pays US$6 a month for membership with SuperChillin.net - an invite-only website described as "an illegal movie streaming paradise".

He likes the illicit site because it boasts current-season TV episodes and movies - which kosher providers like Netflix aren't always able to offer.

That doesn't mean every millennial is necessarily pouncing on new and techie things, though.

The same intern who uses Uber, Apple Music, and SuperChillin.net also still buys physical books, or borrows them from the library.

"I've tried using my sister's Kindle, but I still prefer to have the physical heft (of a book) in my hand," he says.

Other minutiae

Trawling through 13 millennials' spending records can make one feel like a financial Peeping Tom.

One intern included a line item for 72 condoms for S$58.

In a footnote, she wrote: "We buy these things in bulk online because 1. it's cheaper, and 2. we're lazy to keep repurchasing.

We typically go through 12 a month, so I guess you can 'amortise' the total cost over six months? S$58/24weeks = S$2.40 per week.

So I guess the cost for this week should be S$2.40 instead of S$58? LOL..."

Other spreadsheets revealed intimate details too, albeit of a different nature.

One chronicled almost-daily charitable contributions - S$2 here to an aunty selling tissue paper at Yishun or Braddell MRT, S$5 there to a mosque's charity box.

All told, his donations - about S$22-25 per week - made up a third of his overall spending.

The upshot

Expenditure aside, the 28-day experiment revealed - to the millennials' surprise - just how little attention they had been paying to their cashflow.

Until this exercise, none of the 13 had ever tracked their spending formally.

Only two said they had a rough idea of where their money was going, but even this was down to the loose (and notoriously inaccurate) approach of a running mental tab.

When asked for their thoughts at the end of the exercise, the overarching refrain was: "OMG, I didn't realise how much I was spending."

Here's the kicker, though. Despite admitting that they probably should track their day-to-day expenditure, none of them have continued to do so.

One intern says: "I downloaded an app to help me track my expenses. I think it was quite interesting because I had never done it before, so I didn't know how much I was spending weekly.

"But I didn't continue the practice after because it's a bit tedious to key it in, although I think it's my responsibility to track. It's a good practice, especially as I go into adulthood." He turns 20 this year.

To be fair, BT's sample of millennials was pretty young (11 of the 13 were under the age of 25).

It's possible that when they graduate and enter the working world - assuming their parents no longer finance their spending then - they will be more compelled to keep better tabs on their hard-earned cash.

It is difficult to sum up the findings of BT's humble experiment, precisely because the group has proven so diverse.

If anything, the results show that the millennial next door isn't as archetypal as anyone might think.

Most discussions about millennials have focused on their shared traits - many of which are uncomplimentary.

But what is worth considering instead is the disparity than can exist - even amongst a modest 13 people, who share a workplace and are similarly youthful.

What does it mean, that despite or because of their various backgrounds, they had ended up here?

And as a wider question for all millennials in a time of growing inequality, will their respective trajectories be boosted by privilege or hobbled by circumstance?

These are imponderables.

But we wish this generation every success.

They will each, in their own way, need it.

This article was first published on Oct 22, 2016.
Get The Business Times for more stories.

SINGAPORE - A 46-year-old man was found motionless at the foot of a block in Novena Suites on Moulmein Road around 6.55pm on Saturday (Oct 22).

In a residential unit of the same block, a 44-year-old woman, believed to be his wife who had been separated from him for two years, was found motionless in a bedroom on the 13th floor.

The woman was identified as Ms Ng Soo San, and the man, Mr Wang Chan Foo. It is believed that Ms Ng's body was discovered a few hours after Mr Wang was found at the foot of the residential block. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said Mr Wang had been standing on a balcony's parapet when it responded to the incident. Several calls for assistance had been made before 7pm.

He fell when SCDF was deploying an inflatable life pack. Officers subsequently entered the unit at the request of the police and found Ms Ng lying in the house.

333417

Photo Gallery

Couple found dead at Novena Suites

Source:

The New Paper

Google Maps

The Straits Times understands that she had sustained a few stab wounds in her torso and that there was blood found at the scene.

Police said it is investigating the case as unnatural death. No one was arrested.

It is understood that the couple had two children, aged seven and 13, who were in the area. The Samaritans of Singapore group was contacted.

Mr Wang is believed to be a resident of the Novena apartment, although their matrimonial home was said to have been in Toa Payoh.

This article was first published on Oct 23, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.