A faulty platform screen door at Sixth Avenue Station along the Downtown Line (DTL) was caused by a bolt which had loosened over time, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SBS Transit (SBST) in a joint press release yesterday.

The bolt on the fastener which secures the affected platform screen door to the guide rail had loosened over time, causing the door to be misaligned and come into contact with the side of an approaching train.

The dislodged screen door disrupted train services for two hours on the morning of Oct 4.

The platform screen doors at Sixth Avenue station were last checked by SBST in August as part of its routine maintenance, and none was faulty, according to the press release.

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Dislodged platform screen door causes delays Downtown Line

Source:

Stomp

The Straits Times

Following the Oct 4 incident, however, all DTL platform screen doors, including bolts and securing mechanisms, were extensively inspected and found to be functioning normally.

Platform screen doors on the other rail lines were also inspected, and found to be secure and in good working condition.

LTA and SBST have worked with the original equipment contractors to enhance the design of the platform screen door fasteners at all DTL stations.

A self-locking nut and a retaining pin will be added as additional measures to better secure the fastener to the guiding rail. The enhancement works to the doors are expected to be completed in the next two weeks.

All platform screen doors for the upcoming DTL3 will also use this enhanced fastener design.

The press release also said that more specific checks on all DTL platform screen doors will be done as part of routine maintenance.

wderek@sph.com.sg

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If you've taken a ride on a specific North East Line train this week and noticed how intricately decked the interior of the cabins are in Deepavali designs and colours, you are not alone.

Word of the first-ever Deepavali-themed train in Singapore, launched last Saturday, was picked up by many news publications in India even if it did not receive as much fanfare in the local media.

Publications such as the India Times, The Indian Express and News18.com reported on the unique set-up of this year's initiative.

The cabins of the trains are decorated with colourful pictures of diyas (oil filled lamps) and garlands. As seen in the photos uploaded on LTA's Facebook post, images of lotus, peacock, and jewellery associated with the festival are also spotted in the cabins and both the NEL and Downtown Line platforms at Little India Station.

And with the Festival of Lights, observed by Hindus, just 10 days away, the initiative by the Land Transport Authority has only served to add to the celebratory mood.

India Times said: "This train looks as if it is hosting a mini-festival inside it - with colourful walls and floor.

And how did the Singapore public respond to the decorative trains? Well, several Facebook users left positive comments on LTA's post of the initiative, commending the effort as a good way to promote multiracial and cultural relations.

In a forum letter to The Straits Times, reader Mr Kumar Pillay Thangavalu said: "Kudos to the Land Transport Authority for the Deepavali decor on MRT trains...I am sure we will see more of such decorated trains for other festivals too, to reflect and enhance the rich multicultural society we have."

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1st Deepavali-themed train launched on NEL

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Land Transport Authority

Besides the decorations at Little India Station and on the trains, Deepavali-themed lights have been put up on the roads along Little India, with lotuses and peacocks making up the top lights.

It is reported that LTA had collaborated with Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association for the project. According to LTA, the specially-themed train will run till mid-November.

stephluo@sph.com.sg

Singaporeans are willing to live in nursing homes or shared communities with other seniors in their twilight years, but provided they have some privacy.

About half of nearly 1,000 Singaporeans said in a survey that they would be willing to move into a nursing home when they get old, but six in 10 would prefer single or twin- bed rooms rather than six- or eight- bed wards that are common here.

The reason for wanting the smaller rooms was to maintain privacy.

A similar picture also emerged for assisted-living facilities.

About half of the respondents said they would be willing to move into these homes, where seniors get help for personal care like bathing and going to the toilet.

But nine out of 10 said they would prefer single or twin-bed rooms.

Such group homes are common in countries like Australia and Japan, but do not exist in Singapore.

About 950 Singaporeans and 50 permanent residents aged 30 to 75 took part in the survey commissioned by insurance cooperative NTUC Income and philanthropic organisation the Lien Foundation.

Yesterday's release of the findings came about two weeks after the foundation published a report on nursing homes which found that despite the growing elderly population, seniors have few housing options other than nursing homes.

The report estimated that 50,000 seniors here will need some form of residential care facilities by 2030, though there are currently only about 12,000 nursing home beds.

On the lack of choice in retirement living arrangements, Mr Gabriel Lim, the Lien Foundation's programme manager, said: "I wonder how many Singaporeans choose a nursing home for their family members with the same care that they choose a handphone."

The survey also found that eight in 10 Singaporeans worry about growing old.

Topping their worries is whether they can look after themselves when they are old.

The fear of running out of savings was next, followed by healthcare and medical expenses.

One of the bright spots in the findings was that nine out of 10 respondents were aware of services available to the elderly, such as daycare centres and homecare services.

Researcher Radha Basu, who wrote the report on nursing homes, said: "Dormitory-style living continues to be the default option in Singapore nursing homes, including in new homes.

Clearly there is a disconnection between what consumers say they want and what's on offer, including in new facilities."

In conjunction with yesterday's survey, NTUC Income also launched an insurance plan covering diseases that affect older people like Parkinson's, dementia and Alzheimer's.

The new plan covers policyholders until the age of 100.

This article was first published on Oct 19, 2016.
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Multiple incidents of people on e-scooters taking to the roads and travelling at high speeds has sparked worry online.

Last Friday (Oct 14), a one-and-a-half minute video was uploaded to Facebook, showing a man on an e-scooter travelling very close to the back of a bus, before moving into the second lane. He was travelling next to the bus before overtaking it.

According to Shin Min Daily News, he was believed to be travelling at 50kmh along Aljunied Road, towards MacPherson Road. The time and date stamp on the video showed that it happened on Friday, at around 1pm.

Later on Monday (Oct 17), two videos of reckless e-scooters were uploaded on the Roads.sg Facebook page.

The first shows a man riding his e-scooter in the middle lane of a busy road, said to be Serangoon Road.

In the video, which lasts less than half a minute, a motorist honks the e-scooter user, who wobbles a little before filtering to the right-most lane.

The second video was of six e-scooters with very bright headlights, zooming along a road. The time and location of where the video was recorded are not clear.

The e-scooter users were believed to be travelling between 80kmh to 90kmh in the 8 sec video.

These incidents come after another clip of an e-scooter user overtaking a bus was uploaded on citizen journalism site Stomp on Sept 22.

In the minute-long clip showing a user wearing a helmet and riding on the left-most lane of the three-lane Mandai Road, the e-scooter user is seen passing a bus, nipping in ahead of a taxi, before cutting back close in front of the bus.

According to what was said in the video, the e-scooter was travelling at at least 60kmh.

Netizens have expressed concern over the safety of the e-scooter riders, and urged the authorities, such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA), do something about the situation.

Facebook user Rudy RR said that "crashing one of those things (the e-scooters) at those speeds, and without sufficient protective gear" might lead to severe injury or even death.

Said Facebook user Gabriel Sim: "Hope LTA ( does) something about it."

Read Also: Woman still unconscious after e-scooter accident

This article was first published on OCT 18, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - The Vezel compact SUV continues to power the Honda brand after three quarters and could help the parallel import (PI) industry to achieve record market share by year-end.

In the first nine months of 2016, 15,448 PI cars were registered, accounting for 23.6 per cent of Singapore's total 65,412 registrations thus far. Last year, the PI industry accounted for 14.8 per cent of the Republic's total of 57,589 new registrations.

So far, the highest market share enjoyed by PIs in recent years was 23.8 per cent in 2008, when the total market size was 97,348.

Among such cars, that is, those not offered by authorised distributors, Honda was the top brand between January and September this year, with 9,442 registrations (see table). This means six in 10 PI cars sold wear Honda badges on their grilles.

Toyota was second with 5,435 registrations.

The third most popular PI brand was Mercedes-Benz, but its numbers are tiny compared to the two Japanese juggernauts - just 369.

As was the case last year, the Honda Vezel was the top PI model, with 8,238 year-to-date registrations. The size of its success elevates it to Singapore's overall top model.

Among authorised distributors, the top model - the Toyota Corolla Altis compact sedan - managed to notch up only 3,711 units, or less than half the Vezel's tally.

Among the top five PI models, the year-to-date rankings are unchanged from three months ago. The Toyota Harrier mid-size SUV is still the runner-up with 2,049 units, while the Toyota Sienta is No 3 (1,218 units).

They are followed by the Honda Shuttle (830) and Toyota Alphard/ Vellfire (535).

But below them, there has been an interesting reshuffle. The Estima mid-size MPV slips to No 8 spot (374), switching places with the Toyota Axio compact sedan (480), which now takes the Estima's old No 6 position.

The Toyota Wish (427) stays put at No 7, but a couple of hitherto-unseen models are lurking just outside the top 10 - the Toyota Aqua compact hatchback (105 units) at No 11 and the brand new Nissan Serena mid-size SUV (50), which was launched in Japan only a few months ago, at No 13.

The managing director of a PI company attributed the strong PI sales to this year's significantly larger certificate of entitlement (COE) quotas, which have led to lower COE premiums and hence, increased affordability.

But while he agreed that 2016 would be a banner year, he added that he was unsure if it could turn out to be a record-breaking year for the trade. "If you are comparing this year with last year, yes, PIs are doing very well. But if you expect PIs to hit an all-time high, then I am not so sure,'' he said.

The reason is that demand for new cars has softened in the past couple of months amid a slumping economy. He said: "Overall market demand has slowed down at least 30 per cent in the last three months. And both PIs and agents are feeling it equally.''

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Top 10 parallel import car models 2016

Source:

The Straits Times

sgCarMart.com

Honda

This article was first published on October 19, 2016.
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A man in his 60s fell ill after taking two health products with undeclared potent ingredients, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Wednesday (Oct 19).

He had taken LongRed Oyster-X to prevent prostate problems, as well as LifeSparks 100 per cent Natural Pain Relief Supplement to ease joint pain.

Although the supplements provided pain relief on the day he consumed them, he developed severe gastric pain and facial swelling a week later. He sought help from a general practitioner and has since recovered.

HSA's investigations revealed that the health products contained prescription-only medicines that are not allowed to be used in complementary health products.

A chemical compound related to sildenafil, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction, was found in LongRed Oyster-X.

Misuse of this compound can lead to impairment or loss of vision and hearing, low blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks.

Meanwhile, dexamethasone, a potent steroid usually prescribed for inflammatory conditions, was found in LifeSparks 100 per cent Natural Pain Relief Supplement.

Prolonged use of this oral steroid can increase blood glucose levels leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cataracts, increase the risk of infections, and Cushing's syndrome (a round face and upper body obesity with thin limbs).

HSA advises consumers of the above products to:

- Stop taking LongRed Oyster-X and seek medical attention if they are feeling unwell

- Not to stop using LifeSparks 100 per cent LifeSparks 100 per cent Natural Pain Relief Supplement but consult a doctor as soon as possible. Sudden discontinuation of steroids can cause serious withdrawal symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, confusion and low blood pressure.

Following HSA's advisory, Paul Harrison International Pte Ltd, the distributor of the above products, has since stopped sales. Those with enquiries on product return can call the company at 6635 8684.

minlee@sph.com.sg

He was on his way to work yesterday, when the bus he was in suddenly jerked and came to a stop.

Mr David Lim, 29, a merchandiser, was stunned for a few seconds before he realised the SBS Bus Service 185 had hit a temporary road divider.

The impact of the crash shattered a glass panel in the bus near its exit door.

Two female passengers sitting just behind the exit door were injured as a result.

According to Mr Lim, one of them had a bruise on her head, while another woman had cuts on her face.

Both were taken to hospital.

The windscreen of the bus was also smashed.

The accident happened at the junction of Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi Road, near Darussalam Mosque, at about 9.30am.

LUCKY

Mr Lim, who was sitting on the facing seats at the front of the bus, told The New Paper he was lucky he had been holding on to a pole.

Some of the shards of glass from the shattered windscreen landed on his arm, but did not injure him.

His iPhone 6 Plus, which landed near the bus driver's seat, was also undamaged.

He said there were at least 10 passengers on the bus. All were seated.

He added: "It happened so quickly and it could have been worse. Fortunately, the auntie who was sitting just across from me was holding the pole as well."

Mr Lim added that everyone, including the driver, remained calm after the accident.

He said: "The driver also apologised to all of us. Everyone was quite shocked and just stayed in their seats for a while.

"Some people offered tissues to the (injured) women, and both of them didn't seem to be able to talk for a while."

The bus driver said a car in front of them had suddenly changed lanes, Mr Lim said.

"When I got out of the bus, I was shocked to see the damage at the front. I'm glad the bus driver was not injured."

A Singapore Civil Defence Force spokesman said it sent two ambulances to the scene, and two people were taken to the National University Hospital.

The police said the two passengers, a 38-year-old woman and a 66-year-old woman, were conscious when they were taken to the hospital.

Ms Tammy Tan, senior vice-president of corporate communications, SBS Transit, said: "We are in touch with the two injured passengers to find out how they are. Both of them received outpatient treatment and we will be rendering them assistance as best we can.

"Meanwhile, we are assisting the police with their investigations."

This article was first published on October 19, 2016.
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Singapore signed an agreement on Wednesday to start testing self-driving buses, as the city-state pushes ahead with its vision of using autonomous technology to help deal with the challenges posed by its limited land and labour.

Countries around the world are encouraging the development of such technologies, and high-density Singapore is hoping driverless vehicles will prompt its residents to use more shared vehicles and public transport.

"They say big dreams start small, so we are collaborating with NTU (Nanyang Technological University) on an autonomous bus trial, starting with two electric hybrid buses," Singapore's transport regulator said in a Facebook post.

The Land Transport Authority hopes eventually to outfit existing buses with sensors and develop a self-driving system that can effectively navigate Singapore's traffic and climate conditions.

It did not specify when the trial would start.

Earlier this week, Singapore said it would seek information from the industry and research institutes on the potential use of self-driving vehicles for street cleaning and refuse collection.

Self-driving vehicles are also being tested in another western Singapore district, where a driverless car collided with a truck on Tuesday when changing lanes. Developer nuTonomy, which started trials of the world's first robo-taxis in August, said it was investigating the accident.

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.

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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."

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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.
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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.

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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.
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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.

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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.
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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.

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This article was first published on October 20, 2016.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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Oldest temple in S'pore draws crowds every day

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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.
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The slowing economy has sparked concerns about job losses, but there are thousands of jobs waiting to be filled, Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung said at a forum yesterday.

He pointed to where the jobs are and where jobs will be created:

• 30,000 IT professionals needed by 2017;

• 3,000 more jobs for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in precision engineering by 2020;

• Demand for 1,000 rail engineers;

• At least 1,200 professionals needed in finance, mostly in IT and compliance; and

• 4,000 more early childhood educators needed in the coming years.

Retrenched workers, however, find it difficult to get these jobs because they lack the appropriate skills, Mr Ong said as he talked about the jobs and skills for the future at The Straits Times Future Economy Forum.

Another obstacle is that the jobs are spread across many small industries, instead of being concentrated in a few large sectors.

At a separate event, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong pointed out that greying Singapore will need 30,000 more healthcare workers in five years, to add to today's 70,000.

Upcoming health facilities will need an entire range of workers, from geriatric doctors to highly trained nurses who can helm clinics.

These include six new polyclinics, another 2,100 public hospital beds, 9,100 extra beds in community hospitals and nursing homes and 7,600 more places in day, home and palliative care for the 610,000 seniors Singapore will have in 2020, a rise from 460,000 last year.

This means "ample good jobs for Singaporeans", Mr Gan added.

In his speech, Mr Ong noted the slowing economy has led to layoffs, with PMETs being hit hardest.

But the economy is not in recession, he said, unlike in the 2008 global financial crisis when "every week, every other day, some retrenchment exercise was going on", he said.

"Today, we are still growing albeit at a slower pace."

However, it is now more difficult to place laid-off workers in new jobs scattered across industries.

This is unlike in 2008 when, "despite the tremendous numbers being retrenched, we had a big emerging sector", he said, referring to the two integrated resorts which were hiring aggressively.

Today, nine in 10 fresh graduates from local universities and polytechnics land a job in six months, an indication that the labour market is still holding up, he added.

Retrenched PMETs, however, face an uphill task in entering a new industry, as specialised skills are often needed.

In short, they need to acquire new specialised skills to find a job.

Ensuring people can pick up the right skills to take on future jobs is a key focus of the Committee on the Future Economy, and a move in which workers, employers and the Government all have a role to play.

Mr Ong said that while workers need to upgrade their skills, employers too have to be more flexible and open to hiring people from other industries with related skills.

Meanwhile, the Government is tackling the problem in three main ways, he added. These are: helping laid-off workers find new jobs, retraining workers to have the necessary skills, and exploring new growth sectors where jobs can be created.

He noted the National Jobs Bank has some 70,000 vacancies. Many require specialised skills, he added.

For instance, in hospitality, managers with a strong sense of care and duty are needed, and in financial services, those with knowledge of IT applications and cyber security analytics, as well as strong numeric skills, are in demand.

On top of that, he added: "Employees need to be multi-skilled. Besides technical skills, it is also important for them to possess mental skills, such as learning agility, so that they can and are willing to unlearn, learn and relearn."

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This article was first published on Oct 21, 2016.
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With personal mobility devices (PMDs) becoming more popular, a start-up company here is looking to launch a pilot programme offering short-term rentals of e-scooters.

Called Telepod, the scheme functions like a bicycle-sharing system, where users can rent e-scooters from docking stations.

The company has developed a prototype docking station that secures a folded-up e-scooter, which can be retrieved by scanning a QR code on the station with a mobile app.

Telepod, founded by five friends who met while studying at Nanyang Technological University, is one of 21 finalists in a Land Transport Authority (LTA) engineering competition for groups to come up with innovative transport solutions.

The group's project is on display at the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition, a three-day conference at the Suntec City Convention Centre that ends today.

Telepod is looking to launch a pilot system of between 20 and 40 e-scooters by the end of this year at the Social Innovation Park in Punggol, an incubator for social enterprises, said its CEO Gan Jin Ni, 26.

Residents and workers in the area can take the e-scooters for a spin to the Punggol Waterway area. Pricing details have not been finalised, said Ms Gan.

The team began working on the project in April, with the goal of developing a transport solution to cater to the first and last mile of commuters' journeys.

They ruled out a bicycle-sharing system because of the cost.

"A lot of bicycle-sharing systems rely heavily on government funding," said Ms Gan, adding that a big chunk of the operating costs stem from regularly redistributing the bicycles through the network.

E-scooters are smaller and easier to redistribute, she said.

Ms Gan developed a mobile app, while other members in the team developed the docking station - which requires only power supply to be set up.

To rent an e-scooter, a user books one on the app, and scans a QR code on the docking station, which unlocks it.

The company ran a two-day trial in August in Woodlands, where they offered 15 e-scooters to students of Republic Polytechnic to travel between the school and Woodlands MRT station, about 1km apart.

They charged $2 for 10 minutes of use. Over the two days, the e-scooters were rented 202 times.

"The response was quite overwhelming," said Ms Gan, adding that she was confident the idea could also be used in large business complexes or within the business district.

Asked about safety concerns, Telepod said its e-scooters would have their speeds capped at 25kmh, and helmets would also be provided at docking stations.

"The e-scooter is not dangerous; it's how the user uses it," said Telepod co-founder Chan Jit Yen, 26.

Safety concerns over PMDs also featured in a panel discussion at the congress yesterday.

A member of the audience asked about Singapore's stance on PMDs, given concerns about safety.

LTA director of active mobility and policy Tan Shin Gee said the Government would facilitate the use of PMDs, as some people desire a lightweight mode of transport "less strenuous than walking or cycling".

"The emphasis should be on making sure people know what are the rules, and what are the appropriate codes of conduct or etiquette when they use such devices and share public spaces with people," said Ms Tan.

This article was first published on Oct 21, 2016.
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