- B E R I T A _ H A R I _ I N I _ 2 0 0 8 -

fatzcomel

Komentar : 18 September 2008        

MAKALAH HARIAN MALAYSIA, SIN CHEW JIT POH, PADA 12 SEP LALU

'SINGAPURA TINGKAT EKONOMI, KITA SIBUK BERPOLITIK'

Oleh
Lin Ming Hua

SEDANG kita menghabiskan tenaga menangani politik dalaman dan penderitaan akibat kelembapan ekonomi, para pemimpin jiran kita, Singapura, gigih meningkatkan ekonomi mereka.

Mereka terus mengekalkan hubungan baik dengan pelbagai kuasa ekonomi dan turut melawat Timur Tengah, Russia dan Amerika Selatan demi meluaskan pasaran luar negara, justeru mempertingkat daya saing negara itu dalam jangka panjang.

Kejayaan Singapura, yang dianggap sebagai satu keajaiban di Asia Tenggara, menarik rasa kagum dan cemburu.

Mereka yang memuji kini kehabisan kekata pujian seperti 'bebas rasuah', 'bersih', 'makmur' dan 'progresif'.

Mereka yang mengkritiknya menyifatkan negara itu sebagai negara kecil dengan sebuah parti pemerintah dan tidak ada kebebasan bersuara, dan memandangkan rakyatnya patuh pada undang-undang, mudah memerintahnya.

Oleh itu, kejayaan ekonominya bukan satu perkara luar biasa.

Dengan penduduk sekitar 4.48 juta dan kawasan seluas hanya 707 kilometer persegi, Singapura memang sebuah negara kecil tetapi tidak sesekali lebih kecil berbanding banyak negara lain dari segi pengaruhnya di dunia.

Commonwealth, sebuah majalah berpengaruh Taiwan, dalam satu wawancara dengan Perdana Menteri Singapura, Encik Lee Hsien Loong, berkata:

'Singapura sebuah negara kecil dan penduduk yang kecil, adalah sebuah negara besar dari segi bakat, dan memainkan peranan besar di dunia bukan sahaja sebagai hab kewangan antarabangsa, malah sebagai pelabuhan kedua tersibuk dunia.

'Ia mempunyai lebih 7,000 syarikat asing sedang 4,000 syarikat atau sekitar 60 peratus daripada ibu pejabat Asia terletak di sini.'

Sebuah negara dengan pencapaian luar biasa, Singapura pernah menjadi sebahagian wilayah Malaysia. Ia menjadi koloni Britain pada 1824 dan menyertai Malaysia pada 1963.

Dipaksa keluar dari Malaysia pada 9 Ogos 1965, Singapura menjadi sebuah negara merdeka. Sehingga hari ini, ramai warga Malaysia kecewa dengan kemerdekaan Singapura.

Generasi lama Malaysia dan Singapura tidak akan lupa saat apabila Encik Lee Kuan Yew, dengan linangan air mata, mengumumkan di televisyen tentang pengeluaran negara itu dari Malaysi dan berkata:

'Dunia ini bak satu lautan di mana ikan besar hidup dan begitu juga dengan udang. Singapura akan menjadi seperti udang bertakat di lautan antarabangsa.'

Terus terang, tidak ramai akan menyangka negara kecil itu, kekurangan dari segi sumber alam dan manusia, akan bertakat tetapi si 'tompok merah' yang dilihat sebilangan anggota politik telah menjadi negara paling makmur, kuat dan maju di Asia Tenggara dalam masa kurang dua dekad.

Malaysia lebih besar dari segi saiz dan enam kali lebih banyak dari segi penduduk berbanding Singapura tetapi selepas 43 tahun perpisahan itu, Malaysia hanya boleh berasa cemburu terhadap Singapura sedang ia tidak boleh dibandingkan dengan negara itu dari segi kekuatan ekonomi.

Hari ini, pendapatan per kapita Singapura ialah AS$30,228 atau RM102,775 atau enam kali ganda berbanding Malaysia AS$5,040.

Singapura memang mempunyai kekuatannya.

Pemerintahnya yang 'bersih' dan berkesan, dasar ekonominya yang fleksibel dan terbuka serta usahanya mencari bakat di merata dunia adalah satu perkara yang boleh kita contohi.

Artikel Commonwealth menyamakan Singapura bak besi berani raksasa yang menarik bakat asing. Pekerja asing membentuk 33 peratus atau lebih sejuta daripada hampir tiga juta pekerja di Singapura.

Rakyat Malaysia membentuk majoriti daripada sejuta pekerja asing ini. Kepada mereka, Singapura adalah tempat mencari pendapatan sedang Johor Bahru adalah tempat untuk tinggal.

Pemerintah Singapura memberi status penduduk tetap kepada sekitar 30,000 warga asing setahun. Ramai daripada mereka adalah pelajar Malaysia yang bijak dan direkrut pihak universiti di Singapura.

Pelajar ini memilih ke Singapura selepas ditolak permohonan ke universiti di Malaysia kerana pelencongan dasar dan gagal mendapatkan tempat di kursus pilihan mereka atau tidak mendapat biasiswa kerajaan walaupun dengan keputusan cemerlang.

Umumnya, mereka akan kekal bekerja di Singapura selepas tamat sekolah dan akhirnya menjadi rakyat di sana.

Apabila kita melihat bagaimana Singapura berusaha mempertingkat ekonominya dan bagaimana Malaysia terperangkap dalam tikai politik, senario cerah Wawasan 2020 mula kelihatan kabur.

fatzcomel

Expert says Singapore not completely immune from tsunamis
Posted: 19 September 2008 2002 hrs



SINGAPORE

fatzcomel

Sep 19, 2008
Triple murder in Yishun
By Amelia Tan and Carolyn Quek


         
Police received a call at about 12.50am from a member of the public informing them of a woman's body at the foot of the block. -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA


THREE Chinese nationals - two mothers and a daughter - were found dead and another teenage girl was brutally stabbed in a midnight triple murder that shocked residents of Yishun and the China community here.

Two of the dead women, one in her 30s and the other in her 40s, were 'study mamas'. One of them was found at the foot of Block 349 Yishun Avenue 11 after midnight.

The other woman and a 17-year-old teenage student were found dead in a corner five-room flat on the sixth floor. A fourth victim, a 14-year-old teenage girl, was badly injured with multiple stab wounds on her body.

She was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and is still undergoing emergency operation.

Police have arrested a 42-year-old China man, who is believed to be the murder suspect.

He was found in the flat when police broke into it. The man did not resist when police arrested him. Two knives were recovered from the murder scene.

The horror of the multiple murders unfolded at around midnight. But most of the residents in the block slept through it and they only knew about it on Friday morning.

Several residents who were still up late on Thursday heard a shouting match from the 6th floor flat, then a loud thud, followed by piercing shrieks from several screaming women. Then it all went silent.

When they went out of their flats to check, they saw a woman's body lying near the rubbish chute.

She was clad in a floral sleeveless dress and beige panties. She is believed to have fallen from the kitchen window of the sixth floor flat.

Madam Mala, who lives on the fourth floor said she was in her master bedroom when she heard a loud thud. She looked out of the window and saw a body on the ground floor.

With her husband and son, they went down the block to check.

Madam Mala said the dead woman appeared to be plump and in her late 30s or early 40s.

'Moments after the loud thud, I heard several woman shrieking from a flat above. And then silence,' she told The Straits Times on Friday morning.

Another neighbour, who lives on the fifth floor, said her husband was playing computer game in his room when he too heard a loud thud around midnight.

Giving her name only as Mrs Loh, she said the woman had fallen from the kitchen window on the sixth floor.

Mrs Loh, 30, a housewife, said two of the dead victims were mother and daughter.

'The mother is tall, slim and appeared to be in her 30s or 40s. The younger girl looked like a student. She seemed demure,' she added.

Some neighbours also said they heard a quarrel from the occupants in the flat moments before the shocking tragedy.

Police said they received a call at about 12.50 am from a member of the public about a woman's body found at the foot of the block. She was facing down.

She was pronounced dead by paramedics at 1 am.

Police investigators searched the block floor by floor and found a blood-stained padlock on the main door of the sixth floor unit.

They broke down the door with the help of the Singapore Civil Defence Force and found three Chinese women with multiple stab wounds on their bodies. Two of them were pronounced dead at 2 am, while the third was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Inside the unlit flat was the murder suspect.

The Chinese occupants moved into the flat more than a month ago and kept mostly to themselves, said neighbours.

The floor outside the murder scene has been cordoned off. A forensic team is still going through the flat.

Police are treating the three deaths as murder and the fourth as attempted murder.

fatzcomel

Sep 22, 2008
3,821 jaywalkers caught
3,821 caught in first six months, up from 2,070 in same period last year
By Ang Yiying


In the first half of the year, 3,821 people were caught jaywalking. -- ST PHOTOS: SAMUEL HE AND SHAHRIYA YAHAYA


People dodging cars in Orchard Road (above) and Bideford Road. If convicted in court, jaywalkers may be fined up to $1,000 and jailed for up to three months.




ON ORCHARD Road, near Paragon Shopping Centre, a woman hurries across the road with a stroller while cars speed by.

Farther down the road, near Centrepoint, a man darts across the busy road to catch a bus.

Jaywalking seems prevalent here, despite it being a crime that can end with offenders being sent to jail. The Straits Times spotted 160 or so people jaywalking during a 21/2-hour period yesterday.

The police are also catching more of them. In the first half of the year, 3,821 people were caught jaywalking, up from 2,070 in the same period last year.

One favourite jaywalking spot is a stretch of Orchard Road separating a construction site near Somerset MRT station from Orchard Emerald opposite.

Despite there being two sets of traffic lights in close proximity, some 15 people crossed the road between the lights during a 30-minute period.

In the space of an hour, at least 80 people jaywalked across Grange Road, between Orchard Building and Orchard Cineleisure. Most of them were teenagers or looked to be in their 20s. Some stood on the divider while cars went by.

Mr Jimmy Chan, a 22-year-old operator, said it was 'not so convenient' to walk to the traffic light.

Marketing executive Joseph Suriya, 28, also cited convenience, adding that he stayed safe by gauging the traffic.

At Bideford Road between Paragon and Masjid Al-Falah mosque, up to 50 people cut across the road in half an hour.

A woman who wanted to be known only as Madam Lim was jaywalking with her husband, who was holding on to their daughter. The housewife, 35, said her family would have to make a detour if they were to cross at the traffic light.

Those who were spotted jaywalking said they knew it was an offence, but added that they had never been caught for it.

Jaywalkers can be fined $20 on the spot. If charged and convicted in court, they may be fined up to $1,000 and face a jail term of up to three months.

A student, who wanted to be known only as Shaun, had been given a warning several years ago, but it did not deter him. The 19-year-old said: 'You have to be smart and watch out for cars.'

Retiree S.L. Ong, 59, has been fined before, but still jaywalks if traffic is light. 'Sometimes, it's a little silly to wait for the green man, especially if there are no cars on the road.'

So, can anything stop people from jaywalking? Said Mr Suriya: 'I don't think any monetary penalty will deter people. They don't think they will be caught.'

[email protected]

ini terbukti, rakyat singapura terdiri dari org2 yg berani mati

skgerl

Cases of high梤ise littering increasing despite education efforts

SINGAPORE: For two years, her family had to endure the stench of soiled diapers thrown by their neighbours.

Wanting to be known only as Mrs Chen, the 53梱ear梠ld housewife told TODAY that she started noticing the soiled diapers outside her master bedroom two years ago.
She said: 揑 have lived for 15 years in Marsiling and never encountered such a thing.

fatzcomel

Singapura : 26 September 2008        

GSA HARAP BAYARAN BATAL DIKETEPI

Oleh
Azahar Mohd

EJEN penjualan (GSA) pakej haji sedang mengadakan perbincangan untuk mendapatkan dua syarikat penerbangan mengetepikan bayaran pembatalan bagi 820 jemaah yang tidak dapat menunaikan haji tahun ini.

Mereka sedang juga berbincang dengan ejen haji di Arab Saudi bagi menjual semula penginapan di Makkah dan Madinah jemaah tersebut.

Semalam, presiden Persatuan Agensi Pelancongan Islam Singapura (Amtas), Ustaz Tengku Mohamad Fouzy Tengku Mahid Jumat, berkata sejauh ini perbincangan dengan syarikat penerbangan Arab Saudi, Saudia, agak positif.

'Insya-Allah Saudia mungkin bersedia mengetepikan bayaran pembatalan bagi jemaah terjejas. Namun perbincangan dengan Singapore Airlines (SIA) masih dijalankan,' ujar beliau.

Kelmarin, GSA-GSA itu mengadakan perbincangan tergempar bagi menyelaraskan operasi menangani masalah jemaah terjejas oleh pengurangan kuota haji tahun ini.

Mengenai tempat penginapan, Ustaz Tengku Mohamad Fouzy berkata pihaknya sedang berusaha untuk menjualnya semula.

'Namun, sudah pasti kita tidak akan dapat balik 100 peratus. Kemungkinan besar kita akan dapat balik hanya 50 peratus,' ujar beliau, yang juga pemilik TM Fouzy Travel & Tours Pte Ltd.

Kira-kira 100 daripada sekitar 500 jemaah Ustaz Tengku Mohamad Fouzy terjejas oleh pembatalan itu.

Berita Harian difahamkan surat memberitahu jemaah sama ada mereka terjejas atau tidak akan diedarkan pada 2 Oktober, sehari selepas Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

'Saya meminta jemaah supaya bersabar dan banyak berdoa dan jangan kelam kabut. Sekiranya mereka tidak dapat menunaikan haji tahun ini, mereka masih boleh berbuat demikian tahun depan,' ujar Ustaz Tengku Mohamad Fouzy.

fatz2

Sep 27, 2008
Population up by 5.5%
Biggest increase is among foreigners, the result of a buoyant economy
By Li Xueying, Political Correspondent



THAT feeling of a growing squeeze in shopping malls, MRT trains and hawker centres is now borne out by official figures.

Singapore's population has shot up by a record 5.5 per cent to 4.84 million this June. It is the biggest annual spike since collection of such data began in 1871.

Foreigners are mainly behind the rise.

Drawn here by last year's fast-trotting economy, their numbers soared by 19 per cent to 1.2 million, said the National Population Secretariat yesterday.

But secretariat director Roy Quek was circumspect about the rise in the number of foreigners, saying this is a group that expands and shrinks with the ups and downs of the economy.

'There are levers so we can manage the inflow and outflow,' he added, pointing to measures like the approval of work permits and employment passes.

Latest figures show 757,000 work permit holders, 143,000 on employment passes and 85,000 foreign students.

Citizens and permanent residents (PRs) also added to the population rise, though at a slower pace.

With more births, the number of citizens rose by one per cent. The rise in PRs is 6.5 per cent. Together, they raised the resident population to 3.64 million, from 3.58 a year ago.

Mr Quek stressed that the spike in the population does not mean Singapore is hurtling towards the 6.5 million figure used by government planners as a guide.

It will take 20 to 30 years to get there at the current pace, he said. He expects the resident population to hit 4.8 million by 2030.

The population swell fuelled by foreigners comes at a time when the foreign worker issue is again in the limelight.

Serangoon Gardens residents have been up in arms over the possible siting of a foreign worker dormitory in their residential estate.

Singaporeans interviewed yesterday also expressed concerns over the competition for jobs, as the economy slides.

Accounts executive Iris Sen, 33, said: 'I notice the cleaners at coffee shops and food courts are now mostly young Chinese nationals. What happened to the Singaporean aunties?'

Mr Desmond Lee, 32, who runs a private school, wondered about the 'social costs' of having many foreign workers, citing their tendency to group at void decks to drink.

Mr Quek acknowledged their unease but said Singapore needs the manpower to propel its economy.

He hoped Singaporeans would make the effort to help foreigners integrate even as the Government looks at ways to alleviate their concerns.

As for the Serangoon Gardens uproar, he said it was not possible to isolate all foreign workers on the Southern islands or Tuas.

Meanwhile, on the baby front, the first half of this year saw 18,032 births, 707 more than during the same period last year.

At this pace, the total fertility rate - which was 1.29 last year - may hit 1.3. Still, it is far from the 2.1 replacement rate.

So, Singapore continues to rely on immigration.

The number of citizens and PRs is set to hit a new record this year. In the first half, there were 34,800 new PRs and 9,600 new citizens. The comparative figures for last year were 28,500 and 7,300 respectively.

The statistics show the population's ethnic make-up shifting too. The Chinese proportion has slipped to 74.7 per cent from 76.8 per cent in 2000, while the proportion of Indians inched up to 8.9 from 7.9 per cent.

But Mr Quek did not expect the ethnic picture to change drastically.

Just as more foreigners have arrived, more Singaporeans left to work and study abroad. About 153,500 are now overseas, 6,000 more than last year.

MP Josephine Teo, who is also NTUC's assistant secretary-general, saw common ground between Singaporeans who go away and foreigners who arrive.

'They share a willingness to adapt to different cultures, a certain work ethic and a desire to make good for their families,' she said.

'We need to emphasise the common- ness that draws us closer rather than the differences that pull us apart.'

[email protected]

fatzcomel

Singapura : 29 September 2008         
         
TARIKH AKHIR TUNAI CEK DIVIDEN PERTUMBUHAN 27 DISEMBER INI

ORANG ramai tidak perlu tergesa-gesa menukar cek Dividen Pertumbuhan (GD) kepada wang tunai di mana-mana cawangan bank OCBC.

Ini kerana mereka diberi tempoh sehingga 90 hari atau tarikh akhirnya 27 Disember ini, untuk menukar cek tersebut di salah sebuah 54 cawangannya di sini.

Penukaran cek kepada tunai hanya dapat dilakukan di bank OCBC kerana ia merupakan bank yang mengeluarkan cek-cek GD itu.

Dalam satu kenyataan semalam, seorang jurucakap bank OCBC menyatakan orang ramai juga boleh memasukkan cek masing-masing ke dalam kotak khas di sebarang cawangan bank itu atau di sesetengah stesen minyak di sini.

Wang mereka akan dimasukkan ke dalam akaun masing-masing kelak.

Sekitar 2.4 juta rakyat Singapura layak menerima GD sebagai ansuran kedua pemerintah yang akan diberikan Rabu ini.

Meskipun sebahagian besar akan menerima GD menerusi akaun bank masing-masing, sekitar 165,000 orang memilih wang tersebut diberikan menerusi cek.

Bagi menangani kebanjiran penerima cek GD itu, jurucakap tersebut menyatakan pihaknya akan memperkenalkan langkah-langklah berikut:

# kaunter khusus bagi menukar cek GD di mana-mana cawangannya,

# kakitangan ditambah bagi memastikan penerima cek GD dapat menukar cek kepada wang tunai sesegera mungkin,

# cawangan bank OCBC akan dibuka sejam lebih awal mulai esok hingga 4 Oktober ini kecuali Rabu ini kerana cuti umum, dan

# kesemua 11 cawangannya yang berfungsi pada Ahad, juga akan dibuka sejam lebih awal pada 5 Oktober.

singaporean...check your bank account !!!!......niari dah masuk

fatzcomel

Sep 29, 2008
Electricity rates up 21%
By Liaw Wy Cin


Families living in one- to three-room Housing Board flats will see their utilities bills for this year rising from $90 to $223, said the Energy Market Authority (EMA). -- ST PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG

ELECTRICITY bills for Singapore households will go up by about 21 per cent from Wednesday - the highest one-time increase in seven to eight years - due to higher oil prices.

With this latest tariff revision, households in three-room flats will see their utilities bills go up by $14. Families in five-room flats will pay about $23 more a month, on average, with the price of electricity going up from about 25 cents per kilowatt-hour to about 30 cents.

Overall, utilities bills this year for households in three-room flats or smaller will rise by as much as $223, said the Energy Market Authority (EMA), which regulates the electricity and gas industry here on Monday.

But the government rebates of up to $330 will more than cover the increases for these homes.

Those living in larger homes, like Executive Apartments, will on average pay up to $433 a year.

The government rebates for these households, which range from $130 for an executive apartment to $295 for a four-room flat, will cover half the increase for these homes.

Chief executive of EMA Mr Khoo Chin Hean, said at a press briefing on Monday that the higher tariffs have been due to the increase in oil prices.

EMA said the projected fuel oil price for the next three months is set to jump to $155.14 a barrel, up 38 per cent from $112.35 for the current quarter.

Fuel costs make up about 60 per cent of electricity tariffs, which are reviewed quarterly and adjusted according to changes in the cost of electricity.

The other 40 per cent includes the cost of generating electricity, maintenance and equipment.

Since 2004, electricity tariffs here have been pegged to projected oil prices for the next three months instead of current oil prices.

Mr Khoo said the old practice made the cost of electricity very volatile.

For households, the new tariff will be about 30 cents per kiloWatt-Hour, up from about 25 cents.

aincoolz

Former opposition MP JB Jeyaretnam dies of heart failure

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, September 30

SINGAPORE: Former opposition MP and former Secretary桮eneral of the Workers

virgomal

Singaporeans pay last respects to JB Jeyaretnam
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 01 October 2008 2205 hrs



SINGAPORE: Singaporeans from all walks of life attended Mr JB Jeyaretnam's wake on Wednesday. And online, several hundred people penned their thoughts on the veteran politician.

Many paid their last respects to a man described as "determined" and "dedicated". There were also several people from the legal fraternity at the wake, including Ms Indranee Rajah, MP of Tanjong Pagar GRC and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

She said: "He was a prominent opposition figure who made fiery speeches and obviously was a man of conviction. In the 60s, 70s period, he was always a larger-than-life figure."

Members of Singapore's opposition parties were also present, including Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong.

"Mr Jeyaretnam taught the opposition that it must change its strategy to unite and contest the PAP with a bigger force, instead of taking on the mighty PAP single-handedly.

"He is truly an opposition member; his life was devoted to the opposition. He had great ideals but his ideals may be a bit ahead of the times," said Mr Chiam.

A facebook group has also been set up in memory of Mr Jeyaretnam. So far, some 700 people, including Singaporeans living overseas, have signed up. Most on the website said they admire Mr Jeyaretnam's fighting spirit and tenacity.


- CNA/so

fatzcomel

Oct 2, 2008
MC found in NSF's locker
By Teh Joo Lin & Kimberly Spykerman


         
Pte Foo was given a military funeral on Thursday and cremated at Mandai Crematorium. -- ST PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG

HOURS after Private Joe Foo Wei Rong died, Defence Ministry (Mindef) investigators discovered a medical certificate (MC) inside his personal locker in his bunk.

The 20-year-old national serviceman had collapsed during training on the morning of Sept 30.

The MC said the 20-year-old had 'sprains and strains of knee and leg' and should rest on Sunday and Monday, Sept 29. He was also supposed to receive light duties for the next four days, Sept 30 to Oct 3.

However, on the first day of Pte Foo's 'light duties' on Sept 30, he joined platoon mates in their morning basic exercise routine, which included push-ups, sit-ups and a session at the chin-up bar.

While attempting his seventh chin-up, the full-time national servicemen fell from the bar and lapsed into unconsciousness. He could not be revived and died later in a hospital.

Pte Foo's grieving father, who took him to the Singapore General Hospital on Sunday for a hamstring strain, earlier told The Straits Times his son had received an MC following the visit to the hospital's emergency room. This led Mr Foo Heng Lye, 51, to question why his son took part in the morning exercises despite having an MC.

While investigations continue, it appeared Pte Foo had not submitted his MC to the camp authorities. In a statement yesterday, Mindef said the camp's medical centre showed no records of his medical certificate.

It is standard practice for MCs obtained outside of camp to be submitted to military doctors for endorsement. The standard practice for servicemen who receive MCs issued by external doctors is to submit them to military doctors for endorsement when they return to camp.

Told about this yesterday, Mr Foo said he would await the outcome of investigations, which is are expected to take about three months.

The inquiry is also expected to look into whether military doctors had known that Pte Foo had a seizure back in 2004, another concern raised by his father after his son's death.

Pte Foo cleared all pre-enlistment medical tests and was certified combat fit with the highest grading of Pes A.

Mr Foo, who thanked his son's military superiors for the support rendered, joined the sombre and silent sending-off for his son yesterday morning.

Some 40 family members and friends from Presbyterian High School and Singapore Polytechnic attended the military funeral at Mandai Crematorium. They were joined by over 100 servicemen, including those from Pte Foo's unit, the 4th Battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment.

They walked in procession along the driveway to the cremation hall behind the coffin, which was borne by Pte Foo's platoon mates and later placed on a gun carriage. Soldiers who wore black bands on their left arms lined part of the driveway and saluted the coffin as it passed.

Keeping with Chinese custom, his grieving parents did not join in the procession. They also did not go into the viewing gallery when his body was cremated. Both were weeping uncontrollably and had to be supported by family members.

The funeral service, which began at 9.45am, was a simple one. Prayers were chanted by a single Taoist priest, and Pte Foo's older brother offered joss sticks. No eulogy was given.

There was a tense moment when Mr Foo was presented with a folded national flag and a peak cap. He stood up and accepted both items, but he was clearly heartbroken. He said, 'I don't want the flag. I want my son back.'

fatzcomel

Oct 2, 2008
Corporal's death an accident


State Coroner Victor Yeo on Thursday ruled the death an accident, concluding that Corporal Ricky Liu Jun Hong (left) had suffered from pneumonia and multiple organ failure as a result of a heat stroke. -- PHOTO: WANBAO

THE family of Corporal Ricky Liu Jun Hong thought he was in the clear when he was stabilised after collapsing during a 2.4km run last Nov 15.

But two days later, the 20-year-old Republic of Singapore Air Force trainee technician's condition took a turn for the worse and he died at Changi General Hospital (CGH) on Nov 24.

State Coroner Victor Yeo on Thursday ruled the death an accident, concluding that Liu had suffered from pneumonia and multiple organ failure as a result of a heat stroke.

Investigations also showed that there had been no foul play and no lapses in the conduct of the individual physical proficieny test (IPPT) which Liu was taking at the time.

Mr Yeo said, 'The immediate medical attention given to the deceased was prompt and appropriate.'

Liu's parents were not in court for the inquiry.

However, in a telephone interview later, Mr Lew Sin Huat, 54, told The Straits Times that he and his wife did not go to court as they already sensed the verdict.

'He was a very healthy boy. We are very sad. We are reminded of him every day when we walk past his room, which is left the way it was before he died,' he said.

Liu was at the Air Force School at Airport Road that morning and had completed the four static stations required to pass the test.

These include the sit-up, standing broad jump, chin-up and 4 x 10m shuttle run.

Those taking part were given a 20-minute break before doing the 2.4km run, and they were asked to drop out from the test if they were feeling unwell.

About five participants dropped out, but Liu carried on with the run, which began at about 9am.

Just as he was about to cross the finish line, he was seen running in a zig-zag manner and suddenly collapsed.

A standby medic immediately gave him cold water and fanned him before a safety vehicle came and took him to the Paya Lebar Medical Centre, about 500m away.

At the centre, Liu was observed to be unresponsive and was only able to move his limbs and open his eyes in response to pain.

His body temperature at the time was deemed high at 39.7 degrees celsius. His clothes were removed and ice packs were placed on his forehead, armpits, neck and groin area before he was sent to CGH.

In the ambulance, he regained full consciousness and was later placed in a body-cooling unit at the hospital to lower his temperature, which at the time was about 40 degrees celsius.

Half an hour later, he began to show signs of improvement and was placed under observation.

His condition was stable over the next two days before doctors found a deficiency of oxygen in his body. It was downhill from then on, until he died - ten days after he collapsed.

pengajaran buat semua...
sesiapa yg ada someone yg bakal pi NS...pesan kat dorang..kalau tak sihat, walau selsema ke, batuk sikit2 ke...jgn takut...beritau la pada pegawai atasan...pi jumpa doktor
kalau tak....cuma2 jer mati, kerana takut nak bagitau....

fatzcomel

HARI RAYA MURAM, HANTARAN HANGUS DALAM KEBAKARAN

Oleh
Adli Yashir Kuchit

SAMBUTAN Hari Raya bagi Encik Zakaria Ismail dan keluarganya tiba-tiba muram apabila api membaham flat mereka, mengakibatkan kerosakan lebih $10,000 - termasuk barang hantaran majlis persandingan anaknya.

Bagaimanapun, Encik Zakaria, 55 tahun, seorang pemandu peribadi, bersyukur kerana tiada sesiapa cedera dalam kejadian awal petang kelmarin itu.

Ditemui di flatnya di tingkat lapan di Blok 787C, Woodlands Crescent, semalam, beliau turut bersyukur kerana anak sulungnya, Cik Juniza Zakaria, 26 tahun, ada di rumah ketika kebakaran itu berlaku dan cepat mendapatkan bantuan bomba untuk memadamkan api daripada merebak.

Anggota lain keluarganya tiada di rumah ketika kejadian.

'Mujur anak saya ada di rumah. Jika tidak, saya percaya kebakaran ini akan menyebabkan kerosakan lebih teruk,' kata Encik Zakaria.

Menurut Cik Juniza, seorang pembantu gerai, beliau dan sepupunya sedang bersiap-siap untuk keluar berjalan Raya apabila terbau asap dari bilik tidurnya.

'Apabila saya buka pintu bilik, saya nampak api sudah merebak ke atas katil dan ke seluruh bilik tidur,' kata beliau.

Cik Juniza kemudian bergegas ke dapur untuk mendapatkan air bagi memadamkan api.

'Sebaik sahaja saya simbar air, asap tebal mula naik berkepul-kepul,' ujar beliau.

Pasukan Pertahanan Awam Singapura (SCDF) kemudian tiba dan memadamkan kebakaran itu.

Akibat kejadian itu, bilik tidur Cik Juniza, termasuk semua perabot dan peralatan di dalamnya, hangus dijilat api.

'Api terlalu besar, saya tidak dapat selamatkan satu barang dari bilik saya,' kata beliau.

'Barang-barang hantaran dan persiapan bernilai lebih $2,000 yang telah saya beli untuk majlis persandingan saya tahun depan turut musnah,' tambahnya.

Bahang kebakaran itu memusnahkan juga beberapa peralatan lain, seperti alat pendingin udara dan sistem audio di ruang tamu serta balkoni flat itu.

Asap daripada kebakaran yang dipercayai bermula di alat pendingin udara di bilik Cik Juniza itu turut menyebabkan kerosakan teruk pada ruang tamu di dua unit flat di atas.

Sementara menungu kerja-kerja membaiki flatnya selesai, Encik Zakaria sekeluarga akan berteduh di flat saudara-maranya yang berdekatan.

fatzcomel

Plane stuck on TPE
By Esther Tan


The trailer, bearing its gigantic cargo, was trundling down the extreme left lane of the expressway at about 1am when it came to the bridge. It had to slow down and stop. -- PHOTO: SHIN MIN

LOOK Ma, it's a plane!

An airplane mounted on a trailer was stranded on the Tampines Expressway for more than an hour on Monday morning, unable to pass under an overhead pedestrian bridge.

The Boeing 737-300, which weighs more than 56,000kg, or nine adult elephants, with its wings and nose removed, was being moved from Seletar Airport to the airport emergency services training ground of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in Upper Changi Road.

The trailer, bearing its gigantic cargo, was trundling down the extreme left lane of the expressway at about 1am when it came to the bridge. It had to slow down and stop.

Tampines resident Jackie Ong, 24, who lives in Block 492C in Tampines Street 45, just off the highway, said, 'The trailer moved back and forth but it wasn't able to pass under the bridge with the plane on it.'

Finally, some air was let out of the tyres of the trailer to lower its height. The trailer then passed under the bridge, but on the extreme right lane, where the bridge is slightly higher off the ground than the other sections.

All three lanes of the affected section of the TPE had to be closed during this manoeuvre, which stranded about 15 cars on the highway.

Mr Ong, a director of a food and beverage company, said he was for a while worried that the plane might not be cleared out of the way by the following morning, which would cause traffic to back up during the morning rush hour.

The trailer and airplane was escorted by security officers during its entire journey.

fatzcomel

Oct 14, 2008
Over 1m unpaid ciggies seized


The haul of duty-unpaid cigarettes, with taxes that would have amounted $468,000, was found on three separate buses at the Tuas Checkpoint, said the ICA. -- PHOTO: ICA

IMMIGRATION officers seized more than 1.1 million sticks of contraband cigarettes in three separate raids over the past week.

The haul of duty-unpaid cigarettes, with taxes that would have amounted $468,000, was found on three separate buses at the Tuas Checkpoint, said an Immigration and Checkpoints authority (ICA) statement on Tuesday.

In the first case last Wednesday at 4.30pm, officers noticed an unusually low luggage compartment in a bus. A scan of the vehicle revealed anomalies in the floorboard area. When the floorboards were pried open, officers found 200 cartons of cigarettes.

The next day at about 9.10pm, officers found another 200 cartons of cigarettes hidden under the roof of a bus.

On Monday at about midnight, officers found 200 cartons of cigarettes from the floorboard of a bus. The fresh coat of paint, coupled with new rubber mats and carpets and the smell of fresh glue, had aroused the suspicion of immigration officers.

All three suspects , who were the bus drivers, were detained.

If convicted, first time offenders can be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of duty evaded. Subsequent offenders may be fined and jailed up to two years.

ICA said five cases of contraband smuggling involving buses through land checkpoints were busted in the first nine months this year.

fatzcomel

Air-cons, fridges with poor energy efficiency to be removed from market
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 17 October 2008 1558 hrs



SINGAPORE: Air-conditioners and refrigerators which are not energy efficient will be taken off the shelves in the near future.

New cars will also have to carry labels that show their fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

These changes are all part of Singapore's national campaign to conserve energy.

Energy labels have been pasted on refrigerators and air-conditioners from January this year to help Singaporeans make informed choices in their shopping. They will be extended to dryers from April 2009.

But the National Environment Agency (NEA) said about 11 per cent of air-conditioner models and less than one per cent of refrigerators are not energy efficient.

NEA also released figures that showed a reduction in electricity usage in Singapore. The average monthly electricity consumption between May and August this year dropped by four per cent compared to the same period last year.

Lee Yuen Hee, CEO, NEA, said: "It could be a combination of factors - because electricity tariffs have actually been increasing in the past few quarters, and this could have contributed to a reduction in consumption.

"We hope that households will continue to practise the electricity saving habits that we've been advocating. This is particularly because of the financial situation at this point in time and also the prospect of recession coming in." - CNA/vm

fatzcomel

Oct 17, 2008
'Chilli padi' teacher fined
By Sujin Thomas


District Judge May Mesenas said that she decided against a jail sentence on Hasanah Ahmad (pictured), who could have been up to four years, in view of her lawyer Mr Pritam Singh Gill's leniency plea. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

THE former teacher of a childcare centre who ill-treated a four-year-old boy under her charge was fined the maximum of $4,000 on Friday.

District Judge May Mesenas said that she decided against a jail sentence on Hasanah Ahmad, who could have been up to four years, in view of her lawyer Mr Pritam Singh Gill's leniency plea.

Mr Gill had told the court on Monday that his 25-year-old client was four months pregnant and suffering from depression and anxiety at the time of the incident in May last year.

Hasanah, a mother of three, who has a diploma in pre-school education, also had two miscarriages in the past, he added.

At the time of the incident, her stress levels were up because she had two new pupils in her class of 12 who needed special attention, Mr Gill added.

The judge also committed Hasanah, who is now unemployed, to a bond of $5,000 to maintain good behaviour. She also has to attend counselling, psychotherapy or a programme to be decided by the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS).

Her 27-year-old policeman husband was also ordered to act as her surety on a $5,000 bond.

At about 7pm that day, Hasanah noticed the boy was about to throw a wooden stick playfully in the direction of her three-year-old son, who also went to the same chilcare centre.

She panicked and shouted at him to put the stick down before taking him to a classroom to reprimand him. She ordered him to wait there, switched off the lights and left.

She returned with a packet of chilli padi and threatened to make him eat it when he refused to look at her.

The boy kept quiet initially but started struggling when she tore open the packet and pointed at the fiery chilli padi. During the scuffle, the contents came into contact with his mouth and face.

Another teacher heard the commotion and walked in to see chilli padi on the floor. The boy's mouth and lips were also mild red after coming in contact with his teacher's chilli-stained hands.

His mother, who later picked him up from the centre, reported to the police.

This is the first case here where a childcare centre teacher is charged and found guilty for abusing a child under her care, the court heard.

fatzcomel

He had 500 offensive photos in his phone

A man was caught with more than 500 offensive photos in his mobile phone. This happened after a woman complained against him taking a picture of her chest at a shopping centre.

According to the Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao, the woman, Ms Ye, encountered the man while she was at Vivo City with her husband two months ago.

"I was at Vivo City with my husband to catch a movie when we caught man taking a photo of my chest. My husband managed to catch him before he could escape, but the culprit had already deleted all the pictures in his mobile phone. I was worried that all evidence might have been wiped out." Ms Ye told Lianhe Wanbao.

Ms Ye, 26, told Wanbao that the police did not immediately arrest the man on scene but confiscated the mobile phone instead. The police was able to restore the deleted photos.

She told the newspaper she was asked to go to the Clementi police station to assist in the investigations on her earlier complaint. It was then when she learned that the man who took her photo also had 500 other offensive pictures of women's breasts in his mobile phone.

"The police needed me to assist in identifying any photos of myslef that the man might have in his phone.

"My husband and I were shocked when we were shown the data because there were more than 500 pictures of various women that this man took. All the pictures were of their chests and breasts. From the angle of the shots, I could see that the women in these pictures were not aware that they were victims."

Because Ms Ye's husband was quick enough to spot the man's suspicious behaviour, the culprit managed to take only one picture of Ms Ye.

"The picture he took was very clear, he even managed to capture my face in profile."

She also told the Chinese daily that she was thankful that the restored data on the mobile phone proved the man guilty, and she hopes the culprit will be punished by the law, lest more women fall prey to his perverted ways.

A police spokesman told Lianhe Wanbao that they have identified the main suspect, but have yet to arrest or charge anyone as investigations are sill ongoing.

According to the law, anyone who takes offensive photos of a woman in a public place without the lady's prior consent can be charged for outrage of modesty. If found guilty, the persons involved faces a fine, up to a year in jail or both.

fatzcomel

Body found at Bukit Batok Nature Reserve

Shin Min Daily News reported that police had been conducting investigations at Lorong Sesuai, where a decomposed corpse was found on Monday morning. Investigations are on-going at press time.

An area of 200m radius surrounding the scene of the crime had been sealed off from the public while police combed the forest for clues. Ten ghurkas and two police dogs were deployed to assist in the search.

Police officers also collected soil samples and interviewed all residents in the area to find out if they detected anything out of the ordinary in the past few days.

As there were no identifying documents on the body, investigating officers also took the thumbprint and DNA samples from the body in hope of matching missing persons records.

They also set up a black tent in the area where the body was shifted. Forensic experts examined the body in the tent so as not to disturb the evidence.

Head was covered

The head of the body was wrapped with a cloth when found. According to Mr Wang, 66, a retiree who first found the body, the covering on the body's head looked like a pillow case. It was tightly wound around the head of the body, and could possibly have been used to strangle the victim.

He thought it was also possible that the head was covered after the victim had died, but the bloating of the body filled up the cloth cover. He says that the body was already quite distended when it was found, and even its clothes appeared tight due to the bloating. He had a hard time figuring out if it was a man or woman.

There were however, no obvious wounds, bloodstains or any signs of injury.

Police has determined, however, that the victim is a Chinese woman. While they have classified the case as an unnatural death, they have yet to issue any statement as to the cause of death. The body has also yet to be identified; her age is also undetermined.

Questions unanswered

Shin Min interviewed witnesses and experts to find out how the crime could have taken place.

Mr Wang, the original eye-witness, thought the body was discarded in the area but did not die there as the undergrowth in the area was undisturbed, and there were no bloodstains.

A private investigator and ex-officer from the Criminal Investigation Department interviewed by Shin Min speculated that the victim might have been executed in a dispute by triads, drug traffickers or other criminal operations.

Another theory was that the woman was the victim of a hit and run accident, as there were tyre marks found near the body, and marks of a car bumping against a nearby tree.

It was also difficult to determine when the body appeared, as there had been few passers-by in the area. A resident claimed that she noticed a bad smell in the area since Friday night. They also said their dogs had been sniffing the air more frequently, seeming to have detected the smell earlier.