Author: Rilek1Corner

The Yishun Dream Or Nightmare?

I was looking for a project to work on whenever I’m procrastinating, and I eventually settled on doing something about Yishun, following the spate of crazy incidents that have happened there in recent years. So, I designed a website and compiled an interactive map that marked down (almost) every noteworthy incident – murders, suicides, vice, shitty luck, cursed environment and the crazy folks – from as far back as 2008. There are articles and accompanying multimedia about each incident, conveniently color-coded and categorised, so this one-stop resource about the dystopian town is about as exhaustive as it can get.

I wanted to see if it was pure media hype or something that bears genuine concern, and while I still feel the town’s notorious reputation was a classic case of over-representation in the alternative media, there are some incidents that really made me scratch my head in awe. In particular, there is one very distinctive area where most of the stuff happens – an area enclosed by Yishun Ring Road which I termed “The Devil’s Ring”. Over half of what grabbed the headlines in Yishun happened within that circle. The other notable spot is along Yishun Ave 2. That road is cursed, period.

There is definitely some merit in claiming that Yishun is a place of loonies and psychopaths. Here are some of my favorite stories – when reading their headlines, you kinda know it happened in Yishun:

1) Man strips and plays with his genitals once MRT enters Yishun (https://yishun.town/crazy/mrtstrip)

2) Man loses temper after cashier ran out of spoons for his yogurt (https://yishun.town/crazy/yogurt)

3) Two accidents at the same exact spot within 15 minutes (https://yishun.town/cursed/15minutes)

4) Academically-poor students banned from celebrating Racial Harmony Day (https://yishun.town/crazy/rhdban)

5) Resident didn’t know she was growing watermelons that were hanging outside her house (https://yishun.town/crazy/watermelon)

6) 1.5m-long monitor lizard appears outside lift (https://yishun.town/nature/monitorlizardhdb)

7) LTA spent 100 days building bicycle path, but tears it down the day after it was completed (https://yishun.town/cursed/bicyclepath)

8) Crazy cat lady abandoned 39 cats in her HDB flat (https://yishun.town/crazy/39cats)

9) Women booked $0.20 Uber ride to Yishun, got dumped at police station in Ubi (https://yishun.town/cursed/ubiluggage)

10) Bus catches fire but passengers don’t want to alight (https://yishun.town/cursed/busfire)

There are many more, including six tragic murders, cat killers, and very interesting characters in the area. Hopefully, you guys would enjoy the stories I’ve gathered on the site, and to all my followers living in Singapore’s most dystopian town, may the invisible guy in the sky have mercy on your souls.

Onwards to the next project!

http://yishun.town

p.s. The map is best viewed on a desktop/laptop

Source: Lhu Wen Kai

February 4, 2017
Kelantan Galak Suami Berpoligami

KOTA BHARU: Kerajaan PAS Kelantan menggalakkan suami yang memenuhi syarat mengikut tuntutan Islam untuk berpoligami.

Bagaimanapun, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Kebajikan negeri, Mumtaz Md Nawi, berkata bagi mereka yang tidak memenuhi syarat berpoligami, memadai seorang isteri bagi mengelakkan timbul masalah dalam keluarga.

Beliau berkata, dalam Islam matlamat perkahwinan itu untuk melahirkan zuriat yang berkualiti.

“Di Kelantan kita galakkan berkahwin sama ada perkahwinan itu yang pertama atau kedua bagi yang layak.

“Mereka yang memenuhi syarat (berpoligami) penting luahkan (keinginan) di Mahkamah Syariah dan jangan buat tindakan kahwin di luar negara, tidak mengikuti adab atau saluran yang betul.

“(Ini kerana) daripada perkahwinan akan ada zuriat. Jadi, kita tidak mahu anak atau isteri dinafikan hak mereka,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas majlis sambutan Hari Orang Kelainan Upaya (OKU) Maqarrabun negeri Kelantan yang dirasmikan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob di Balai Islam di sini, hari ini.

Mumtaz berkata, sebagai galakan sebelum berpoligami, kerajaan negeri menerusi Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Kebajikan negeri mengadakan kuliah atau program penerangan pendidikan rumah tangga.

“Dalam hal ini, kita adakan kuliah termasuk motivasi dalam perkahwinan, dasar keluarga mawaddah dan galakan untuk berpoligami bukan dalam bentuk duit tapi memberi ilmu.

“Kalau kamu (suami) tak boleh berlaku adil kahwin satu saja dan kalau (mahu berpoligami) sebagai tempat untuk memuaskan nafsu, itu bukan sasarannya, ” katanya.

Source: www.bharian.com.my

February 4, 2017
Kini Lebih Banyak Kafe “Hipster” Halal Di Tampines

Berita baik bagi penduduk Tampines! Anda tidak lagi perlu pergi ‘jauh’ ke Arab Street untuk menjamu selera atau relaks sambil menghirup kopi di kafe-kafe ‘hipster’ ala Eropah yang sedang rancak tumbuh di sana.

Tampines kini nampaknya kian menjadi besi sembrani, dan mendakapi budaya kafe ‘trendy’ seperti itu, yang popular terutamanya di kalangan anak muda dan pelancong sejak beberapa tahun lalu.

Tinjauan BERITAMediacorp mendapati, kini terdapat sekurang-kurangnya empat kafe halal sedemikian di Tampines, daerah timur Singapura yang ramai penduduk Melayu/Islam.

“I AM…” DIBUKA MINGGU KE-3 FEBRUARI

Selain kafe Alt-Yard yang dibuka pada 2015, Brothers in Fine Food serta Commonground yang menawarkan menu ‘brunch’ (dan sedang dalam proses mendapatkan sijil halal), kafe ‘I am…’ – iaitu sebuah kafe ‘hipster’ terkenal ala Belanda di Haji Lane – akan membuka cawangan keduanya di Our Tampines Hub tidak lama lagi.

Kafe ‘I am…’ di Our Tampines Hub yang bakal dibuka. (Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

Pengarah kafe ‘I am…’, Encik Muhamad Jamuri Busori, memberitahu BERITAMediacorp bahawa cawangan kedua kafe itu akan dibuka pada minggu ketiga bulan ini.

Kafe-kafe sedemikian kini ternyata semakin popular, bukan sahaja di kalangan pelanggan yang inginkan suasana kafe yang unik yang seolah-olah membawa mereka ke kafe-kafe di negara Barat, tetapi juga dek hiasan dalaman dan menunya yang cukup ‘hip’. Ia ibarat halwa mata untuk para pengguna Instagram yang gemar memetik gambar makanan dan ‘berselfie’ di kafe.

Pendeknya, ia disebut sebagai begitu ‘Instagrammable’!

Kafe Brothers in Fine Food. (Gambar: Instagram/@brothersinfinefood)

Kafe I am… di Haji Lane. (Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

Menjelaskan lebih lanjut, Encik Muhamad Jamuri berkata pihaknya memilih untuk membuka cawangan kedua di Tampines bagi memaksimumkan peluang-peluang yang ada di sana, memandangkan lebih banyak pusat beli-belah kini dibuka di kawasan itu.

Beliau menambah, pihaknya juga menerima maklum balas daripada para pelanggan yang ingin kafe ‘I am…’ membuka lebih banyak cawangan di kawasan lain di Singapura.

KEISTIMEWAAN TAMPINES SEBAGAI LOKASI?

Selain dua cawangan ‘I am…’ itu, pihaknya kini mempunyai kafe ‘& Why…’ dan kafe ‘all in…’ di kawasan Arab Street.

Kafe ‘I am…’ ditubuhkan pada Ogos 2013 bersama dua rakannya, Jaffar Sariban and Salle Ahmad. Malah ia turut disenaraikan di kalangan 17 restoran dan kafe halal terbaik di Singapura dalam majalah Time Out dalam edisinya pada bulan lalu.

(Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

“Kami lihat semakin banyak pusat beli-belah kini dibuka di Tampines, jadi ada peluang yang baik di sana untuk mengembangkan perniagaan kami,” kata Encik Muhamad Jamuri ketika dihubungi BERITAMediacorp.

“Kami juga mahu menyasarkan pelanggan di kawasan timur Singapura, terutamanya keluarga, memandangkan ramai penduduk Muslim di sana. Tahun ini ialah tahun keempat kami beroperasi, jadi kami mahu kembangkan lagi jenama kami, sebab ada yang tidak tahu pun tentang kafe ‘I am…’ di Haji Lane.

“Kafe kami juga akan terletak di Home Team NS, jadi di situ juga ada banyak peluang kerana ramainya anggota Home Team NS,” ujarnya lagi.

Selain itu, Encik Muhamad Jamuri juga akur bahawa kafe-kafe halal yang ‘trendy’ dan ‘hipster’ kian bertambah di kawasan Tampines, dan trend itu adalah sebahagian sebab pihaknya memilih kawasan itu untuk cawangan kedua ‘I am…’.

PERBEZAAN “I AM…” HAJI LANE DENGAN TAMPINES?

Beliau berkata ia akan mempunyai konsep yang sama dengan cawangan pertama di Haji Lane, iaitu menu, hiasan dalaman dan suasana keseluruhan yang seolah-olah membawa anda ke Amsterdam, bandar yang terkenal dengan kincir angin dan bangunan-bangunan lama yang indah berlatarbelakangkan terusan air.

Namun sementara kafe ‘I am’ di Haji Lane lebih menyasarkan pelancong dan golongan muda dengan lokasi ‘hipster’nya serta tempat duduk alfresco sesuai untuk para pengunjung relaks sambil memerhatikan orang yang lalu-lalang, cawangan keduanya di Our Tampines Hub lebih menyasarkan keluarga.

(Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

Bahkan, Encik Muhamad Jamuri menjanjikan rekaan dalaman kafe di Tampines itu akan lebih menarik dan lebih menerapkan keunikan bandar Amsterdam.

”Kafe di Our Tampines Hub akan mempunyai ‘industrial feel’ (suasana industri) dan seolah-olah membawa pelanggan ke lorong-lorong di Amsterdam, lengkap dengan papan-papan tanda jalan raya Amsterdam, lukisan-lukisan muralnya, basikal-basikalnya, pinggan mangkuk yang digunakan serta suratkhabar-suratkhabar Belanda di lantai kafe.

“Ini berbeza daripada kafe di Haji Lane, yang berkonsep terbuka dan mempunyai tempat-tempat duduk di luar dan kawasan Haji Lane itu sendiri mempunyai ‘vibe’ seperti di Amsterdam,” kata Encik Muhamad Jamuri.

MAKANAN BARU DI “I AM…” TAMPINES?

Pemilik “I am…” seterusnya mendedahkan kepada BERITAMediacorp bahawa kafe kedua itu juga akan memperkenalkan beberapa hidangan makanan baru yang lebih mesra keluarga dalam menunya.

Satu lagi perbezaan yang ketara ialah sementara kafe ‘I am…’ di Haji Lane hanya dilengkapi kipas kerana berkonsep terbuka, kafe di Tampines akan berhawa dingin.

“Hawa dinginnya cukup sejuk, jadi ia akan benar-benar membawa pelanggan ke Amsterdam memandangkan di sana sedang musim bunga,” ujarnya lagi sambil berseloroh.

(Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

CAWANGAN KE-5 BILA PULA?

Ditanya BERITAMediacorp sama ada pihak ‘I am…’ sudah ada rancangan untuk membuka kafe kelima pula di negara ini, Encik Muhamad Jumari berkata: “Tiada rancangan buat masa ini, tetapi kalau ada rezeki, insya Allah.”

Encik Muhamad Jumari mendapat ilham bagi kafe ‘I am…’ setelah menemani isterinya ke Amsterdam untuk urusan perniagaan dan terpegun dengan keindahan bandar itu.

Ia menawarkan menu makanan Barat, termasuk ‘Fries & Mayo’ ala Belanda, ‘The Platters’, ‘Fish & Chips’ dan burger daging panggang, ‘Charcoal-grilled Juicy Beef Burgers’.

Berikut ini senarai 3 lagi kafe halal di Tampines

1) Alt-Yard di Kelab Masyarakat Tampines West

Dibuka pada 2015, ia merupakan usahasama Fluff Bakery dengan sebuah pemilik kafe tempatan, Penny University.

Ia terkenal dengan churros (termasuk churros perisa ondeh-ondeh) serta kek-kek cawan Fluff Bakery.

(Gambar: Instagram/Alt-Yard)

2) Brothers in Fine Food di Kelab Masyarakat Tampines West

Dibuka pada November 2016, ia turut diusahakan oleh pemilik kafe Penny University.

Ia menghidangkan menu sarapan, brunch dan makan malam serta pelbagai kek dan pencuci mulut, antaranya termasuk ‘Butcher’s Daughter’ iaitu filet daging, telur, kentang dan salad, ‘Peanut Butter Jelly Toast’, stik daging dan Greek Yoghurt Panna Cotta.

3) Commonground di Our Tampines Hub

Dibuka pada November 2016, ia menawarkan menu menyeluruh untuk brunch, makan tengah hari, makan malam dan juga untuk teh petang termasuk salad, sandwic, piza, pasta, stik ribeye, daging rusuk kambing panggang, ayam rotisserie, dan pelbagai pencuci mulut.

Menurut laman Facebooknya, ia sedang dalam proses mendapatkan sijil halal tidak lama lagi namun semua produk dan bahan makanannya daripada sumber yang disahkan halal.

(Gambar: Facebook/Commonground)

February 4, 2017
Malaysia Seeking To Revise Judgment On Pedra Branca Citing New Facts, Singapore Forms Legal Team To Study Challenge

Malaysia, citing “new facts” discovered in recently declassified British documents, has filed a challenge to the 2008 decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ruled Pedra Branca to be Singaporean territory.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in response that the Republic is “studying Malaysia’s application and documentation closely”, and has formed a legal team to respond to Malaysia’s challenge.

The Singapore legal team includes Attorney-General Lucien Wong, former Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar, Professor Tommy Koh and former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong.

Malaysian Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali filed the application with the ICJ at The Hague on Thursday (Feb 2) over the sovereignty of Pedra Branca, which is located some 24 nautical miles to the east of Singapore. The Republic was alerted overnight through the formal channels of the High Commission and the International Court of Justice.

“The application was made by Malaysia upon the discovery of some fact of such a nature as to be a decisive factor, which fact was, when the judgment was given, unknown to the Court and also to Malaysia as the party claiming revision,” Mr Apandi said in a statement on Friday.

He added: “We are also confident that the requirements as stipulated under Article 61 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice have been met in that, inter alia, the application for revision is brought within six months of the discovery of the new fact, and within 10 years of the date of the Judgment.”

It is early days yet in the court process, with the panel of judges to hear the case yet to be formed. Both sides will have a say in the appointment of the judges, and the number of judges on the panel is yet to be determined.

The Malaysian statement did not disclose details of the “new facts”. TODAY understands that three new facts were submitted. In response to queries from TODAY, Mr Apandi would only say that these were “discovered after the British Government declassified the documents recently”. Asked to identify the specific documents, he said: “Not now…when Singapore is being notified, they will be served with the relevant papers.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

February 4, 2017
Reform Party: To Maintain A Reliable News Source, Government Must End Control Over Media

Chee Hong Tat, Minister of State for Communications and Information, said today (Saturday January 28 2017) that it was critical for Singapore to continue to have a national broadcaster that people can turn to as a credible and reliable news source:

“I think it’s critical for us to continue to have a credible national broadcaster that Singaporeans can turn to as a credible and reliable source of news, and also to understand what’s happening around them both locally and (in) the region,”

This is just the usual pathetic justification for the PAP to maintain a media monopoly. Despite state control of the media since the 1970s, many Singaporeans still seem unaware of the fact that Temasek, run by the PM’s wife, owns Mediacorp and that the Government controls Singapore Press Holdings through the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act. This gives the Government the right to directly appoint the management and the editors. Many former chief editors, like the late President Nathan, have been appointed directly from the Internal Security Department or ISD. So when Chee Hong Tat says that what we need is a “reliable” source of news he means one that can be reliably counted on to support the Government.

In fact the Government relies on state media to do more than just support it. It uses its lackeys in the state media to create fake news and defame and ridicule its opponents. When challenged on their lies and inaccuracies the state media does not apologise. Sometimes it amends the story without explanation or just removes it, as happened when the Business Times removed a piece making fun of death threats against the Reform Party’s SG during the Punggol East by- election.

As long as the PAP has a monopoly over the media we will not get a credible news source merely one that provides a constant diet of Government propaganda. There is not even an independent body to which you can appeal if the state media defame you or breach your privacy. We do not have an independent Press Complaints Commission unlike the UK. This has the power to compel newspapers to publish corrections and retractions to false stories and to publish apologies.

Over the last few years the Government has moved to tighten its grip even further on what little independent media there is. News websites are required now to register with the Media Development Authority and put up a deposit if they receive more than 25,000 views per day from Singaporeans. This will be forfeited if they fail to take down content that MDA objects to. In 2014 the Government closed down The Real Singapore, alarmed by its financial success, and then prosecuted and jailed its editors, one of whom was pregnant. Alternative news sites such as The Online Citizen (TOC), have been brought to heel by being designated as political and barred from accepting foreign advertising, even though they were set up by individuals connected with the PAP in the first place.

Now the Government looks set to tighten its grip on information to ensure that only its version of events gets out there. After Mindef lost the case it brought against TOC and Dr Ting Choon Meng under the Protection from Harassment Law (POHA), the Government has not denied that it is planning to amend the law so as to protect Government Ministries from what it views as false statements:

“At a time when false information can affect election results, contaminate public discussions and weaken democratic societies, it is important for the Government, as well as corporations and individuals, to be able to respond robustly to false statements that could poison public debate and mislead decision-making. Everyone, including the Government, should be entitled to point out falsehoods which are published, and have the true facts brought to public attention,”

Eugene Tan, the Government’s preferred rent-a-pundit, has echoed this call for special protection for the Government, notwithstanding all the resources it already has to put its case across through its state media monopoly. Tan said it is not a question of whether entities require protection from harassment and falsehoods, but about protecting public bodies from having to devote resources in what may amount to a “war of attrition”, and ensure as little misinformation as possible.

“There is little social value in protecting speech designed to harass or perpetuate falsehoods,” he said.

Unfortunately there is no symmetry. The Government is seeking to extend its overwhelming control of the media to put its propaganda across while at the same time stifling any criticism from independent websites or blogs by taking them down for spreading “false information” or forcing them to carry the Government’s rebuttal. As we have seen again and again, this right is not extended to individuals or the Opposition in the Government’s own media mouthpieces.

Reform Party also agrees it is vital for Singaporeans to have access to reliable news. However we differ from the Government. At present the predominant source of fake news in Singapore is the PAP Government. Singapore under PAP rule is about as far as it is possible to get from a democratic society.

We believe that you can only ensure the news is reliable if it comes from a plurality of sources in a competitive environment. Therefore we would divest Mediacorp as part of the process of privatizing and listing Temasek. We would also abolish the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act and allow anyone to start a newspaper. Finally we would not seek to apply the POHA to Government agencies that already have robust tools at their disposal to rebut criticism.

Source: http://reform.sg

February 3, 2017