Category: Hiburan

  • Time’s Up For Jalan Besar’s King George’s Stand

    Time’s Up For Jalan Besar’s King George’s Stand

    After scoring the LionsXII’s first-ever goal in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) in 2012 against Kelantan, defender Baihakki Khaizan hurdled over the advertising boards and celebrated with the home fans in a packed King George’s Stand behind the goal atthe Jalan Besar Stadium.

    It was a memorable moment cherished by the Singapore international and everyone in the local football fraternity.

    Football celebrations in the King George’s Stand will be no more, though, after the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) confirmed yesterday that the 1,500-capacity facility, which had cost sponsors Kingsmen more than $250,000 to build, will be dismantled in November.

    This will reduce the stadium’s capacity from 8,000 to 6,500.

    Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, FAS deputy director of development and planning Benjamin Tan said: “We appreciate the understanding and approvals of the relevant authorities in granting extensions for the continued use of the King George’s Stand at Jalan Besar Stadium over the past three years.

    “We are also thankful to our partners, including Kingsmen and Sport Singapore, for their support towards our continuous efforts in bringing more fans together.

    INCREASE

    “With an approximate capacity of 1,500, the King George’s Stand enabled us to increase the seating capacity of the stadium, which in turn allowed more fans to turn up and support our teams in action over the past few years.

    “The final extension for the use of the temporary seating structures expired on Aug 29, and the dismantling and reinstatement works will commence in November.

    “We will continue to work with our stakeholders and partners and explore various ways of enhancing match-day and viewing experience for our fans.”

    The last time the King George’s Stand was used in an MSL match was on Aug 8 against Pahang, when the LionsXII won 4-2.

    It has since been sealed off for the last few home games.

    While it has seen better days, such as capacity crowds in 2012 and 2013 when the LionsXII finished MSL runners-up and champions, respectively, attendances at the Jalan Besar Stadium have declined in recent years, with an average of 5,000.

    Even though the grandstand and gallery would be packed for certain games, the King George’s Stand was regularly a huge swathe of emptiness, although it did enjoy a turnaround during the SEA Games football tournament held here in June.

    While a Sport Singapore spokesman said that it is open to similar arrangements in the future, there are no current plans to further increase the capacity at Jalan Besar Stadium.


    “The final extension for the use of the temporary seating structures expired on Aug 29, and the dismantling and reinstatement works will commence in November.”

    – FAS deputy director of development and planning Benjamin Tan

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Sebastian Vettel: Tighter Security Needed After Track Invasion

    Sebastian Vettel: Tighter Security Needed After Track Invasion

    Sebastian Vettel called for tighter security at the Singapore Grand Prix after a “crazy” spectator ran across the track in front of him and took a photo on Sunday.

    The Ferrari driver and eventual winner said he did a double-take when the man appeared shortly after the race’s halfway stage, an incident which prompted the safety car.

    Police said a 27-year-old man was arrested and was helping with investigations, without giving further details.

    “I had to look again because I wasn’t sure whether I had a problem with my eyesight or I saw somebody crossing the track,” Vettel said.

    “I went on the radio and said some guy’s crossing the track. I saw him taking a picture — I hope it was a good one at least, it was in focus!

    “Yeah, (it was) pretty crazy. We approach that corner around 280-290 clicks (kilometres per hour; 174-180 miles per hour). I wouldn’t cross the track if I was him so yeah, it was crazy.

    “Maybe next year they need to block the grandstands a bit better. Fortunately nothing happened to us and nothing happened to him, as far as I know.”

    Fans are positioned close to the track in some parts of the street circuit, most of which is enclosed by walls and tall metal fencing.

    Central Singapore grinds to a standstill for the race which snakes past modern and historic landmarks along usually busy roads of the former British colony.

    “I think he did a pretty good job, he was a quick runner. He crossed me from the right to the left,” Vettel said.

    “Pretty odd, obviously that’s not what you expect when you come round looking into the next corner.”

    Video footage of the incident showed the man walking down the side of a stretch of track before hopping through a gap in the fence.

    The safety car came out for four laps after the incident before the race resumed.

     

    Source: https://sg.sports.yahoo.com

  • Man Arrested For F1 Track Invasion

    Man Arrested For F1 Track Invasion

    Police have arrested an unidentified man who was captured on live footage sauntering on the race track midway through the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix (GP) on Sunday (Sep 20).

    At about 1am, police confirmed a 27-year-old man was arrested for Rash Act and is now assisting with investigations.

    The individual, who was clad in a T-shirt and boardshorts, strolled along the side of the Esplanade Drive section of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, where cars reach top speeds of 290km/h.

    Then-race leader Sebastian Vettel, who eventually won, radioed his team shouting: “There is a man on the track, there is a man on the track.” Runner-up Daniel Ricciardo also told his team that the individual “was taking a video”.

    The safety car was immediately deployed onto the race track but after a brief amble, the man hopped back into the stands.

    “I had to look again as I wasn’t sure if I had a problem with my eyesight and that I actually saw somebody crossing the track,” Vettel told reporters.

    “The team said on the radio that someone was on the track, I think I saw him take a picture so I hope it was a good one at least… in focus.

    “It was pretty crazy though, we approach that corner at around 280-290 clicks (km per hour) so I wouldn’t be crossing the track if I was him but it was good to see the safety car come out straight away.

    “Maybe next season we need to block the grandstands a bit better and fortunately nothing happened to us and nothing happened to him. It was pretty odd, not what you expect to see when you come around to the next corner.”

    Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo, who finished runner-up to Vettel, was not impressed by the intrusion, saying the introduction of the safety car might have cost him a chance of winning the race .

    “Thanks to the guy on the track…appreciate it!” Vettel joked. “I was tempted to swerve – clip him!”

    Shortly after the incident, another spectator at the Singapore GP tweeted a photo of a separately open and unmanned gate to the track.

    Similar invasions, while uncommon, have happened in the past, raising concerns about security at Formula One races.

    An Irish former priest ran onto the track during the 2003 British Grand Prix while a disgruntled Mercedes Benz employee invaded the Hockenheim track during the 2001 German Grand Prix.

    Earlier this year, a spectator ran across the track in front of cars travelling at 260km/h during practice for the Chinese Grand Prix.

    Apprehended by security and handed over to police, he explained that he had wanted to drive one of the cars.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Suara Rafaat Hamzah Kembali Lantang

    Suara Rafaat Hamzah Kembali Lantang

    SETELAH setahun meringkuk dalam penjara, beliau kini bersedia terus menghidupkan minatnya dalam arena sastera Melayu di Singapura.

    Malah, rasa rindu untuk mempersembahkan karya seni beliau membuak-buak menyebabkan beliau ghairah setelah menerima undangan ‘beraksi’ dan mempamerkan karya seninya.

    Rafaat Hamzah, yang dibebaskan pada 2 Jun lalu setelah menjalani hukuman penjara setahun kerana terjebak dengan dadah, telah pun membuat beberapa persembahan awam termasuk di acara pelancaran Bulan Bahasa tahun ini.

    Pada 6 Oktober ini, beliau akan beraksi di pentas Malam Sastera anjuran BeritaHarian.sg

    Nada pertuturan beliau berubah menjadi ghairah apabila meluahkan apa yang dirasakan semasa menerima undangan untuk mempersembahkan karyanya.

    Menurutnya, undangan ke Malam Sastera adalah yang pertama diterima sebaik dibebaskan, namun kerana tarikh acara itu ditangguhkan lantaran Pilihan Raya Umum 2015, ia bukan acara pertama yang beliau hadiri.

    “Saya gembira sangat kerana dapat melepaskan rindu dan naik ke pentas untuk menyampaikan kerja saya. Mungkin ada penonton atau teman yang rasa terlepas rindu ‘kan? Jika perasaan itu mutual, alhamdulillah,” ujar beliau yang datang berpakaian kasual dan bertopi.

    Beliau akur walaupun ada yang boleh menerimanya, tentu ada yang enggan.

    “Sebelum saya masuk penjara pun tak semua yang terima saya, jadi selepas saya keluar pun sama jugalah – ada yang boleh terima, ada yang tidak,” katanya.

    Namun, beliau berkata masyarakat Melayu umumnya bersifat pengampun.

    “Saya percaya dengan masyarakat dan industri. Bagi saya, kalaupun nak sekat pergerakan saya, ia tidak mudah.

    “Tidak mudah menyekat karya seni, dan tidak ada orang yang boleh buat seorang seniman berhenti bekerja atau berkarya. Ini kerana walaupun seorang seniman tu tidak boleh berjalan sekalipun, beliau tetap akan berkarya,” katanya.

    Ditanya mengenai persembahan beliau untuk Malam Sastera kelak, Rafaat tertawa.

    Katanya, walaupun beliau ada beberapa cetusan idea bagi karya yang akan dipersembahkan, belum ada yang pasti.

    “Kekadang walaupun telah saya sediakan puisi atau sajak yang ingin dipersembahkan, pada saat-saat akhir saya akan menukarnya kepada sesuatu yang berbeza, mengikut keadaan, ruang atau suasana persembahan. Oleh itu tidak ada yang pasti,” ujarnya.

    Namun, beliau menekankan bahawa tiada dua persembahan beliau yang sama 100 peratus.

    “Walaupun puisi atau sajak itu sama, cara saya mempersembahkannya akan dibezakan. Saya akan melagukan atau memendekkan puisi atau sajak tersebut serta bermain dengan nafas untuk menghidupkan lagi puisi atau sajak tersebut,” katanya penuh semangat membincangkan bidang yang beliau minati itu.

    Rafaat berkata acara itu amat penting, terutama bagi Berita Harian kerana bahasa dan sastera tidak boleh dipisahkan daripada dunia kewartawanan.

    “Ia bukan sahaja amat dialu-alukan tetapi ia seperti suatu kewajipan (untuk mengadakan acara ini). Ia juga penting untuk menjadi wadah bagi karya-karya tempatan, lebih baik lagi jika kita dapat memasyarakatkan Malam Sastera kerana penting bagi karya-karya ini sampai kepada masyarakat.

    “Saya tidak bimbang sama ada sastera Melayu atau bahasa Melayu di Singapura akan mati kerana walaupun masyarakat kita jumlahnya sedikit, masih ramai yang meminati dan giat meneruskan sastera Melayu di sini,” ujarnya.

    Rafaat dan 11 seniman mapan lain bakal mempersembahkan karya mereka di acara Malam Sastera anjuran wadah digital Berita Harian pada 6 Oktober di Auditorium SPH.

    Mereka yang ingin mendaftar diri bolehlah mengunjungi laman web kami diwww.beritaharian.sg/malamsastera.

    Tiket bagi pementasan puisi Malam Sastera adalah $18 seorang, dan $12 seorang bagi pembelian secara berkumpulan dengan minimum empat orang atau lebih.

    Wacana Malam Sastera pula, yang akan diadakan sebelum pementasan puisi itu, tidak mengenakan sebarang bayaran masuk.


    ATUR CARA

    Tarikh: Selasa, 6 Oktober

    Tempat: Auditorium SPH, 1000 Toa Payoh North, News Centre

    Wacana: 5 petang hingga 7.15 malam

    Pendaftaran bermula pada 4.30 petang.

    Masuk percuma

    Pementasan Puisi: 8 hingga 10 malam

    Pendaftaran bermula 7.15 malam.

    Makanan disediakan

    Tiket biasa: $18 seorang

    Tiket berkumpulan (minimum empat orang): $12 seorang

    Laman web: www.beritaharian.sg/malamsastera

     

    Source: http://beritaharian.sg

  • Singaporeans Congratulate Tharman Shanmugaratnam For Single-Handedly Winning GE2015 For PAP

    Singaporeans Congratulate Tharman Shanmugaratnam For Single-Handedly Winning GE2015 For PAP

    Singaporeans from all walks of life who suddenly found themselves covered in white have come out to congratulate and commend Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

    This after Tharman’s Jurong GRC team beat Lee Hsien Loong’s Ang Mo Kio GRC team for best result by clinching 79.28 percent of votes. The national average is 69.9 percent.

    One Singaporean, Hen Ai Ni, said Tharman’s showing is proof that PAP’s talent distribution is uneven: “Even though his official title might be DPM, in my heart and mind, he is my prime minister.”

    “He is the only reason there is still hope for the PAP.”

    Other Singaporeans said Tharman’s statesman-like demeanour and intellect is what makes up for whatever shortfall and dead weight the party is facing.

    Another Singaporean, Jiak Leow Bee, said: “The PAP with Tharman Shanmugaratnam inside is like Geylang United signing Wayne Rooney.”

    “The PAP won 83 out of 89 seats in total, so it is the duty of the 82 others to thank Tharman personally. They must not and cannot be so ungrateful.”

    At press time, other Singaporeans said they wonder how is the PAP going to resurrect Lee Kuan Yew and put him to sleep again to recreate the same mood five years from now.

     

    Source: http://newnation.sg