Category: Singapuraku

Will Khaw Boon Wan Be Next Transport Minister?

He has handled complex issues and difficult portfolios while helming the Health and National Development ministries. And now, talk has intensified that Mr Khaw Boon Wan is set to take the hottest ministerial seat on offer when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announces his new Cabinet next week — that of Transport Minister.

The first hint of change came last Friday, when Mr Khaw, who has been National Development Minister since 2011, announced on his Facebook page that he was anticipating that the Cabinet reshuffle would “affect” him. He then suggested that his destination was one that the “bookies” were clear about.

Even before Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew left politics, Mr Khaw has been linked to the job, with many netizens seeing him as a “steady hand” who has done well in handling difficult issues in health and housing.

As Health Minister, Mr Khaw was deft in handling the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) crisis, reformed MediShield and restored public confidence in the charity sector after public uproar over misuse of funds at the National Kidney Foundation.

He then volunteered to tackle the prickly issues facing the National Development Ministry after the 2011 General Election. Since taking over, he has overseen measures to cool the runaway cost of private and public housing, fuelled the construction of more HDB flats and helped different groups, such as singles, buy flats.

His successes have led many to believe that Minister Fix-It, as he has been called, will be given the challenging transport portfolio, one that has seen three ministers in the last nine years deal with rising COE prices, unhappy commuters, overcrowded buses and trains, and service breakdowns. Should Mr Khaw get the Transport Minister job, he would be a good fit, said transport and political analysts The New Paper spoke to.

Source: www.tnp.sg

September 28, 2015
Kes Gangguan Seksual Digugur, Tegar Dan Sufi Rashid Bakal Disaman

PETALING JAYA: Bekas pengurus kepada Tegar Septian iaitu Muhammad Arif Dollah mendedahkan usaha penyanyi cilik itu untuk menjatuhkannya dengan tuduhan gangguan seksual tidak berhasil apabila pihak polis di Singapura menutup kes berkenaan.

Muhammad Arif, 30, berkata, dia mendapat khabar gembira itu menerusi panggilan telefon pada 18 September lalu dan pihak polis Singapura mengesahkan tidak akan membuat sebarang dakwaan terhadapnya.

“Alhamdulillah dengan rasa syukur selepas enam bulan melalui pelbagai tuduhan dan fitnah saya akhirnya dapat menarik nafas lega kerana siasatan mengenai dakwaan Tegar terhadap saya telah selesai.

“Pihak polis memaklumkan tiada sebarang dakwaan akan diambil terhadap saya dan kes itu telah pun ditutup,” katanya kepada mStar Online ketika dihubungi pada Sabtu.

Kata Muhammad Arif lagi, dia dimaklumkan kes berkenaan ditutup selepas tiada bukti kukuh selain kenyataan Tegar sebelum ini tidak konsisten kepada pihak polis.

Terdahulu media di Singapura pada hujung Mac lalu melaporkan Muhammad Arif telah ditangkap polis selepas pihak berkuasa negara itu menerima dua laporan berhubung gangguan seksual yang dibuat oleh Tegar dan bekas anak tirinya, Sufi Rashid.

Sehubungan dengan itu, Muhammad Arif berkata, pada 22 september lalu dia telah pun membuat laporan polis terhadap Tegar berhubung kenyataan palsu diberikan kepada pihak berkuasa itu.

Katanya, biarpun kes berkenaan telah pun ditutup namun dia mengambil keputusan untuk membukanya semula dengan membuat laporan polis bagi mencari kebenaran.

“Saya dinasihatkan supaya berfikir sebelum meneruskan laporan itu kerana Tegar masih kecil dan tidak tahu akan undang-undang di Singapura.

“Tetapi saya tetap teruskan kerana tujuan saya hanya satu untuk melihat sama ada dia akan mengaku disuruh (membuat laporan palsu) atau dia sendiri yang lakukan.

Ariff akan mengadakan sidang media di Kuala Lumpur dan Jakarta dalam masa terdekat.

“Saya juga difahamkan penyanyi tersebut akan berada di Singapura pada Oktober ini dan saya telah meminta pihak berkuasa untuk segera melakukan siasatan,” tegasnya.

Dalam pada itu, Muhammad Arif berkata, dia telah pun melantik peguam untuk memfailkan saman malu terhadap empat individu di atas penyebaran fitnah terhadapnya sebelum ini.

Jelasnya, selain Tegar, tiga individu lain bakal dikenakan saman adalah peserta Akademi Fantasia 2015, Sufi Rashid, Nur JM (penulis blog) dan seorang lelaki yang didakwa sebagai dalang kes berkenaan iaitu Ali Najib Baksher.

“Peguam saya akan mengeluarkan notis saman malu terhadap empat individu yang disebut itu dalam masa terdekat ini.

“Saya tidak akan berkrompomi dalam hal ini dan akan tetap memfailkan saman malu terhadap keempat-empat individu berkenaan dan beberapa pihak lain yang sedang dalam pertimbangan.

“Ini juga bukan soal balas dendam tetapi sekadar ingin menegakkan kebenaran setelah apa mereka lakukan kepada saya sebelum ini,” jelasnya.

Dalam perkembangan sama, Muhammad Arif berkata, dia akan mengadakan sidang media di Kuala Lumpur dan Jakarta dalam masa terdekat bagi menjelaskan butiran lanjut berhubung tindakannya itu selain akan membuat beberapa pendedahan terbaharu berhubung kes tersebut.

“Insya-Allah saya akan berkongsi cerita dengan rakan-rakan media di Malaysia dan Indonesia dalam masa terdekat bagi menjelaskan situasi sebenar dalam masa terdekat ini,” ujarnya.

Source: http://peraktoday.com.my

September 28, 2015
Ever Wondered What A Jumbo Flat Looks Like?

He describes his home as a “halfway house” for family members who are in need.

His parents stayed with him for about seven years after his mother had a knee operation, before moving back to their own flat.

Now, his 53-year-old sister, who is currently waiting for her new flat, has moved in with her two children.

Together with Mr Ramdzan Minhat, 51, his wife, three children and a maid, nine people live in this jumbo executive flat at Woodlands Avenue 1.

In the early 1990s, HDB converted hundreds of unsold new flats in Woodlands and Yishun into jumbo flats by knocking down the walls of two adjoining flats.

A total of 395 jumbo executive apartments in Yishun and 90 units of seven-room HDB flats in Woodlands were offered to the public back then.

Mr Ramdzan’s home is made up of a four-room unit and a three-room unit. It has a combined space of about 1,700 sq ftwith four bedrooms and three halls – the living, dining and family rooms.

Mr Ramdzan, who runs a jewellery business, says: “The family hall is like the games centre, where the kids play with their PlayStation and Wii.

“It is also my work area because I work from home most of the time.”

WATCH: Exploring a jumbo flat

Mr Ramdzan bought the resale flat about 16 years ago for $433,000, a drop from its previous market value of about $600,000.

He had cashed out from the sale of his first home – a four-room flat at Woodlands Avenue 9 – before the property market crashed.

A similar jumbo unit now goes for $699,000, based on listings on STProperty.

Mr Ramdzan, who has always like big spaces, says the flat was already combined into a jumbo unit when he bought it.

And all that extra space is perfect for entertaining guests and accommodating his extended family.

Mr Ramdzan, who has five siblings, says: “We do a lot of entertaining. We host our family and friends at least twice a month. There’s easily eight to ten of them, excluding us.”

During Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the number of guests can easily swell to 30.

Every week, the extended family also gathers for religious or Arabic language classes at his home.

When he hired interior architect firm M3 Studio to give the flat a makeover last November, he wanted a Mediterranean theme.

He used Mediterranean tiles for the kitchen backsplash and tiles with bolder patterns and colours for the walls of the two toilets, each of which has a dry and wet area.

He says: “We have two entrances, so that two persons can use them at the same time. There’s also a stool in the toilet where my elderly parents can sit while they shower.”

CUSTOM-MADE

Mr Ramdzan even designed his own furniture and got a manufacturer to make them to his liking.

His favourites are the rattan furniture in the living room and the ‘smoking corner’ along the corridor, which is part of the flat.

He says: “It is sturdy and the look is classic. I can always refurbish it and change the fabric. It is also easy to clean. I just use a blower to blow away the dust.”

When he moved in about 15 years ago, he and his children got their hands dirty decorating the feature walls of the dining and living rooms.

He says: “We used our hands and fingers to make prints and marks.”

He has also brought back many souvenirs from his overseas work trips, such as an old leather suitcase from Germany and a piece of driftwood from Batam that cost close to $1,000. He displays it in the family room.

He says: “Our home is like a retreat.”

Source: www.tnp.sg

September 27, 2015
Patient: Clinic Supplying Cough Syrups To Addicts

Recently, Jason sat in a doctor’s office and was given an examination.

He told the doctor about his bad cough.

When Jason (not his real name), a Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student, said that a bottle of cough syrup would help make his cough better, the doctor looked surprised.

Jason, a final-year student at NTU, told The New Paper (TNP): “He thought I needed more. Confused, I said one was enough.”

But it all soon began to make sense for Jason.

Earlier on, while waiting to see the doctor, who runs a clinic in the east, Jason had noticed eight people in the queue ahead of him.

Two looked and sounded genuinely sick, but six men appeared suspicious.

Jason said: “None of the six looked sick. They were not coughing or sniffling. They didn’t even bother to pretend.”

Each of them spent about one minute in the doctor’s office. Yet, they all left with three or four bottles of cough syrup containing codeine in white plastic bags, said Jason.

Said Jason, a first-time patient of the clinic: “As a doctor, I thought he should save people (and) not ruin people’s lives.”

Jason decided to alert TNP, which performed its own investigation recently. (See report below.)

SUPPLIES

The undergrad says his suspicions were confirmed after he asked one of the “patients” why the clinic had sold him so many bottles of cough mixture. The man, who looked to be in his 30s, allegedly told Jason that the clinic was a place where addicts get their “supplies”.

A few days later, Jason “tested” what he learnt from the addict.

After seeing the same doctor, he managed to buy three bottles of cough mixture – each in a 90ml plastic bottle – for $90.

Jason said: “Only one bottle was labelled. And I was given a receipt which did not say what I had paid for.”

‘Cough’ patient gets no receipt, no labels and no explanation

I usually prescribe after a consultation. I usually give smaller bottles in case they want more and don’t need them.

– The clinic’s doctor denying that he had been lax in giving out cough mixture

When The New Paper visited the clinic, we found the doctor’s behaviour suspicious.

Despite the reporter having no cough symptoms, he was given two unlabelled bottles of cough mixture, for which he was charged a hefty $70, without a receipt.

TNP had recently decided to investigate Jason’s claims and visited the clinic armed with an audio recorder and a video camera.

Our aim was to buy cough mixture which contained codeine – a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act – and investigate if the clinic had been lax in dispensing the drug. Only doctors and licensed pharmacists are authorised to dispense cough medicine containing codeine, limiting a patient to 240ml per visit.

BARGAINING

At the counter, I observed a male patient “bargaining” with a female staff member.

The man was later photographed exiting the clinic with three bottles of an unidentified dark-coloured substance which he supposedly paid $70 for.

My consultation with the doctor lasted around three minutes.

I complained of coughing, losing my voice and an itchy nose.

But I never once coughed in his presence. I only spoke in a low voice.

The middle-aged doctor took my temperature and listened to my chest. He did not check my throat.

And then, he asked me the question I was waiting for: “So, what do you want?”

I replied: “Ahh… If you can give me some cough medicine?”

The cheery-sounding doctor said: “Cough medicine, ah?”

I told him I wanted more than a bottle.

The doctor replied: “Okay, all right, ah. (Your) nose a bit wet… Two la, hor? Not too many, hor?”

By prescribing two 90ml bottles of cough syrup, the doctor did not appear to be breaking any medical regulations.

Maybe he was being careful.

After all, he had previously been suspended from his medical practice and fined for professional misconduct. The doctor had failed to exercise due care in the management of patients.

Last Saturday, he denied any wrongdoing when confronted by The New Paper.

He said: “No, it’s not true at all… I usually prescribe after a consultation. I usually give smaller bottles in case they want more and don’t need them.”

But when it came to collecting my medicine during my previous visit, I was surprised at the way it was dispensed.

The same female staff member told me my “medicine” cost $70.

Obviously shocked, I repeated the figure.

She said loudly, pointing to the two 90ml bottles of cough syrup inside a white plastic bag: “Yes! You only want these, right?”

With no choice, I agreed and left the clinic.

I instantly realised I was not given a receipt and the two bottles were not labelled.

She had also failed to explain the side-effects of the drug to me.

I found this strange as the patient before me was given a full explanation on his medication and instructions on how much to consume.

When questioned later, the doctor claimed: “All my bottles are labelled. I have to speak to my nurse about that (allegations of unlabelled bottles of cough syrup).”

Source: www.tnp.sg

September 27, 2015
Digital Consultants Helped Six MPs Shine Online In GE2015

It is a job which may not have existed a decade ago, but one now finding increasing currency, particularly among those in the public eye.

Meet digital consultants Natasha Zhao, 29, and Freda Kwok, 27. Among their clients are six People’s Action Party MPs – three of them holding ministerial portfolios including one Senior Minister of State.

This month’s election results were a culmination of a year’s hard work for the MPs who hired them. All six clients were elected. “We worked on their online reputation,” says Ms Zhao. “A good digital engagement plan is best implemented early, during times of peace.”

The MPs identify and recruit residents who support them early on. The digital consultants then advise these advocates on the dos and don’ts of online campaigning.

They use social media monitoring tools to “listen” in on online conversations, then let them know when action is needed. “Part of the battle involves picking the right battlefield. It may not make sense to have supporters go into overly hostile territory,” says Ms Kwok.

Guidelines include having these supporters post replies from a genuine account, maintaining an objective tone, sharing personal experiences and refraining from personal attacks on other netizens.

The tools also determine what type of content resonates with netizens. For instance, posts containing personal thoughts and insights into a candidate’s personal life get up to three times more likes, comments or shares on social media compared to ones on policies.

The consultant might also suggest responses to issues or a cause.

Ultimately, however, the client decides what information goes out.

One candidate, who declines to be named, says residents of all ages follow her on Facebook: “Amid rising expectation from voters and the fact that many may not have time for face-to-face engagement, social media becomes a more important platform for reaching out to these residents.”

Ms Zhao and Ms Kwok, both from QED consulting, decline to reveal how much the MPs paid. Digital consultants can charge up to $150 an hour.

Professor Ang Peng Hwa, an adviser at the Singapore Internet Research Centre, says social media matters can get out of hand: “That some candidates are using consultants shows they are playing it safe. You can’t respond to everything, so you’ll need to be smart about what you reply to, and what you say.”

So how do the other parties handle their social media?

The Workers’ Party declined to be interviewed, while questions sent to the Singapore Democratic Party went unanswered.

People’s Power Party founder Goh Meng Seng says his party does most things on its own. “Our time and resources are limited and our supporters understand that. Our content also feels more authentic.”

Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) chairman Desmond Lim says his party’s efforts include actively monitoring comments on its Facebook page, which is regularly updated. “It is important that comments do not steer mindsets in the wrong direction and dilute the essence of what SDA stands for,” he says.

Some politicians, says Ms Kwok, also rely on help from volunteers, who are not digital professionals but are enthusiastic and savvy about social media use.

“The danger is that sometimes they might not fully understand the complexities and sensitivities involved in digital communications,” she adds.

That is one reason Prof Ang thinks the political dimension on social media here has space to grow, compared to campaigns like US President Barack Obama’s in 2008.

“There was more social media buzz this time round compared to the last election, but nothing really stood out,” he says.

The consultants, however, are optimistic. Says Ms Kwok: “How an item trends on social media will continue to be an important marker in tracking how critical it is.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 27, 2015