Category: Sosial

Big Splash Bosses Pulling The Plug

In its heyday, Big Splash was known for having the tallest water slides in Singapore.

Though the flumes and water park were demolished a decade ago, the attraction has retained its name and still pulls in 300,000 visitors a month with its dining and recreation amenities.

But after 40 years in operation, the establishment is going out, not so much with a big splash, but a small drip.

Bosses have revealed it will close its doors on Oct 21, when its lease with the National Parks Board (NParks) expires.

It will make way for a new development on the 2.83ha plot, details of which are yet to be revealed.

Fans of the park, including those who remember its original format, are sad to see it go.

Data entry clerk Florence Lim, 39, said: “One of my favourite memories with my late father is when he took us to play at the colourful slides. Back then there was no Wild Wild Wet, so Big Splash was very adventurous and exciting. I also took my two sons there a few years ago and had a nice time.”

Madam Lim plans to have a family outing there before it closes. “We will definitely take photos this time to remember it,” she added.

Student Ang Wan Qi, 20, said: “I used to go there after visiting my grandparents. I have fond memories of playing mini-golf at Lilliputt with my family where I was very competitive with my brother. I am devastated to find out it is closing.”

Tenants are also disappointed, though some have managed to secure two-and-a-half-month extensions to their leases.

Mr Walter Goh, director of Fish@Big Splash – a fishing and prawning attraction, said: “We have extended with NParks for now, but we are looking for somewhere with a more long-term lease.”

Others among the 21 tenants have already found a new site. Outdoor gear store Hornest has rented space at Oxley Business Park and plans to move there in September.

Owner Tay Choon Mong said: “After the opening of Parkland Green nearby, retail here is quite bad and we are struggling. The crowd here has become limited.”

Alpha Gymnastics will move to Chai Chee Technopark, a 10- minute drive from Big Splash. Head coach Howard Cheng said: “It will be more convenient for our current customers as we understand that most of them stay in the east.”

Seafood International Market and Restaurant will shut on Sept 15, according to a post on Big Splash’s Facebook page. It has been at the park for 33 years. Director Justin Tan said: “We have been trying to find something similar in terms of location for the past year after being actively in talks with NParks for the past 18 months.

“There are several options such as waiting after NParks redevelops the area. They have welcomed us to re-tender then.”

While smaller tenants were offered lease extensions, Seafood International was not given the option. Mr Tan added: “It’s very difficult to give up a place we’ve been at so long, but we’ve come to terms with it and we’ve had a good run.”

Redevelopment of Big Splash is expected to begin early next year.

Source: The Straits Times

July 17, 2016
Singapore Researchers’ Papers Retracted, NTU Professor Fired Over Falsified Data

About seven months after either retracting, withdrawing or correcting six research papers on myostatin, a protein produced in the human body, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has found evidence of falsified data in another three papers on the same subject and retracted them from two science journals.

The university has already sacked lead researcher Professor Ravi Kambadur, whose team included researchers from other institutions here. It has also started disciplinary proceedings against other researchers involved in the data falsification.

“He (Prof Kambadur) has been found wilfully negligent in the direction of the (research) group,” said the university on Wednesday (July 13).

News about the falsified data on the myostatin research first broke in December last year, after NTU started looking into “allegations of research malpractice” by the team of researchers from NTU, National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star).

Investigations threw up numerous instances of data alteration on the team’s research on myostatin, which controls muscle cell growth, as well as the presentation of data without adequate explanation on how they were derived. Following the probe, NTU revoked the doctorate of Dr Sudarsanreddy Lokireddy, who co-authored one of the retracted papers.

Earlier this week, the spotlight was turned on another three papers published between 2012 and 2014 in two journals, Molecular Endocrinology, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

NTU said: “Further investigations have revealed data falsifications in some of the in-vitro laboratory studies, which invalidate the results reported.”

Further disciplinary proceedings are underway with respect to other researchers, it added.

The nine papers highlighted had two names in common: Prof Kambadur and his wife Mridula Sharma, who was previously an associate professor at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

In response to TODAY’s queries, NUS would say only that Dr Sharma was no longer an employee at the university.

Apart from the couple, the latest three papers shared these authors: Dr Sabeera Bonala, Dr Craig McFarlane and Dr Lokireddy.

According to the A*Star website, Dr McFarlane is currently a principal investigator at the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences. Dr Bonala runs her own start-up.

In response to media queries on Friday, NTU research integrity officer Tony Mayer said the university upholds the highest standards and international best practices in research.

“NTU has zero tolerance towards research misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against anyone found to be lacking in research integrity.

“The university takes allegations of research misconduct seriously and investigates all reported allegations,” said Mr Mayer.

NTU ensures that researchers adhere to international practices by making them sign a declaration of “good research practice and ethical behaviour”.

Mr Mayer added: “Online training in research integrity is compulsory for all PhD students, post-doctoral fellows, research fellows and project officers.”

A*star declined to respond to media queries, saying that investigations were led by NTU.

Source: TODAY Online

July 17, 2016
Walid J. Abdullah: Amazing That Muslims Are Still To Blame For Terrorism

It is truly amazing that some people still want Muslims to apologize for terrorist attacks, despite countless statements by Muslims denouncing terror.

It is truly amazing that Muslims are blamed for such attacks, especially considering that Muslims suffer on two counts: 1) they are usually equally likely to be victims (terrorists do not ask who is a Muslim first, and in any case, the ordinary Muslim is usually not Muslim enough for them) and 2) they suffer the backlash.

It is truly amazing that some people still show selective outrage, preferring to condemn some attacks on innocent lives, and not others.

It is truly amazing that no matter what the evidence is – whether or not the data show that terrorists are usually people who do not have proper religious training – there would be some people who would advocate that Islam be ‘reformed’.

It is truly amazing that people who have perennially condemned terrorism, have an utter disdain for the killing of innocent lives and have articulated it many, many, many times before, are still asked: ‘so what do you think about these attacks?’

It is truly amazing times indeed.

Source: Walid J. Abdullah

July 17, 2016
Gay Singaporean: HIV Made Me Better Appreciate My Life And Family

Mr Ajmal Khan is 26. Known as AJ to friends, he is lanky, has an easy laugh, enjoys computer games and Chinese food, and works in e-commerce. He has also been living with HIV for the last six years.

He is one of the increasing number of gay Singaporeans afflicted with the infection. Last year, 232 homosexuals were diagnosed with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). That is a 27.5 per cent jump from 2014 and the highest since 2009, when there were 139 new cases among gay men. There are around 7,140 residents in Singapore with HIV as of end 2015, of whom 1,816 had died.

AJ is now among the few Singaporeans to go public with his HIV status, alongside the likes of Mr Paddy Chew, who died in 1999 at the age of 39, and Mr Avin Tan, 30.

It was by chance that he found out he was infected. In 2010, he and his five friends were at a sauna on the same night that volunteer outfit Action for Aids had stationed a mobile HIV testing clinic outside. So they decided to get tested.

AJ, having tested negative seven months before, was not worried.

“My friends were all flashing their negative test cards. But when mine came back, it was positive,” he told The Sunday Times in his first interview to any newspaper.

“We were all like, nah, it can’t be. So I repeated the test. The second one came back positive as well. Everybody just stopped talking; it was very quiet. I just went numb. A couple of my friends started to cry.”

A year before, he had come out as gay, after dropping out of polytechnic. “I was young and a bit naive. I had this invincibility mindset.”

He admitted he was reckless, but at the same time said there was no one he could turn to for advice.

Volunteer groups such as Action for Aids and Oogachaga have called for more targeted outreach efforts towards youth.

Asked why he did not use protection, AJ said: “I had to figure it out on my own. It is a very awkward topic to bring up, especially during one-time encounters. I just didn’t think that it would happen to me.”

Asked if he knew who had infected him, he replied: “It could have been anyone.”

It was only two years after his diagnosis that he finally told his mother about it. He blurted it out while they were watching TV.

For Madam Honey Bee – she said her name was a result of a mistake when her birth was registered – that was the worst day of her life.

” I thought he was joking. I asked: ‘Really?’ He said yes,” said the 55-year-old administrative assistant. “He went out and I broke down.”

AJ is the second of her three sons. She brought them up almost single- handedly after divorcing her husband when AJ was only three and her youngest child was an infant.

Not all her relatives are supportive. “But I’m tired of pleasing everyone; I don’t want to hide any more. If my son wants to (go public), I agree with it,” she said.

In 2013, AJ finally decided to start anti-retroviral therapy. He realised it meant a lifelong commitment – stopping the drugs could mean the virus coming back stronger.

According to Professor Roy Chan, president of Action for Aids, the infection is no longer a death sentence. “Anti-retroviral drugs have revolutionised the treatment and management of HIV,” he said. “With optimum anti-HIV treatment, a person with HIV infection can live as long as those without HIV.”

But patients must adhere strictly to the medication. Otherwise the virus could multiply and become more drug-resistant.

AJ now takes a cocktail of five pills daily. They cost $400 a month after subsidies. His current HIV viral count is undetectable, meaning the virus does not show up in blood tests.

People do react awkwardly when they learn of his HIV status, asking him if he is going to die, and if that is the reason he is so skinny. They also worry about sharing food with him even though HIV does not spread via the sharing of dishes.

AJ said his current employers are accepting, but hunting for a job was not easy. He got only one call back for every 20 applications he sent out “just because I said that I have a medical condition. I did not even say what it was”.

AJ hopes that by putting himself forward and giving the infection a human dimension, he can dispel such myths and stereotypes.

His mother said she has found comfort in people who tell her that AJ’s openness has given them strength and that they, too, have friends and family with HIV. She added that the diagnosis has made AJ a “much, much better boy”.

AJ said: ” The irony is that HIV has made me appreciate my life and family a lot more.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 16, 2016
Singapore Considering Feasibility Of Islamic College Here

Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim raised the possibility of setting up an Islamic college in Singapore to train a new generation of religious teachers who understand Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious context.

Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, told community leaders at a Hari Raya dinner on Friday (July 15): “The various Islamic universities in the Middle East and the region have served us well, but there is a need for homegrown religious leaders anchored in our local multi-racial, multi-religious context and attuned to the concerns of our community in the ever-changing global environment.”

He also said that Malay-Muslim community institutions have grown in tandem with Singapore’s development, and future religious leaders in these institutions need to understand the socio-historical circumstances that shaped the community’s progress.

“For this reason, I believe we should consider the feasibility of our community to set up an Islamic college, which will afford us home-based capacity to train a new generation of (religious teachers).”

Several factors would need to be studied, such as the college’s viability in a small market, and how to attract good faculty and build international repute while keeping it affordable. This task would be assigned to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), Dr Yaacob said.

At the madrasah school level, Dr Yaacob said that Muis would also be working with the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth to introduce a core element in the curriculum on inter-faith and inter-religious community understanding.

Ms Farah Mahamood Aljunied, director of curriculum planning and development at Muis, said that the current madrasah curriculum already exposes students to inter-cultural exchanges. The changes will focus more on enhancing and integrating inter-cultural learning into the whole curriculum.

She said: “No one is an island and we don’t want our madrasah students to think they can survive on their own and think they can be just among themselves. And being in Singapore, that’s the reality and students are very much aware of that and they’re open to the idea.”

On the Islamic college, she added that it would be an opportunity to contribute not just to the community here but also to the larger Muslim world and educational landscape, by providing more current Islamic education in various fields.

“There are just so many new developments that we need to incorporate and, hopefully, that would lead to a much more vibrant Islamic education sector and a much more inclusive way of looking at how we practise our religion and communicate it,” she said.

In his opening address at the dinner, Dr Yaacob also stressed the importance of continuing the work of pioneers in building the community.

To that end, Mendaki’s Club Leadership Incubator, which grooms young Malay-Muslim professionals to take on community projects, will expand to include a structured mentorship scheme.

The scheme will pair young professionals with more experienced community leaders who can guide and inspire them to contribute to the community.

Dr Yaacob said: “Our pioneers have (given) us the spirit of self-help and in that process, bequeathed to us a legacy of key institutions… We should build on what our pioneers have contributed, consolidate our efforts to bring greater gain for our community, and enhance what we have achieved thus far.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

July 16, 2016