Category: Sosial

LTA Details Events Leading Up To Return Of China-Made Trains

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has issued a timeline of events leading up to the recent return of a batch of China-made trains for SMRT.

LTA also disclosed that the hairline cracks found in the defective trains “were due to localised impurity in the aluminium car-body material that occurred during the manufacturing process”. It also provided a photo showing a sample of the hairline cracks found.

This is LTA’s statement in full.

Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service
The Land Transport Authority would like to address some of the issues related to the 26 North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) trains that have been the subject of recent media and online discussion.

2.   The Land Transport Authority awarded Contract 151A in 2009 to Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Sifang to design, manufacture, and deliver 35 new trains for the NSEWL. The trains were progressively put into service from February 2011, following rigorous testing of their safety and reliability.

Battery and Draughtscreen Issues

3.   Prior to the commencement of passenger service, all new trains arriving in Singapore would be put through testing and commissioning. The same was done for the KHI-CSR Sifang trains. During such testing, there was an incident on one train where the cover of the train battery housing flew open due to a build-up of gases. The manufacturer took immediate action to replace its supplier and improved the design of the battery housing for all affected trains.

4.   Incidents of cracks of the draughtscreen on five trains were also discovered. These were found to be caused by errors during the installation process and unrelated to the hairline cracks found on the 26 trains’ car-bodies.

5.   It is not unusual to detect some defects on new trains. We then take appropriate action to have them rectified by the manufacturer.

Hairline Cracks

6.   In July 2013, during a routine inspection of the trains, hairline cracks on the surface of the car-body bolster were found. 22 of the 26 trains were in passenger service then. LTA immediately carried out further inspections. No cracks were found on other components of the trains. (Please see Appendix 1 and 2 for the location of the car-body bolster and an example of a hairline crack.)

7.   Laboratory tests showed that these hairline cracks were due to localised impurity in the aluminium car-body material that occurred during the manufacturing process. LTA engineers and its contractor assessed that the hairline cracks would not affect the operational safety of the trains. To confirm this, LTA further sought the opinion of an independent third-party assessor, TUV Rheinland, which concurred that the trains were safe to operate.

8.   Due to the nature of the defect, the most effective way of addressing it is to replace the entire car-body shell. As the trains were under warranty, we required the contractor to replace the entire car body shell. Hence, since July 2014, the affected trains have been progressively sent back to the factory for rectification works . The costs of the shipping are borne by the contractor.

9.   To ensure that this unexpected occurrence did not affect our train deployment, LTA has been working closely with SMRT. The replacement of a train car body is time consuming and labour-intensive, with each car body replacement taking up to four months. Hence, to minimise the impact on our train operations in Singapore as well as the lack of facilities and space for repair works of this nature at our depots, only one train is sent back to the factory in China at any one time. We did not send all of the trains back at once as they were still fit and safe for service and we wanted to ensure sufficient train-availability for commuters.

10.   Starting next year, with the arrival of more new trains for NSEWL and when trains currently undergoing resignalling are ready, LTA will be able to send two trains concurrently for replacement works. This will speed up the rectification programme and its completion can be brought forward to 2019.

11.   As of today, the car-body replacement for five of the 26 trains has been completed. The car-body of the sixth train is being replaced. As per safety protocols, LTA, together with the contractor, will continue to carry out rigorous inspections to ensure that all trains are safe for service.

Source: TODAY Online

July 6, 2016
Defects On SMRT Trains ‘Not Safety-Critical’, To Be Repaired By Manufacturer: LTA

A total of 26 of 35 trains delivered to SMRT in 2013 were found to have cracks, the public transport operator said on Tuesday (Jul 5). The cracks are in the structure of the trains connecting the car and the bogie (the framework carrying wheels), it added.

The defective trains, which are still under warranty, will be repaired by the manufacturer by 2023, managing director of SMRT Trains Lee Ling Wee said in response to media queries about a report by Hong Kong-based investigative news portal FactWire.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a separate statement that the defects “are not safety-critical and do not affect the train’s systems or performance”, adding that it has been working closely with the manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Sifang after defects were found on the trains purchased under C151A.

“The train manufacturer will be required to make good the defects as part of their warranty,” LTA stated.

Mr Lee said its engineers discovered the cracks and since then, it has worked closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the manufacturer to rectify this issue.

“To ensure that the trains are safe for passenger service at all times, we have been monitoring the defects closely. A monthly safety assessment is also conducted by the LTA and manufacturer before the train is put into service,” Mr Lee said.

“Trains on the rail network are extensively tested to ensure the safety and reliability of the train. Every train also undergoes a comprehensive regime of static and dynamic testing as well as interface testing to ensure its structural and operational integrity. After the testing is completed, the trains are delivered to Singapore for further testing before they are placed for passenger service,” LTA said.

DETAILS OF RECALLS “KEPT SECRET”: HK REPORT

FactWire had reported on Tuesday that China-made trains in Singapore showed “cracks in their car bodies and key structural components”. As a result, 35 trains were shipped to their manufacturer for Qingdao for replacement.

FactWire claimed the details of the defects and recalls were “kept secret in both Singapore and China”, and that the defective trains were stored at SMRT’s Bishan Depot. According to the FactWire report, two train cars wrapped in green covers were moved out of the depot early on Jun 12, and arrived at CSR Sifang’s factory in Qingdao, China on Jun 25. The report also alleged that “serious malfunctions on the SMRT’s North South Line, which the SMRT suspected were caused by C151A trains” occurred in December 2011.

The news portal also uploaded a video on its Facebook page, purportedly showing the defective trains being transported to Jurong Port to be shipped overseas.

In 2009, LTA awarded a S$368 million contract to Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Sifang for 22 trains. The trains were to have been delivered between 2011 and 2012, and run on the North-South and East-West Lines.

The manufacturer has also built trains for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XLR) and Mass Transit Railway Corporation’s (MTR Corporation).

Last year, LTA signed a S$137 million deal for 12 more new trains from the consortium, to run on the North-South and East-West Lines as well.

7 YEARS “EXTREMELY LONG” FOR REPAIRS: ANALYST

Dr Park Byung Joon, a senior lecturer at SIM University, told Channel NewsAsia that the seven-year period needed to repair the train’s defects “seems extremely long”.

“Even if we need to replace the entire train, it could take probably a couple months … (at) maximum. If something is going to take seven years to (be) repaired, it means that there are some critical, technical issues that they don’t even have a solution to yet,” Dr Park said.

The recall of 26 trains comes as Singapore works to rapidly expand its rail network. Authorities want to double the rail network to 360km in the next 15 years, with a new line or MRT extension opening almost every year until 2021.

Dr Park said having the defective trains out of service might not have a significant impact on the train system itself, but could still affect public confidence.

“We have had some massive disruptions before, and now (they) are slowly gaining back some confidence – and now this business pops up. This is going to have a very bad impact on customer confidence,” said Dr Park.

SMRT declined to comment on how this latest development would affect current operations and its long-term plans to improve rail reliability.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

July 6, 2016
Ibu Allayarham Daniel, Teman Lelakinya, Dihukum Penjara Antara 10 Hingga 11 Tahun

Pasangan yang menyeksa seorang budak lelaki berusia dua tahun hingga mati, dijatuhi hukuman penjara hari ini (5 Julai).

Ibu mangsa, Zaidah, 41 tahun, dihukum penjara 11 tahun. Teman lelakinya, Zaini Jamari, 46 tahun, dihukum penjara 10 tahun dan 12 sebatan rotan.

Pasangan itu, yang mempunyai bayi berusia 1 tahun, mengaku bersalah bulan lalu masing-masing atas satu tuduhan menyebabkan kecederaan teruk (grievous hurt) hingga menyebabkan kematian dan tiga tuduhan penderaan kanak-kanak.

Lagi 26 dan 18 dakwaan penderaan kanak-kanak masing-masing dipertimbangkan terhadap pasangan itu ketika hukuman dijatuhkan.

Sepanjang lima minggu sebelum mangsa akhirnya maut, Mohamed Daniel Mohamad Nasser, 2 tahun, didera ibunya sendiri dan teman lelaki wanita itu.

Pasangan itu, kedua-duamya pekerja pembersihan, menendang, menampar dan memijak Daniel setiap hari dan memaksa budak itu berdiri dengan kedua-dua tangan diletakkan di atas kepalanya selama berjam-jam lamanya, dengan hanya berpakaian lampin. Mereka juga memaksa budak itu makan cili kering.

Penderaan Daniel terbongkar juga apabila kanak-kanak itu meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan teruk pada 23 November 2015, setelah menderita didera selama berjam-jam sehari sebelumnya.

Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Claire Poh menyifatkan penderaan fizikal, mental dan emosi kanak-kanak dua tahun yang “tidak boleh mempertahankan diri dan tidak mampu bersuara tentang penderaan itu” sebagai “kejam dan tidak berperikemanusiaan.”

HARI TERAKHIR DANIEL

Sekitar 10.00 pagi, apabila budak itu enggan makan sarapan, ibunya, Zaidah menamparnya. Dia memberikan mangkuk sarapan itu kepada Zaini, teman lelakinya, yang cuba memberi budak itu makan.

Apabila mangsa tetap enggan makan, kedua-dua Zaidah dan Zaini menamparnya beberapa kali dan wanita itu juga memukul bahagian belakang tubuh budak itu, hingga mangsa terjatuh ke lantai. Apabila Daniel tidak bangun dari lantai, Zaidah memijak dada anaknya itu sebelum menarik lengannya.

Budak itu makan dua atau tiga sudu makanan, namun enggan makan lebih banyak daripada itu. Dia kemudian disuruh berdiri di satu sudut.

Sekitar 7.00 malam pada hari itu, kanak-kanak itu sandar pada katil kerana letih setelah berdiri sepanjang hari. Apabila pasangan itu melihat keadaan budak itu, mereka menampar Daniel, yang baring di atas lantai dan menutup matanya.

Zaini membawa budak itu ke dapur dan memaksanya makan dua sudu cili kering, sebelum memaksanya terus berdiri di ruang tamu.

Pada sekitar 8.45 malam kemudian, Daniel menjadi lemah dan tidak mampu terus berdiri. Ibunya mencubit tubuhnya dan pipinya dan menamparnya beberapa kali.

Mahkamah diberitahu Zaidah menyangka budak itu berpura-pura lemah dan mengadu kepada teman lelakinya.

Zaini menampar budak itu, memijak perutnya hingga Daniel terjatuh ke lantai dan terhentak kepalanya. Zaini kemudian memaksa budak itu makan cili buat kali kedua hari itu.

Keesokan harinya, pasangan itu tidak mampu mengejutkan budak itu, dan dua rakan mereka yang tinggal bersama mereka menelefon ambulans. Daniel disahkan meninggal dunia pada 9.11 pagi.

Apabila ditanya para paramedik dan polis mengapa tubuh mangsa berlebam-lebam, pasangan itu berbohong dan berkata budak itu biasa mencubit dirinya sendiri, dan jatuh tersungkur di tandas.

Pendakwa raya mengambil masa beberapa minit untuk membacakan di mahkamah senarai lebih 40 kecederaan yang didapati pada tubuh mangsa semasa bedah siasat. Mangsa juga didapati mengalami keretakan tulang rusuk dan pendarahan dalam otak.

Atas kesalahan menyebabkan kecederaan teruk hingga menyebabkan kematian, pasangan itu boleh dipenjara sehingga 10 tahun dan didenda atau disebat.

Atas kesalahan penderaan kanak-kanak, mereka boleh dipenjara sehingga empat tahun dan/atau didenda sehingga S$4,000 bagi setiap tuduhan.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

July 5, 2016
Gay Muslim: Blessed, Parents Accept Me And Partner, Celebrating Aidilfitri Together

This year Raya is gonna special to me and my partner. It’s our third Raya together as a couple. I come from a Super duper sporting and open minded BIG Malay family while my partner come from a traditional Taiwanese Chinese family.

Me and my partner has been together for close to 4 years and our age gap is 12 years apart thus he and my parents age gap with him isn’t that far. 3 years ago when I introduced him to my whole family of 8,my mum likes him a lot and even ask him to call her “Mak Cik” instead of Sister (Mum younger bro is younger than my partner) Since then on every Hari Raya eve my mum will specially cooks Chicken Rendang (Partner don’t eat beef) for him and ask me to bring it over to his place on Raya eve and spend time together.(I wrote a post about my mum during Hari Raya 2 years ago)

Dad on the other hand shows love in a different kind. Well, me and my partner travels a lot during our free time. Dad works as a driver, there was a time where my dad makes an effort to find out about our trip and our flight arrival time where he will wait for us at the airport to welcome and send us home!!

Mum always reminds me that “if you love someone love doesn’t see any age,gender or race. I’m always happy for you no matter who you are or who you love.”

Well this year Raya will definetely be a memorable one coz my parents insistently requested me to invite my partner home to break fast together on the eve of Raya! My partner was initially shy about the whole idea but well since it’s his “in laws” request, he can’t turn them down mah.

Despite my parents not being educated and rich ,I feel blessed to have them and I’m thankful that they accepted me and my partner! I love you Mak & Bapak!

To end it off,here’s wishing all my Muslim LGBT mates a SELAMAT HARI RAYA!!

Source: GLBT Voices Singapore

July 5, 2016
Damanhuri Abas: Be Those Who Champion For The Weak And Oppressed

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace.

Neo-Khawarij… an Islamic historical reality undead and simmering. A chronic parasite unleashed by the invasion of Iraq. Less we forget, an invasion that opened the pandora box and killed thousands of Iraqi citizens on a lie to stop Sadam’s non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

In truth the invasion and the war on terror are crafty invocation of a perpetual threat designed to allow for a methodical and systematic destruction of the Islamic middle east for the black gold it has.

A massive energy grab now fully underway with a full checklist after Iraq; Libya, Yemen, Syria, and eventually the Gulf States, Iran and Saudi Arabia. All scripted by the new great game for the middle east that began in the modern era.

Collateral damages are small prices to pay in Iraqi, Palestinian, Libyan, Yemeni, Syrian, Iranian, Saudi, and the occasional western blood to sustained the self-serving blood-lust imagery. The compliant media will continue spewing the scripted deception and exhaust the Islamic blame-game. Focusing on symptoms but never the cure for the disease.

Isis or more accurately known as Daesh is good currency for now, the latest priceless premium brand that encapsulate the ultimate fear invoking terror bogeyman, ever-ready to brutally kill under self-proclaimed divine order texted and received from their social media savvy gods on Instagram, Facebook and Tweeter to the tune of their pay-master.

The Afghan Mujahideen, the Taliban, Sadam, Daesh aka Isis and their lookalikes or wannabes world over are mere black pieces, while the Bushes, the Blairs and their present heirs are the white pieces in the grand chessboard of the neo-colonial project for full economic control of world resources that began in the modern era.

The endgame has only begun for full spectrum dominance and control of energy and world economy by the powerfully rich, the same group that brought millions of death upon death in the 2 world wars not too long ago. The same preachers with blood still dripping from their hands and now owners of nuclear weapons that can destroy the world many times over, are preaching their lies and fooling mankind again.

Humanity is now ever polarized and poised to pit themselves against each other to their total and ultimate destruction. An ordained everlasting cycle of battles between the good that wishes to care, partake and share equally from God’s earth, loosing to an evil wanting to wrest and hoard the temporary riches from the Maker of the world only for themselves and Satan, their vindictive Master. A narrative scripted since times of old found in all books of ancient wisdom, sadly much lost in contemporary translation by the mainstream media through misleading labels and superficial journalism.

Patient is a virtue in this time of spell-binding deception. Institutionalized religion has all but abandoned the Prophetic driven project of action for mankind and sadly outsourced their relevance to melodious rhythms for self delectable pleasure sold for mere pittance. A leader to exit mankind from their impending doom must be at hand. The Word of God will return to fulfill and complete his Divinely disrupted mission. A missing earthly piece to be Divinely returned seeking justice and championing the oppressed on earth.

The Messiah will unite mankind in a new peace to reign again on earth albeit for a moment before another cycle repeats itself and will end with the final destruction. The book mentioned of our beautiful earth to one day mirror the parched desolation of Mars. A testimony of abandoned past Divine theaters with the show long ago ended. The scripts were Divinely written and the inks are all exhausted. The actors and audiences are judged and resides forever justly in their deserved eternal abode. A lesson for mankind today that seemed long forgotten.

God is the Greatest. I am a mortal witness. Let me be among those who will walk in life in the ranks of the champions for the weak, the powerless, the oppressed and the down-trodden. May God have mercy on us all.

End Ramadan Self-Reflection
30 Ramadan 1437H

Source: Damanhuri Bin Abas

July 5, 2016