Category: Sosial

Australia Mulls Tougher Food Screening After Berries From China Were Linked To Hepatitis A Infections

SYDNEY: Tougher food screening measures could be introduced in Australia with frozen berries from China linked to a growing number of hepatitis A infections, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said Wednesday (Feb 18).

Nanna’s and Creative Gourmet brand raspberries and mixed berries have been recalled after they were linked to four infections in New South Wales and Victoria states, with poor hygiene and contaminated water at their packing factory thought to be responsible. Since then more infections have emerged in Queensland and Western Australia, with the government confirming at least 13 cases nationally so far.

Asked whether the scare demanded more controls on imports, Joyce said: “That might be a consequence of a review that is being undertaken. “The health ministers (of states and territories) are discussing this issue right now,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Joyce also called for a strengthening of Australian labelling laws on food products and urged consumers to buy local produce. “We have stronger laws, we do have stronger oversight to make sure we have a cleaner, green product than what comes in from overseas,” he said.

“That’s why you pay a premium for Australian product … I want to make sure that when you pick up something, you can look at the can and say ‘this is Australian’. It’s slightly dearer but by gosh it’s safer.”

However, Prime Minister Tony Abbott was cool on labelling changes, warning it could impose more regulation on business. “The bottom line is that companies shouldn’t be poisoning their customers,” he said.

Hepatitis A is a viral disease that affects the liver, causing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and jaundice. It has an incubation period of up to 50 days.

Australian regulators currently consider imported frozen berries ‘surveillance foods’ – meaning they are tested at a rate of only five percent of all consignments for 49 agricultural chemical residues, as well as packaging and labelling requirements.

The recalled products were packed in China and contained raspberries, strawberries and blackberries grown there, and blueberries from Chile. The Department of Health said the source of the hepatitis A virus was still unconfirmed, but added: “The berries are the only common exposure for all cases.”

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

February 18, 2015
Come Aboard The Gay Love Boat In Singapore

Dear TRS,

I don’t want to be homophobic or anything but I wish highlight a major hypocrisy in our system.

I read that there is a Gay Cruise which will berth at Marina Bay Cruise Centre in April:

Gay Cruise from Singapore to HK, coming Singapore April 2015

http://atlantisevents.com/Singapore-to-Hong-Kong-Cruise/40#overview

March 29 – April 9, 2015
Singapore to Hong Kong Cruise
Celebrity Millennium

This is outrageous, Singapore welcomes World largest Gay Cruise to Marina Bay Centre Cruises.

The Penal Code 377A is against man to man sex, anal etc, yet we allow such a gay cruiseship to be berth in Singapore, and welcome 2000+ gays to visit and transit in Singapore.

The government has repeatedly explained that they are not ready to repeal s377A despite a lot of support and a growing Pink Dot community.

However, when commercial benefits are involved, such as in this cruise, they openly welcome thousands of people into Singapore even though they are likely to be breaking the law that the government refuses to repeal.

If the government is saying that there are cultural issues and Singapore is conservative, that’s why we need 377A, how can we welcome such a huge group of people to come here who may conflict with that culture?

Is it just for monetary gains, the govt allows such cruise chip to come via Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

This isn’t really a debate about s377A but the hypocrisy is outstanding.

TH

TRS Contributor

Source: www.therealsingapore.com

February 18, 2015
CASE Alert: Ownership Of Vehicle Bought From Cars Today Not Transferred To Buyers

The consumers’ watchdog has issued an alert about a car dealer after receiving 12 complaints from customers who claim the ownership of the vehicles they bought had not been transferred to them.

The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) is investigating after buyers reported facing sudden repossession after buying their vehicles from Cars Today in Kaki Bukit.

The claims total almost $500,000.

In most cases, the cars were bought several months ago, but their ownership was not transferred, despite the buyers making several enquiries with the firm.

Many of the customers had their cars towed away at the weekend and others have been told by Cars Today’s owner James Poh to expect a repossession.

Mr Poh, 60, admitted to The Straits Times yesterday that his company is struggling to repay a $1 million loan from credit company Kenso Leasing.

He claimed that Kenso suddenly demanded repayment within seven days on Feb 6.

As Mr Poh could not come up with the money in time, Kenso said it would repossess 43 cars from his customers.

Mr Poh said in Mandarin: “I begged (Kenso) for a six-month extension, but they said no.

“Many buyers have been calling me, but I don’t have the money to repay them, I have no choice.This is my fault and I don’t know how to fix it.”

The Straits Times visited Cars Today’s headquarters at the Entrepreneur Business Centre, 18 Kaki Bukit Road 3, last night and found it empty, its doors padlocked. At least three letters from lawyers or summons from the Small Claims Tribunal were on the floor.

The Straits Times understands the space was let to new tenants last weekend, as Cars Today owes three months’ rent.

A commodity trader, who spoke anonymously, said he stands to lose his downpayment of $18,000 after repossession.

He has formed a WhatsApp group for other buyers facing the same plight, which currently has 14 members, and said he has heard of 10 cars having been towed away since last Friday.

Another buyer, Mr Marc Tay, is expecting his car to be repossessed any day now. He spent almost $31,000 on a Honda Civic last November.

The 25-year-old, who works in business development, said: “I tried to contact the financing company and told them I would willingly surrender the car if they would wait till after Chinese New Year, but they wouldn’t even consider this small request.

“This is a big blow for me. I’ve just started working, and it’s my own money – this whole incident has caused a big dent in my financial plans.”

Case has advised affected customers to make a police report immediately and consult a lawyer as the claims are more than $10,000 and exceed the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Tribunal.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

February 18, 2015
Blame Pro-Market PAP For Changing Societal Norms

It is sad to read in the Straits Times of 29 Jan of the amount of trash left behind at the Laneway Music festival at the Gardens by the Bay.

The reasons given by audience were, it didn’t occur to me to take my trash away when I left because there was trash everywhere left by others. That they assume the organizers will hire cleaners. That the cleaning fees should be built into the price of the ticket. I can totally understand why The Prime Minister was disgusted and took the example of the Myanmar football fans picking up all their litter before they left the National Stadium. In the same article in the Straits Times it was reported that a National Environment Survey of 2012 stated that one third of the respondents will litter if they could get away with it. Why did this happen, why is our society become so uncaring, where is the social norm?

I think this problem started about 30 years ago when the Government started to increase the salary of the Ministers to be in line with top earners of different professions. The increase was rapid. The Government introduced Market Norms to their salaries and to their professions. About 20 years ago, the Government stopped building hawker centres and wet markets, they left it to private organizations to do it, again the Government introduced Market Norms to what was basically a social requirement.

There were many other instances that the Government chose market considerations over social needs.

Any zealous practice of Market Norms will unfortunately affect Social Norms. The role of any Government should be more social than market and not only has to be but also has to be seen to be. When the Government is identified as a Market Norm, the general populace will take the cue and behave and act accordingly. When society switches to Market Norms then everything is a transaction, hence the remarks by one of the audience at the Laneway Music Festival; that the cleaning fees should be built into the price of the ticket. Same applies to many antisocial behavior; like illegal parking; if caught I’ll pay. Not returning the trays after a meal at the hawker centre; the cost of collecting the trays is built into the price of the food. There are so many examples of society lacking social consciousness.

It is sad that Market Norms have taken over in our daily lives, transaction is the way of life, social norms and social consciousness have taken a back seat.

Singapore is a mixture of different races with no dominant culture and philosophy, with a dominant political party that rules Singapore for the past 50 years, their style of governance inadvertently setting the way we conduct our lives and social behavior.

Always remember, people take cues from the Government, no amount of kindness and courtesy campaigns will change people’s attitudes, it is the example set by the Government and the way they govern that will determine society’s social behavior.

It is of little use to compare ourselves with Taiwan and Japan on social consciousness, they are a homogeneous society with a dominant culture and most importantly their governments’ priorities to social and market norms is different from ours.

Pioneer Citizen

* Submitted by TRE reader.

Source: www.tremeritus.com

February 17, 2015
Commercial Sex Tour Organiser Did Not Have Sex With Any Minor

The first Singaporean to be convicted of organising a commercial sex tour overseas was allowed on Monday to revoke his bail pending his sentence next month.

Before he was led away from the dock to be remanded, Chan Chun Hong turned around to gesture to his parents seated in the 11public gallery that he was going in.

District Judge Siva Shanmugam will sentence Chan on March 23 on 12 of 145 charges – seven of distributing obscene materials, one of making travel plans for an undercover cop to have commercial sex outside Singapore, three of distributing information to promote conduct of commercial sex with a minor, and one of having obscene films at his Yishun Ring Road home.

The 31-year-old Nanyang Technological University civil engineering graduate was serving in the Singapore Armed Forces at the time of the distribution of obscene materials offences totalling 135 committed over a one-year period in 2011 and 2012.

He had joined a major insurance company as a financial consultant when he was nabbed at Changi Airport on March 1 last year.

Police established his identity after receiving information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2013 that a male Singaporean was distributing child pornography materials worldwide.

The information had also revealed that there were e-mail exchanges between the Singaporean and other users which suggested that Chan had engaged in child sex tourism.

Chan’s lawyer Rajan Nair said in mitigation his client had a depressive episode following his late Taiwanese fiancee’s illness from womb cancer in 2009. In 2010, he took unpaid leave from the SAF to live and take care of her in Taiwan until her death that year.

Chan, he said, has always been a person of good character and held in good esteem and standing by his peers and colleagues.

Diagnosed with paedophilia, Chan intends to undergo treatment upon his release from prison, said the lawyer.

Mr Nair said it was the undercover cop “Teo Dennis” who had initiated contact with Chan and started asking him about “young girls”. Chan did not seek out persons for whom he could organised commercial sex tours.

He said Chan had never had sex with a minor. It was most likely that he would not have arranged for the trip for Teo Dennis and himself or anyone else to go overseas for commercial sex with minors if the latter had not instigated him. It was very likely that Chan would have cancelled the intended trip in April last year as he was busy with his work.

“The only silver lining in this whole episode is that Mr Chan has been forced to confront his problem and is now finally able to courageously take steps to ensure that he does not suffer a relapse,” said Mr Nair.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Yang Ziliang said Chan claims he had never had sex with a minor and that he did not have any experience with the Cambodia prostitution scene. Yet he has consistently informed other parties otherwise.

He said Chan has failed to show he is genuinely remorseful and contrite for his wrongdoing as he has tried to minimize his misconduct at every stage of the investigations and prosecution.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

February 17, 2015