Blog

Aung San Suu Kyi Visits Ghim Moh Hawker Centre; Treated To Local Delights

Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was hosted to breakfast by Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on Friday (Dec 2) at Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre, as the country is looking to upgrade its wet markets and build a hawker centre in Yangon.

Clad in a traditional Myammar dress, Ms Suu Kyi was treated to local favourites – carrot cake, laksa, tau huay, putu mayam and chwee kueh – ahead of the wrapping up of her three-day visit to Singapore.

She was accompanied by Myanmar’s Union Minister for Commerce U Than Myint and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin. Also present were the National Environment Agency’s CEO Ronnie Tay and Singapore Ambassador to Myammar Robert Chua.

The stall owners at Ghim Moh market said they were informed of the visit two days earlier, and some of them came as early as 4am to prepare the dishes.

Mdm Letchmi Veerapan, who has been serving putu mayam for the past 20 years, told Channel NewsAsia: “”This is my first time meeting Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, I’m really honoured and happy that she chose our dish to try. I came here at 4am to prepare the putu mayam for her. I’m really very honoured to do that.”

The sentiment was echoed by 66-year-old Lee Sah Bah, stall owner of Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh. “I came early to prepare because she’s our VIP,” she said.

The Myanmar State Counsellor is not the only one interested in Singapore’s hawker culture. Yangon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein visited Singapore in July to study how Singapore manages its hawker centres, and went to Tiong Bahru Market and Ci Yuan Hawker Centre then.

Over the last two days, the Nobel Laureate was hosted to dinner by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and called on Acting President J Y Pillay, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean. Ms Suu Kyi also visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where an orchid hybrid was named in her honour.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

December 2, 2016
Gara-Gara Mahu Hidup Mewah Bergaya, 2 Sahabat Mungkin Mati Digantung

Dua sahabat yang ingin menjalani kehidupan mewah dan bergaya pada usia muda sanggup mengambil risiko dengan mengedar dadah di sekitar Besut.

Bagaimanapun, aktiviti yang didalangi seorang mekanik berumur 23 tahun bersama rakannya yang merupakan seorang penggangur berumur 18 tahun tidak bertahan lama selepas kedua-duanya diberkas polis dalam satu serbuan di sebuah rumah di Taman Pelagat, Besut, Isnin lalu (28 Nov).

Ketua Polis Terengganu Rosli Ab Rahman berkata hasil serbuan kira-kira pukul 2.00 petang itu, polis menjumpai 670 biji pil kuda, 10 biji pil eramin 5, 1.25 gram syabu dan sebiji pil ecstacy yang bernilai kira-kira RM7,230 (S$2,300).

Katanya dadah itu disorokkan di dalam sebuah kotak di bahagian bawah almari di rumah berkenaan.

“Mereka didapati aktif dalam kegiatan pengedaran di sekitar Jerteh. Mereka tidak terlibat dalam penagihan sebaliknya hanya menjual dadah bagi memenuhi gaya hidup mewah,” katanya kepada watawan hari ini.

Sebuah motosikal jenis EX-5 dan sebuah motosikal Yamaha 125z yang dianggarkan bernilai RM13,000 (S$4,150) turut disita dalam serbuan itu.

“Kedua-dua mereka direman sehingga 4 Disember mengikut Seksyen 39(B) Akta Dadah Berbahaya 1952 yang jika sabit kesalahan boleh dihukum gantung sampai mati,”katanya.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

December 2, 2016
Sundram: Who Says I’m A Defensive Coach?

His Lions were booted out of the AFF Suzuki Cup at the first hurdle, with a solitary point – and goal.

And V Sundramoorthy has faced much criticism, with many labelling him as too defensive, while others frowned upon his squad selection.

In his first comments since returning from Manila, the coach insisted he would have done nothing differently, and there was little more he could ask from his charges.

“We were attacking the Philippines until the moment we received a harsh red card and, in the next game (against Thailand), your paper highlighted the statistics which showed that we had more shots than Thailand – both in the number of shots as well the number of shots on target,” said Sundram, who has six months left on his year-long contract with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

“Every player I picked showed 100 per cent commitment during training and in matches, and all of them definitely gave it their all. As a coach, I could not have asked for more from them in terms of commitment.

“While there are areas for improvement – which I will present in my report to the FAS Council, I am generally pleased with the attitude and dedication of our players.”

In the opening Group A fixture against the Philippines, midfielder Hafiz Abu Sujad was sent off after just 34 minutes for a reckless challenge. The Lions then went into defensive mode and escaped with a 0-0 draw.

In the second match against Thailand, they again set up a defensive wall, only to concede an 89th-minute goal to lose 1-0.

“In our last match, we were 30 minutes away from qualifying for the semi-finals… we should and could have scored more than one goal in the last two matches to secure full points against Thailand and Indonesia, but that’s football,” Sundram conceded.

In the final group match against Indonesia, the Lions led through Khairul Amri’s goal, but conceded twice in the second half to lose 2-1.

Sundram did not want to address the Facebook outburst by veteran defender Baihakki Khaizan, who hit out at the national coaches midway through the group stage after he was dropped from the starting 11, and stated he would have changed little in the personnel he took to Manila.

“This is the best squad available and, considering the likes of Fazrul Nawaz (Tampines Rovers) and Iqbal Hussain (Hougang United) were injured, I’d probably still have selected this team,” he said.

BACKING

“We have good and capable management and staff at FAS. Thanks to their full support, we prepared our team to the best of our abilities in various areas including training camps, analysis and support staff etc.

“We have to move on now and focus on the Asian Cup 2019 qualification third round which will begin in March.”

Many now believe Singapore football is on a drastic slide but the national coach disagreed.

“I believe the future of Singapore football is promising, especially with technical director Michel Sablon’s youth development plans getting into higher gear. We may only start to reap the benefits in a few years but, if everybody comes on board this vision – from the authorities to corporate organisations – then I’m sure Singapore football will only grow from strength to strength,” said Sundram.

The 51-year-old reiterated his pride at leading his country.

“As a player, you want to wear the national jersey, and I was proud to have that opportunity. Since I hung up my boots, I have never been so proud as when I heard the Majulah Singapura played in the first game,” he said.

“As the coach of the national team, I represent more than five million Singaporeans and it was a huge honour for me, something I will always remember.”

Source: The New Paper

December 2, 2016
Boy, 15, Possibly Electrocuted In Shower

A 15-year-old boy, Tan Yao Bin, was apparently electrocuted and killed while having a shower on Tuesday night. He suffered cardiac arrest and despite attempts by paramedics, who administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), died later that night.

The tragedy happened at Block 233, Bukit Batok East Avenue 5.

Neighbour Wendy Wee, 60, an administrator, said she was alerted to the incident when she heard a boy cry out for his mother in Mandarin.

The victim’s brother, Mr Tan Qi Lin, 19, told The Straits Times he was doing his homework in the three-room flat at the time.

“My older brother, my dad and I immediately turned off the electrical supply at home. We saw that the wiring for the heater was exposed in the toilet itself,” said the Institute of Technical Education student.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call at 8.07pm and conveyed the victim to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in an unconscious state.

The SCDF said paramedics administered CPR continuously throughout the journey to the hospital. But he was pronounced dead at the hospital at 9.56pm. The police are investigating the unnatural death.

Mr Tan said the family has been living there his whole life.

“I’m really worried about my mother. She’s not coping well.”

His mother works as a kindergarten assistant and his father is a production worker. Mr Tan has another brother, aged 21. His family and relatives were at the morgue yesterday morning to identify Yao Bin’s body.

Mr Tan described his brother as “an intelligent and playful boy”. He said the family will change the unit’s electrical wiring, urging others to check on their heaters and electrical works regularly. “Check that the wiring for your heater is properly installed so that the same thing doesn’t happen to your family.”

A neighbour who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, 39, said: “We are all worried now. We don’t have knowledge of electrical works. It’s hard to actually identify these issues until something happens.”

The IT consultant continued: “We’re heartbroken that this happened to Yao Bin. He was a lively and friendly boy and had good grades.

“We saw him grow up and he would come by our home to play. His parents have sacrificed a lot for their sons. This kind of thing shouldn’t have happened.”

A 17-year-old was electrocuted in similar fashion on Aug 29, 2014.

A coroner’s inquiry into his death last year found that he could have received the fatal electric shock when his hand came into contact with an electrically energised metallic shower outlet hose that was attached to a water heater.

Source: The Straits Times

December 2, 2016
Tragic Crash Was A Near Miss For Many At Brazil Soccer Club

For soccer striker Alejandro Martinuccio, the surgery on his right knee two months ago was a tough blow, keeping him off the field as his small Brazilian team, Chapecoense, pulled off surprise wins against top clubs from his native Argentina.

But in the end, the surgery saved more than Martinuccio’s knee. It saved his life.

After most of his teammates died in a plane crash in Colombia on Monday (Nov 28) on their way to the final of the Sudamericana Cup, Martinuccio is one of a handful of players and staff at Chapecoense coming to terms with their escape from the same fate.

“If I’d been healthy, I would have gone to the match,” Martinuccio said, adding that it could take days to understand what had happened.

“The fact that I wasn’t there, it’s very tough. It’s too much for my head.”

Of the 77 people on the charter flight, only two crew members, a journalist, and three members of the Chapecoense squad survived after the plane crashed into a wooded hillside outside Medellin.

Psychologists counselling the club and surviving relatives in Chapeco say it may take far longer than just a few days for those left behind to work through feelings of relief, sorrow and guilt.

“Missing the flight is also a kind of trauma,” said Andre Pessoa, a psychologist from a local university volunteering his services to the team. “On the one hand, those people may be relieved at not being on that plane, but the suffering may be as bad as if they had been.”

For some, their absence was a simple accident. The son of coach Caio Junior was left behind in Sao Paulo because he forgot his passport.

Eliandra Valer, girlfriend of the team’s security chief, had just travelled with the team to Argentina using her Brazilian ID, but she lacked a passport for the trip to Colombia.

“I was planning to go, but I was unlucky with the passport – or I guess I was lucky… ,” she said, choking back sobs. “I don’t know what to think.”

Former coach Vinicius Eutropio had left the team last year.

“It makes you think about the value of your life, if there’s any meaning to when you go and when you stay,” Eutropio said.

Claudio Winck, a defender whom the coach left out of the travelling team, said he struggled to get to sleep after spending Tuesday imagining what could have been.

“I lay there with my head on the pillow just thinking of my teammates,” he said. “We all wanted to play in that final.”

Source: The Straits Times

December 2, 2016