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Singapore’s Cat Museum Might Be Closing Due To MND’s Decision And Its Kittens Need A Home

As we move to develop as a nation, we must not forget to help those without a voice.

By the end of September, the orphan kittens and cats up for adoption and living at Singapore’s beloved Cat Museum on Purvis Street will be without a home. This comes after a decision made by the Minister of National Development, Mr. Lawrence Wong, that would prevent visitors (located on the 2nd floor of the same shop house), to meet and adopt the orphaned cats.

Sounds a bit unfair? Well, it is. Unlike cat cafes where cats are constantly stressed from being handled by strangers, the Cat Museum ensures that the cats and visitors are always being supervised. There’s also a strict no food and drinks rule in the museum to avoid any contamination or spreading of germs.

This is also Singapore’s only ‘Mama & Munchkins Nursery’, a programme to care for newborn kittens that no other animal welfare organisation in Singapore has. On top of that, the Cat Museum has held workshops like the Kiddie Cat Camp, which teaches children about proper handling of cats and their welfare.

For now, the Museum will continue to operate from only one floor, while volunteers are working hard to get the orphans re-homed or relocated. There’s not much time left in September, so the next few weekends are crucial fundraising periods for the future of the Cat Museum where a part of the entrance fee to the museum will be set aside for the funds needed or you could always contribute to the cause via their online fundraising page. Time to help out some fur-riends!

Or better yet, have a serious think about giving a kitten a forever home.

Save the Orphan Baby Kittens

We are innocent babies. What have we done to deserve this? Please Save Us…It is a very dark day for us as we announce that we, the Cats & Kittens fostered by the founder in her residence on the 3rd floor of the shop house will soon be homeless. We did our best to meow softly & not be smelly so we passed all National Environment Agency (NEA) inspections & we are healthy so we passed all Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) inspections too! Why?We have been sent an enforcement notice by Ministry of National Development Lawrence Wong, so we will be evicted. Visitors to the Museum will no longer be allowed to meet & adopt us, the orphan cats & kittens.This notice has angered our landlord who will not renew Meowmy’s lease, so even the Supurrstars have to go by the end of September.The saddest news of all is that this marks the end of Singapore’s only Mama & Munchkins Nursery, set-up to save us, the neo-natal babies that no other animal welfare organization in Singapore takes in, as we have to be bottle fed every 3 hours. It also helps save Mamas who were often dumped back on the streets while their babies taken away & re-homed.**Help us! Contribute to the new “Mamas & Munchkins nursery” https://give.asia/story/save_the_orphan_baby_kittens or a fund transfer to OCBC 686362385001 **Adopt Us! Volunteers are scrambling to rehome & relocate us, orphans.**3 FUND RAISING weekends for the Nursery. • The last 3 weekends of us living on the upper 2 floors will be from Thursday 7- Sunday 24 September. • There will be a premium price for these 3 weeks. $20 for 13 years & above $10 for ALL children 12 years & below. • Sessions will now be 1.5 hour blocks: Thu/Fri: 4-5.30pm or 5.30-7pm. Sat/Sun: 1-2.30pm or 2.30-4pm or 4-5.30pm or 5.30-7pm**Spread the word. Like and share us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Blog about us! Tell your friends & family!An iconic landmark of the civic district, The Cat Museum is an entirely volunteer run project, undertaken with the founder’s personal savings & was launched officially by K Shanmugam Sc Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law on 9 January 2015.For full Press Release: http://thecatmuseum.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/5th-Sep-Press-Release-The-Cat-Museum.pdf

Posted by The Cat Museum, Muses & Mansion of Singapore on Tuesday, 5 September 2017

Source: http://thehoneycombers.com

September 7, 2017
(Appeal For Witness) Old Man Injured From Fall At Bishan MRT Station

My father got injured very badly in an accident on a train, we need witnesses to help assist in investigations. Contact information at the end of the post. This is a pretty long post, that is also an appeal for witnesses, which I very much hope will be shared as much as possible to help assist in investigations. A police report has been made and SMRT Bishan CCL staff are also aware of this case.

On the 5th of September, my father was travelling on the Marina Bay/Dhoby Ghaut bound train on the CCL. At around 4.20pm, he tried to alight at Bishan, from the last cabin. In his attempt to alight, other passengers were boarding and he was pushed back into the train where he subsequently fell, breaking his right femur (in 3 sections) which also dislodged from his pelvis. There was no apology for the person who pushed him and no one around him offered any form of assistance. (I understand it is best in such a situation physical assistance should be limited, but there is nothing wrong with asking after him or trying to defuse the situation) It saddens me to say this but my father remembered clearly as well that it was crowded, but somehow after he fell there was suddenly a large ring that formed around and away from him.

I understand the accidents do happen, but the act of barging is a conscious one and definitely not accidental, with zero compassion or awareness and blatant disregard for social consequences. I have nothing but gratitude to offer to the SMRT Bishan CCL staff who responded quickly to assist and accompany him while the ambulance was arriving to convey him to TTSH, and if there was someone who alerted the staff, thank you as well. As well as the Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) staff and team who have and are helping to put my father on the best road to recovery which will be long and painful. And the AS at Ang Mo Kio South Neighbourhood Police Centre who was extremely helpful and informative when I lodged the report this morning.

I sincerely hope that if you read this, please do myself and my family a favour, to just share this post in hopes of reaching anyone that was there, or knew anyone that was there to have witnessed this to at least offer some assistance in form of a witness account or statement. This is a man who has never fallen down for as long as I can remember, obviously outside of forces that cause him to, who has suffered so much throughout his 40 odd years since he came to Singapore, through multiple injuries sustained not on his own accord or fault. He does not deserve this now, especially not at 72 years old. Neither does anyone else, to be put in such a situation where public transport has become a blood sport. We appreciate any help that anyone can provide whatever the chances may be through Facebook. Below are the relevant contact numbers in the event that someone has information. My personal contact 9365 3275.

Source: AML

September 7, 2017
Muhd Danish Abdul Malik Ditahan Reman Kerana Penglibatan Aktiviti Tailong

Seorang lelaki 21 tahun yang didakwa melakukan gangguan tailong melibatkan kebakaran, dibawa semula ke tempat kejadian di Sin Ming Avenue. Muhd Danish Abdul Malik dituduh melakukan kesalahan itu pada 28 hari bulan lalu.

Dia ditangkap pada 31 Ogos dan didakwa di mahkamah pada Sabtu lalu (2 Sep). Danish ditahan reman selama seminggu untuk siasatan lanjut. Mereka yang melakukan kesalahan seperti itu boleh didenda sehingga $50,000, dipenjara tidak lebih lima tahun dan disebat sehingga enam kali.

Source: Berita Mediacorp

September 7, 2017
Singapore’s Para-Athlete Kamas Mohd Delivers Food In Wheelchair

Like any other food delivery man, Mr Kamas Mohd carries an insulated bag and constantly checks his mobile phone for orders. Unlike other delivery men, though, the 46-year-old does not use a bicycle, motorcycle or car. Instead, Mr Kamas, who suffered a spinal cord injury from a workplace accident in 1996 and is paralysed from the waist down, goes about his daily delivery rounds on a motorised wheelchair with a bag buckled to the back of his seat and a phone strapped to his thigh.

But he stresses that he is not slower than anyone else – he can fulfil a delivery order within the same timeframe of 35 minutes. The para-athlete, who represented Singapore at the 2015 Asean Para Games in wheelchair basketball, signed on to become an UberEats delivery partner in May. He was introduced to the work by his friend after he was asked to resign from his previous job as an assistant land leader at Bizlink Centre, a non-profit organisation that hires persons with disabilities.

There, he managed about 70 others in packing services for goodie bags and letters. Mr Kamas suffered a broken leg last year when he fell while on the way to work. Due to his injury, doctors granted him nearly two years of medical leave in total, but his manager informed him that Bizlink was unable to keep him on the payroll for the entire time. The manager said he could return when his medical leave was over. Mr Kamas, who is divorced with no children and lives alone in a rental flat in Redhill, decided to give the delivery gig a shot.

“I was scared I wouldn’t get the job because of my condition,” he said. But UberEats accepted him and, since May, he has been earning about $400 a week – or about $4 to $10 per delivery. His previous job paid about $530 a month. “I liked my previous job, but the salary was not enough to pay rental and buy food,” said Mr Kamas. “Now, with this job, it is easier. I can follow my own time and target, and earn more.”

Currently, his rent, water and electricity bills, and town council conservancy fees of about $200 a month are being paid for by the Ministry of Social and Family Development. He also receives $300 cash a month. Before his leg injury, Mr Kamas paid his rent and bills on his own and did not receive any financial assistance. When the assistance ceases at the end of the year, Mr Kamas, who once lived at a void deck in Boon Lay for three years, is determined to be financially independent again.

Now, he makes as many as 10 trips a day – up to 11 hours of work – collecting and delivering food to hungry customers in areas such as Tiong Bahru, the Central Business District, Orchard Road and Thomson Road. Rain or shine, he said, he has not cancelled an order so far. “As long as I get a trip, I will go,” said Mr Kamas, adding that he takes a raincoat with him. With his earnings from making deliveries, he has managed to save up enough money to upgrade his wheelchair set-up to a personal mobility scooter, which cost him $1,400. So far, customers’ reactions to his work have been favourable.

Most times, when people see him in his wheelchair, they are either surprised or amazed, he said. Some even tip him generously for his service, he added. A few months ago, Mr Kamas’ story made the rounds on social media after he was featured on Stomp. A customer had praised him for travelling 2.5km on his wheelchair to her home in Stirling Road. He said that seeing his photo being shared on Facebook made him happy. “Maybe then, more people like me will realise they can also do such jobs,” he said.

Source: The Straits Times

September 7, 2017
Saudi Man Circumambulated The Kaaba 700 Times, But Not To Perform The Haj

Adham Al-Hawwash, a Saudi in his middle age, had circumambulated the Kaaba about 700 times during this year’s Haj season but did not do the Haj. “I rent my wheelchair to the pilgrims and push them seven times around the Kaaba. This is how I make a living,” he said. He said he was obliged to circumambulate the Kaaba to enable the old or disabled pilgrims do their tawaf so he had no time to think of doing the Haj himself. Al-Hawwash said he was not in a good financial position that would have enabled him to do the fifth pillar of Islam and had to continue working hard to provide for his family.

He said he started this job some years back on the advice of his mother, whose head he kisses every time he leaves his house. “I tie my waist with a piece of cloth to reduce my back pain. I also wear heavy stocking to avoid foot ache,” he said on how he prepares for work. Hawwash said he has pushed more than 100 pilgrims around the House of God at SR350-SR500 per head. “This is a tiring job but it earns me good money to spend on my family and save for the future,” he said.

Hawwash said his job is seasonal climaxing during Ramadan and the Haj when pilgrims come in large numbers to the Grand Mosque. He also said he guides his customers to the best dua (supplication) according to the Prophet’s Sunnah. “The pushing of wheelchairs needs tactics, fair knowledge of the peak hours and a balanced distribution of strength to avoid exhaustion,” he said. Al-Hawwash said he eats dates and bananas to provide him energy, which he needs in his job.

Source: Saudi Gazette

September 7, 2017