An elderly man had a close shave with death when a huge slab of concrete crashed down on his bed just moments after he got up.
He suffered a cut and bad bruising when the slab grazed his right upper arm.
Mr Geebian Lye, 69, and his wife were in their upstairs bedroom when they heard strange clicking sounds from the ceiling of their double-storey house at 31, Geylang Lorong 32, last Thursday.
His wife, in her 60s, managed to get of the room but Mr Lye had only got off his bed when bricks and concrete crashed through the false ceiling.
”I was stunned. It was a miracle that I survived,” he said.
A condominium was under construction next to their house. The Building Construction Authority (BCA) has since revoked the permit for construction works at the condo.
A construction supervisor from ABM Construction, which is building the condominium, said that it was an accident and was ”no big deal”.
That is a very good analysis, but you missed two important points.
The first is the external factor, namely all the things that are happening outside Singapore. Over the past year the world has gotten a whole lot more dangerous, politically and financially.
The political paralysis in US, ISIS in the Middle East, the financial and refugees crises in Europe, the China’s economic slowdown that may lead to a world’s recession, Russia’s re-asserting itself, climate change, the gyrating stock markets, and others all add to a sense of an uncertain future. As the saying go, “you do not change horses at mid-stream”.
Many feel that you do not want to leadership in the middle of a crisis, especially when the alternative only brings in more uncertainty.
Which brings me to the second point, the oppositions. It is pointless to blame the ruling party to handing out goodies to get votes. That happens is every democracy, we hear it every time there is an election in the UK.
Yet the government changes hand on a regular basis. For the opposition, it is not enough to offer candidates that are “as good as” the other side and hope that the “throw out the bastard” sentiment will carry the day.
The opposition needs to have someone better. But honestly, are the opposition candidates in this election really significant better than their PAP counterparts? Do they really have a coherent plan of how to govern? Can they provide a compelling vision? Can they help Singapore, a small country, navigate in the choppy uncharted water?
Let’s take your team as an example. In the last four years, how many times have the team walk through Ang Mo Kio talking to the residents and learning about their concerns? What do you really have to offer besides a distaste for the PAP?
Singapore opposition parties need to build themselves up slowly. It may make you feel good to say that every seat is contested. But it is a warning sign to the voters. The PAP members may be a bunch of yahoos.
But many who would cast a protest in order to have more opposition voices in the parliament voted for PAP instead just so that there would not be a fluke and a bunch of unknown and inexperienced yahoos ended up running the country.
So the opposition parties need to reflect and come up with a better strategy. You did some analysis of the percents of swing votes that could have been the result of one action or the other by the ruling party.
Here is another way to look at it. If those constituencies where the PAP won more than 75% (which meant they were PAP strongholds where the opposition parties have no chance) were uncontested, the PAP majority would have been only 67%, meaning that the decision of the opposition to contest every seat actually gave the PAP at least a 2% margin.
Your own slate contributed 0.72% to that 2%. So the delusion of grandeur of the oppositions actually contributed to the PAP landslide.
Singapore studio Formwerkz Architects took references from traditional Islamic design to create the intricately patterned and moulded surfaces of this mosque.
The Al-Islah Mosque by Formwerkz Architects caters for the Muslim population of Punggol, a densely populated neighbourhood in north-east Singapore.
The area is currently undergoing significant redevelopment, with the Singapore Institute of Technology due to relocate to a new campus near a waterfront park by LOOK Architects and high-rise housing being erected to accommodate the rising population.
The mosque is segmented into three volumes – a prayer hall, an Islamic education centre and an administration block – to give the structure a more domestic scale within the built-up area.
These blocks are linked by a series of elevated and landscaped terraces that are open to the public.
“The new mosque aspires to be a model of openness, reflective of contemporary Islamic aspirations in Singapore,” said architect Alan Tay. “This ambition for the openness posed much challenges in view of the tight site and its proximity to the neighbouring flats.”
“Physical porosity allows a visual connection to the neighbourhood and extends its spatial field beyond its boundary but poses the issues of sanctity and threshold expected of a mosque.”
Latticed screens form walls and the dome over the prayer hall, to enhance the feeling openness while also providing ventilation and natural lighting for the spaces within.
The reinforced concrete structures are covered with sand-coloured textured paint. Elements such as the dome, arched doorways and a slender minaret are picked out in dark grey paintwork.
“The basic arabesque pattern and arches are influenced by traditional Islamic forms,” explained studio co-founder Alan Tay. “The arches are designed to allow a wider span in the prayer hall and cantilever in the main entrance foyer.”
The 3,700-square-metre mosque can accommodate up to 4,500 worshippers at any one time, with service areas including an underground car park all designed to be used as extensions of a domed prayer hall.
The prayer hall has open sides that allow the congregation to spill into adjacent spaces during peak worship times. These areas are shielded from the weather by a large overhanging canopy.
“In peak periods, most of the floor space – with the exception of bathrooms, admin space and service rooms – is utilised for prayer,” Tay told Dezeen. “Corridors, classrooms, roof terraces and even the basement car park double up as prayer spaces.”
“With no boundary walls and minimum enclosing wall, the worship hall is visually and physically accessible on all sides, blurring the distinction between the mosque premise and the street,” he added.
KUALA LUMPUR – Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak menyampaikan rasa terharunya terhadap sambutan diberikan peserta himpunan baju merah yang berlangsung di ibu kota, hari ini.
Perkara dimaklumkan, Ahli Majlis Tertinggi Umno, Tan Sri Annuar Musa dalam ucapannya berkata, pemimpin nombor satu negara itu juga menyampaikan salam kepada semua peserta yang terlibat dalam himpunan itu.
“Saya baru dapat panggilan daripada perdana menteri yang berkirim salam kepada tuan-tuan dan puan-puan semua pihak sini.
“Beliau dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) melahirkan rasa terkejut dan terharu dengan perhimpunan yang seaman dan sebesar ini dilakukan rakyat. Terima kasih semua,” katanya ketika berucap di hadapan peserta himpunan di Padang Merbok, hari ini.
Menurutnya, himpunan yang didakwa menerima kebenaran daripada pihak berkuasa itu menjadi medan himpunan satu bangsa dan umat yang tercatat dalam sejarah.
“Inilah bangsa yang penuh toleransi. Inilah bangsa yang sanggup berkongsi segala-galanya. Inilah bangsa yang boleh korban apa sahaja, terima sesiapa saja, kerjasama dengan sesiapa sahaja, selagi mana mereka tidak menjadi harbi.
“Walaupun mereka tidak sama Syahadah dengan kita, bangsa lain, budaya lain, sejarah telah membuktikan bahawa kita sanggup bersama dengan satu syarat, jangan kedudukan kita dipertikaikan, jangan kedudukan Melayu dipersoalkan dan jangan hak kita dipersendakan,” katanya.
Menurutnya lagi, himpunan tersebut bukan sekadar satu pesta biasa namun perlu dijadikan peringatan kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia.
“Negara dan kerajaan ini bertuan. Barang siapa yang mengugat di luar daripada saluran dan kaedah, kita akan bangkit dan menentang habis-habisan. Hari ini hanya satu permulaan kebangkitan,” katanya.
Dalam ucapan sama beliau membacakan empat belas resolusi yang telah disusun pihaknya.
1. Mertahanan demokrasi berparlimen yang luhur.
2. Memupuk perasaan hormat, cinta dan kesepaduan bangsa Malaysia.
3. Rakyat bersatu pertahanan kestabilan negara.
4. Rakyat bersatu menolak chauvinis perkauman ala DAP.
5. Tolak campur tangan individu atau negara asing dalam hal ehwal negara.
6. Tolak himpunan ala Bersih 4.0 yang biadab.
7. Tolak penghinaan terhadap agama Islam yang merupakan agama rasmi Persekutuan.
8. Menyokong kerajaan terus berusaha hadapi masalah ekonomi negara dan rakyat
9. Mempertahankan kesatuan dan kedudukan Melayu dan bumiputera serta semua kaum di Malaysia.
10. Mempertahanan kerajaan pilihanraya
11. Mempertahanan prinsip rukun negara
12. Menolak politik fitnah terancang terhadap pimpinan negara.
13. Menolak percubaan mengguling kerajaan yang dipilih secara demokrasi
14. Mengembalikan semula Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA)
The remains of a Malaysian deputy public prosecutor abducted nearly two weeks ago on his way to work were found on Wednesday (Sept 16) in an oil drum filled with concrete in Subang Jaya, Selangor.
The police made the grisly discovery at around 6am after they detained a military doctor – the main suspect in Mr Kevin Morais’ abduction – who led them to the swamp where the body was found, Bernama news agency reported.
“The oil drum was found in the swamp after divers went in to confirm it,” said Federal Criminal Investigation Division director Mohmad Salleh, according to The Star daily. “A forklift was used to hoist the oil drum out so that work could be carried out to retrieve the body.”
Fire and Rescue Department officers opened the concrete-filled barrel to recover the body, which was wrapped in a gunny sack.
Six other people, including a woman and a child believed to be unrelated to the case, as well as the doctor, were taken in by police on Tuesday.
Mr Morais, 55, deputy chief of the Appellate and Trial Division at the Attorney-General’s Chambers, was reported missing on Sept 4 after he left his Menara Duta apartment in Kuala Lumpur to go to his office in Putrajaya. Police later confirmed he was abducted, based on a video-capture of a road in the city.
“Initially, CCTV footage showed that Morais’ car was trailed by a Mitsubishi Triton that rammed into his government-issued Proton Perdana,” Commissioner Mohmad told the media. “He was abducted after the collision and a suspect drove off with Morais’ car while he was taken away in the Mitsubishi Triton.”
Datuk Seri Mohmad added that the 52-year-old main suspect, head of the pathology and laboratory department who was said to hold the rank of colonel, was involved in a corruption case that was prosecuted by Mr Morais in Shah Alam recently. “We believe the other suspects were contracted by this suspect to kidnap him,” said the commissioner.
Police believe Mr Morais was killed in the Mitsubishi pick-up truck before his body was placed in a gunny sack and sealed with cement inside the oil drum, according to The Rakyat Post.
A Mitsubishi Triton that investigators believe was used to hit the victim, two other vehicles – a Honda Accord and Proton Persona – and RM32,100 (S$10,500) in cash have been seized as evidence.
Police are also investigating a burnt car that had its vehicle chassis and engine numbers filed off. It was found on Sept 6 near an oil plantation in Perak. Police suspect it was driven by Mr Morais on the day he was abducted.
His body was taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Speaking outside the mortuary yesterday, the victim’s brother, Datuk Richard Morais, described him as a “strict man” who lived for his job and the law, The Star reported. “He was a secretive person. He was very professional about his work. He didn’t share (details of his work) with his family members.”
But his brother added that “this is not a normal death… Everybody knows this was case-related”.
