Tag: Singaporeans

Tuas Fire Involves Chemical Waste And Flammable Materials; Public Advised To Stay Clear Of Area: SCDF

Explosions can be heard as firefighters fight to put out a fire involving chemical waste and flammable materials at a Tuas waste management plant on Thursday (Feb 23) morning.

The cause of the fire is not known. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) says the fire involves chemical waste and flammable materials and has advised the public to stay clear of the area.

Eye witnesses told The Straits Times that the roads around the site of the fire at 23 Tuas View Circuit are closed and bus services have stopped.

ECO Special Waste Management was engulfed in flames when the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived. It is fully licensed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) as a Toxic Industrial Waste Collector, a General Waste Collector, and an Asbestos Removal Contractor, among other qualifications.

It provides services to industrial and commercial customers from industries such as petrochemical, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, power generation, electronics, marine, engineering, and semiconductor, with 2,000 customers, the company said on its website.

Construction worker Asraful, 23, told The Straits Times he saw the fire when he woke up at 8am.

Mr Asraful, who lives in Tuas South Dormitory, was walking out from Tuas South Ave 9, which had been closed to the public.

“The buses have all stopped,” he said.

Mr Daniq, 40, a chef, was on his way to work at Tuas Power Station at 10am. He said he had to walk from a long way off because of road closures due to the fire.

Around 200 SCDF responders are currently at the site to put out the flames.

SCDF has also deployed nine fire engines, five Red Rhinos, four Unmanned Firefighting Machines, one ambulance and 15 support vehicles.

In a Facebook post at 9.49am, it said: “Periodic explosions could be heard as firefighters battle the blaze to contain it within the affected premises. SCDF is also applying foam to suppress the fire in the drains within the immediate vicinity.”

An earlier SCDF Facebook post at 8.40am said that the area, which measured about 200m by 200m, was fully engulfed in flames when their officers arrived.

It first alerted the public about the fire on its Facebook at 7.18am, adding that StarHub mobile subscribers within the immediate vicinity of the fire incident would have received an advisory message urging members of public to stay away from the area.

Police confirmed the fire in a Facebook post: “The Police confirm that a case of fire has been reported at 23 Tuas View Circuit. Tuas South Ave 3 and Tuas View Crescent are closed to facilitate operations. The public is advised to avoid the area.”

Source: StraitsTimes

February 23, 2017
Singapore Biker Chick Speaks Up Against New Additional Registered Fee (ARF)

We have masked robbers caught and incarcerated, yet we have our finance minister gloriously on TV, executing daylight robbery on citizens who save up hard-earned wages to own a bigger capacity motorcycle to suffice their daily transport/sport/leisure all in one.

After increasing public transport rates, you give a miserable 10-cent discount for every 6 train rides spent, you issue one-off GST vouchers capped at $200 that isn’t even close to covering the increased Water Utilities bill rates, yet you take tens of thousands of dollars from us in an instant, without a damn reason with a new Additional Registered Fee (ARF) of up to 100% of the OMV for bigger motorcycles.

Who are you to rob us monetarily? Who are you to rob us of our simple hobbies? And where does this unjustifiable 100% extra ARF loading on motorcycles go to?

In the year of the Rooster, I guess you’ve undeniably earned yourself the biggest Cock award of the year.

Source: Vaunephan

February 23, 2017
Police: Beware Of Scams Offering Uber/Grab Ride Promotional Packages

Since last week, the Police have received at least nine reports where victims were cheated into purchasing “Grab / Uber promotional packages”. The total amount cheated is at least $7,700.

Victims were introduced to the cheap “Grab / Uber promotional packages” through their friends who had come across these advertisements by word of mouth. The victims were then asked to contact the seller via Whatsapp, and were instructed to transfer money to bank accounts to purchase the packages. However, after making payments, victims were not able to redeem the rides and the seller became uncontactable subsequently.

The Police would like to advise members of the public to purchase rides only from the official sources and to always exercise caution when purchasing items at prices that sound too good to be true. When in doubt, please call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722 6688 or visit https://www.scamalert.sg.

Anyone with more information on this crime is requested to call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Source: Singapore Police Force

February 22, 2017
Goh Meng Seng: Supporters Of Israeli Nationhood Must Not Blindly Support Its Oppressive Anti-Palestine, Apartheid Policy

I had sent my response to TRE with regards to an article written by Philip Ong but they actually didn’t publish it! Well, cannot expect anything else when the mind is bias.

People who “support Israel” really has an emotionally charged mind fill with religious rhetoric . No wonder Karl Marx said “Religion is the Opium of people”! It numbs the minds of people, giving them fantasies and weird logic. They can justify anything under the Sun, regardless whether it is logical to the human mind, just or unjust or otherwise.

It just electrifies them when something just touches on Israel, never mind what you say, you don’t support Israel, you are my enemy!

All sound and logical reasoning just fallen on deaf ears. Even when we are just asking for a reasonable stance from Israel, stop the atrocities in Palestine, stop the illegal settlements, establish the Two-States structure… not even wanting Israel to be wiped off or destroyed!

I am personally considered a “religious man” in any sense but never will I subject myself to totally illogical religious fanaticism. Anything I believe, must make HUMAN logical sense, though it is about Buddha, Gods and Goddess, it must still make HUMAN sense to me. And it must be just, fair and peaceful to all.

In all honesty, I feel strange for anyone to support a group of people who basically rob land and declare nationhood. Yes, they bought the land initially, but no, buying the land is not equal to buying sovereignty. Else, Singapore will be in great trouble because lots of foreigners on our land bought land and properties! Will we agree to them declaring Nationhood just because they paid for the land?

Israel, to me, is built upon less than honorable and legitimate way. But that could be excused because I empathize with their plight from WWII Holocaust and they will need a permanent land and country of their own. In all pragmatic terms, the situation is set. Israel is set to be here on Earth.

But instead of being grateful and empathetic to the Palestinians’ emotional backlash, they became aggressive, greedy and inhumane. As the Chinese saying goes, giving them an inch, they want the whole foot. That’s the Zionist style. It is totally unacceptable and immoral to me.

The emotional backlash by the Palestinians may or may not be invoked by religious differences because any human being, would be disgusted and felt repulsive if foreign migrants just came in and declare the land belongs to them and they will become the ruler of the land! That’s totally human nature and you do not need any religious spikes to ignite that knee jerk reactions.

The sad part is, many religiously zealous people, failed to see the human side of things but overly engrossed in their religious belief.

I guess most residents of this World, just want peace and sick of all silly atrocities and politics of hatred. There are 140 countries which supported the Two-States resolution and UN has passed the resolution in condemning Israel’s continual oppression and land grab in Palestine. This is not some “fake news” or anything, but pure facts of the day. Wake up, my friends. Wake up. Supporting Israel’s Nationhood should not be translated into the support of its continual oppression of the Palestinians, apartheid rule and illegal land grab!

Source: Goh Meng Seng

February 22, 2017
Student Care Centre Guardian Jailed 10 years For Sexual Assault On 8 Boys

“Uncle Wong” came so highly recommended – by his pastor, no less – that he was hired by a student care centre on the spot.

He worked as a guardian at the centre, located at a primary school, for three years, and was popular with the students. He helped the boys with their homework and bought them sweets.

He also molested them.

The disgraced guardian was sentenced to 10 years’ jail on Wednesday (Feb 22) after a 14-day trial. He was found guilty of 13 counts of sexual assault involving eight boys aged between eight and 11. The charges include 11 for molest, and two for giving and receiving oral sex from an 11-year-old boy.

The 66-year-old man had sexually abused the boys for three years, with his colleagues and his pastor none the wiser.

“Instead of guarding and protecting them, you took advantage of them,” District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim said, calling the man a “predator”.

The abuse came to light by chance. On Sep 13, 2013, two students and another guardian witnessed Wong slipping his hand under the table to touch a 10-year-old boy’s penis.

The guardian reported him to the centre’s supervisor, who reported him to the human resources manager, and a decision was made to suspend Wong immediately.

That night, the HR manager sent him a text message: “I received a very serious complaint about you today … I want you to meet me in church on Monday. You will be under immediate suspension from work … an investigation (will be) carried out.”

Wong responded more than an hour later: “Can’t … figure out what went wrong or (what) the complaint is about, so will just have to assure my heart before God.”

Then he called three of his victims to tell them the student care centre was investigating him, and not to tell anyone he had molested them. This showed he had “absolutely no remorse”, Judge Hamidah said.

Three days later, the HR manager visited the centre to speak to three boys who claimed they had been molested by Wong. She quickly realised there were many more victims involved, and made a police report the same day.

At his trial, the woman testified she hired Wong, who worked at the centre from January 2011 until September 2013, without interviewing him first. His was “a unique case”, she said, because he had come “recommended by his pastor, (who said) he was good with children and youths”.

Even his victims, who testified against him, had nothing damning to say.

One victim said Wong was a “caring teacher” who took the boys to church and bought them “ice pops and sweets”. Another victim said he was “friendly, kind and very patient” when helping the boys with their homework.

The man plans to appeal his conviction and sentence, his lawyer said. He is out on bail – set at S$100,000 – pending the hearing of his appeal.

A further eight charges against him, which involved more victims, were withdrawn.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

February 22, 2017