Tag: Singaporeans

Stange Calls For 12th Man To Call On The Lions
SINGAPORE v AFGHANISTAN

(Thursday, 8pm, National Stadium)

The national football team’s last match at the National Stadium drew over 45,000 fans, most of whom suffered as they watched the Lions dumped out of the AFF Suzuki Cup by arch-rivals Malaysia last November.

A little over 10 months on, Bernd Stange’s men have a vital clash against Afghanistan in their World Cup/Asian Cup Group E qualifier at the same venue on Thursday.

Whether the team will be backed by a similar crowd remains to be seen.

Aside from the fact the match is on a weekday night and will be telecast “live” on the Eleven Sports Network (Singtel TV Channel 109) and Mediacorp’s okto, Singapore will also be missing their two biggest stars, midfield duo Hariss Harun and Safuwan Baharudin.

And the haze is another factor.

Stange made a plea yesterday when he called on Singaporeans to turn out in force at the National Stadium and back the Lions.

“Together with our fans, there should be only one winner and that’s us,” said the German, just before the team’s training at the Geylang Field.

“We need your support and your help because we haven’t sold many tickets at this stage.

“Our fans can push us and we definitely need our fans.

“If something goes wrong, they should be the 12th man and we will do everything we can to beat Afghanistan.”

The haze seems to be the biggest concern.

The Football Association of Singapore said in a recent statement that the Asian Football Confederation will have the final say on whether the Afghanistan game, and the qualifier against Cambodia next Tuesday, also at the National Stadium, will proceed as scheduled.

Singapore fans are well-known for purchasing tickets late, meaning the uncertainty that hangs over the match will likely affect turnout.

Exact figures of ticket sales so far were not available last night.

ADAPT

Stange said the haze meant “we cannot do what we want” in certain training sessions, but he does not want to make a big deal out of it.

“We had to slow down, we will follow the rules we have here in Singapore… because the health of our players is important,” he said.

“We will adapt. Afghanistan have the same problems, and they will also have jetlag.

“So we won’t make a big issue out of the haze.”

Some fans are more concerned.

Kenneth Seet, a 37-year-old account executive, said: “I still can’t decide to go or not because of the haze.

“My friends and I don’t want to make a wasted trip and the safer option is to watch it ‘live’ on TV.

“It’s unfortunate, but if the haze is really bad, we have to be wise and stay at home.”

Others, like Faizal Kamal, disagree though.

“I will not let the haze get between me and my love for the Lions,” said the 27-year-old civil servant.

“Anyway, there’s always the N95 mask.”

TICKET INFO

Tickets, priced at $38 for Cat 1 ($50 for both matches) and $28 for Cat 2 ($36 for both matches) are available through:
- www.sportshubtix.sg
- hotlines 6333-5000 and 3158-7888
- Singapore Indoor Stadium box office and all SingPost outlets islandwide Concession prices of $15 for a Cat 1 ticket and $10 for a Cat 2 one, are applicable for students aged 16 and below, and senior citizens aged 60 and above.
Source: www.tnp.sg
October 6, 2015
Singaporean Helps Fight Indonesian Fires With Solutions

Many Singaporeans have taken to donning masks or staying indoors as the Pollutant Standards Index climbs to unhealthy levels.

But not Mr Judah Jay, 60.

Instead, he headed straight for the forest fires in Jambi, a province in Sumatra, to help firefighters put out the blaze that has been causing the haze.

The Singaporean owner of a company that manufacturers eco-friendly fire extinguishers also donated about 1,000 litres of a special fire-fighting solution to the Indonesian firefighters.

When asked why he chose to help Indonesia fight the fires for free, Mr Jay said he felt a sense of responsibility.

“It’s like I am a doctor and I see someone getting hit by a car. I won’t ask if he can pay me, I would help him immediately.

“In the same way, I have all this knowledge and resources, and it is my duty to help people who need it.”

The managing director of Fire Terminator International (FTI) and his team arrived in Indonesia three months ago to market a product called JN1010, a fire-fighting solution that not only extinguishes blazes, but also rapidly cools surfaces, removes oxygen, and stops combustible gases from igniting so that the fire does not start again.

Plans to meet potential clients were cut short two months in, after Mr Jay realised the severity of the haze and forest fires.  He then shifted his focus to helping the Indonesians deal with the fires, instead.

He said: “I knew that this was beyond earning money. People there needed help, and I had the means to help them.”

For four weeks, he donned fire-fighting gear and battled the fires shoulder-to-shoulder with others in Jambi, working day and night to extinguish the blaze.

Recounting his time there, Mr Jay said: “The heat from the fires was intense. Visibility was so bad that I could not see who was beside me. It was terrible.”

Although he shipped 1,000 litres of JN1010 for the fire fighting efforts, it took less than a month to use it up.

“Even though the firefighters were so busy and tired, they gave their all and kept on fighting, so I gave them what I could too,” Mr Jay said.

MEDIA ATTENTION

His efforts caught the attention of Indonesian media, with TV network TVRI interviewing Mr Jay and showing him putting out fires during a news clip.

He returned to Singapore about a week ago to attend the Fire and Disaster Asia 2015 exhibition, which was held at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.

When The New Paper spoke to Mr Jay at the exhibition last Thursday, he said that he was raring to return to Indonesia to help again.

“We only brought 10 per cent of our  supply that time. When I go back in three or four days, I am prepared to bring the remaining 9,000 litres to help fight the fires,” he said.

Mr Jay added that he would be heading to Kalimantan, in Borneo, this time, and would stay there for as long as he could.

His wife, Mrs Davina Jay, who is the director for FTI, will stay in Singapore to look after the business while her husband is in Indonesia.

She said: “I have confidence that he will exercise due caution there.

“He has been blessed with wisdom and know-how to help minimise human suffering. It must be shared for a good cause”.

10 firms declare no links to those causing fires in Indonesia

Ten companies which manufacture paper products sold in Singapore have pledged that they do not use raw materials from the five Indonesian firms believed to be responsible for the ongoing forest fires.

A joint press release by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) yesterday said that all 10 firms, which are certified under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS), have signed declarations forms.

SEC and Case also revealed that they were awaiting declaration forms from seven other third-party manufacturers.

The list of all the companies which have signed will be updated regularly on both agencies’ websites.

SEC is also encouraging other paper companies which have not participated in the SGLS to contact it for certification.

However, certified firms which are found purchasing wood, paper or pulp products from companies suspected to be involved in the haze pollution are bound by the declaration to inform SEC. They will then be removed from the list.

STRONG SIGNAL

Meanwhile, Case has issued a reminder urging consumers not to support companies using such products unless they have pledged to be socially responsible.

“This will send a strong signal to the errant companies that consumers’ goodwill should not be taken for granted and consumers will not support companies which are environmentally irresponsible and/or have contributed to the environmental disaster year after year,” it added.

Last month, Singapore started legal action against five companies which it believes are among the culprits behind Indonesia’s pollution-causing fires. Four are Indonesian companies which have been told to take measures to extinguish fires on their land, not to start new ones and submit action plans on how they will prevent future fires.

The fifth one is Singapore-listed firm Asia Pulp and Paper. It has been served a legal notice to supply information on its subsidiaries in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires on their concessions. – The Straits Times.

Source: www.tnp.sg

October 6, 2015
NUS Economics Graduate Chooses To Sell Crabs For A Living

Meet Fu Hai everyone, who I met this morning during my market visit. Fu Hai, 29, runs a stall selling fresh crabs at the Toa Payoh Market at Lorong 4.

His stall is simple – just a few styrofoam boxes with live crabs in them. His work day is long, starting at 4am and ending at night around 8pm. He and his parents have three such stalls.

Fu Hai graduated with an economics degree from NUS but decided to forge his own path. He has big dreams. He knows the network of crab suppliers from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and China. He knows what his customers want – which crabs are best for their sweet meat, and others for the roe.

He thinks he can expand this business to semi-finished products working with our polytechnics.

Welcome to Singapore’s Future Economy. Whatever shape that comes in, we will need young people like Fu Hai to forge new paths.

The future belongs to people like him. Let’s all wish Fu Hai every success as he chases his dreams.

Source: Ng Eng Hen

October 6, 2015
Yaacob Ibrahim: Muslim Marriages Becoming More Resilient

Muslim marriages in Singapore are becoming more resilient, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim on Monday (Oct 5) at a seminar aimed at better understanding marriage trends and challenges among Malay-Muslim couples.

However, Dr Yaacob warned that marriages between young couples, as well as remarriages, remain vulnerable and called for a preventive and upstream approach to address the needs of these couples, both before and after marriage.

He encouraged a culture of lifelong learning, where couples seek marriage education and proactive support.

“New trends are emerging and therefore, we have to get for ourselves a new skill set in dealing with some of these new challenges that we are facing today,” said Dr Yaacob. “I always believe that information and awareness is important. I think we need to keep people informed. Such seminars are important for us to use this material to share with would-be couples.

“I always believe that marriages are not made in heaven, they are made on earth. You have to work at it. And I think by sharing information, people understand better, that … you need to be able to find the right level of engagement between you and your spouse.”

About 300 people, including social service practitioners, attended the seminar.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

October 6, 2015
Starbucks Is Not Halal!

Some people really have very vivid imaginations eh? From a simple fact that Starbucks is not certified halal, they can spin theories about how pork fat is deliberately included as an ingredient in their food and drink to trick Muslims because Starbucks is a Jewish company bent on killing Palestinians. Like conspiracy theory much siol~

While this may seem funny at first, the underlying naivete behind such ridiculous conspiracy theories is alarming and a cause of concern. Malicious intent aside, such a mentality reflects an overly sensitive frame of mind towards any real or perceived slight to the Muslim faith, and seeks to take offense at any and every instance. This is dangerous because these people can be easily indoctrinated and manipulated by others who espouse radical religious views, or may even be recruited by those with malicious intent to cause harm to others. In this age where terrorism is a real threat to our global and national security, we should all be responsible for our thoughts, words and behaviours and educate those who may have the wrong understanding of our faith.

Starbucks may not be halal, but all Muslims have the prerogative to choose whether they will patronise the cafe or take their business somewhere else halal. There is no need to propagate false claims about its products or poltically align the company with murderous objectives just because it did not meet your religious standards. The sooner we learn that the world does not revolve around our religion, the easier it will be for us to lead our lives.

For the record, Starbucks Singapore has never claimed to be a halal establishment and has even previously clarified that even though they are not certified halal, it does not serve pork or alcohol in their stores.

Source: www.aiseyman.com

October 6, 2015