Tag: Singaporeans

Alfian Sa’at: Why I Don’t Attend Pink Dot

Growing older, I find that my introverted nature is becoming more pronounced. One of the reasons why I decided not to go for Pink Dot this year is because I’m beginning to get more terrified of crowds. There’s always a moment when I’m surrounded by too many people when I start feeling dizzy and nauseous.

And then there’s the issue of my nervousness around dogs. I know Pink Dot is an opportunity for some people to bring their pets along, pets which are as dear to them as family. But dogs–when there’s more than one, or two–have always put me on edge. This is not a problem of the dog-owners roaming the park but my problem alone. (And this is the learned mantra of any minority.)

This isn’t supposed to be an indictment of Pink Dot’s agenda of inclusivity. I think every year the organisers attempt to provide an atmosphere as hospitable to as many as possible–sign language interpretation, differently-abled access, seating for seniors. But any embrace will come up short at some point because an arm span is finite.

The space at Pink Dot is also inhospitable for others–those who fear crowds, or fear dogs, those without a pink or blue IC. It makes me think about the limits of inclusivity, the dangers of fantasising about utopian spaces, or spaces that aspire to speak for the entire community.

In that anxiety to pack in bodies at the event, so as to create an optics of the local-indigenous, is bodily participation privileged over other forms of support? Be there or be square, be there or betray?

While I support what Pink Dot stands for (and many of its organisers and ambassadors and volunteers are wonderful, tireless people whose activist work extends beyond Pink Dot), I can’t stand to form that dot. Neither can I stand any kind of guilt tripping over one’s absence there, as if fidelity to the cause must translate into piety towards Pink Dot.

Ultimately I think of Pink Dot, no matter its organisational capacity, as part of something larger–and not as some large reservoir where other tributaries (no matter how many booths, how many representatives) are supposed to converge.

Source: Alfian Sa’at

July 3, 2017
Singapore Athletes’ Brutally Honest Reactions To $600 Annual Grant

Exactly a week ago, The Online Citizen ran a story after a Facebook post by Jose Raymond about government agency Sport Singapore’s current funding policy for national athletes.

In the Facebook post and subsequent story, it was revealed how Singapore national athletes were receiving a meagre $600 a year, or an average of $50 a month in training assistance grants from the government.

The grants are disbursed to the athletes twice a year, or $300 each time.

The post by Mr Raymond, who is a Vice-Chairman of the Chiam See Tong Sports Foundation and Vice-President (Partnerships) of the Singapore Swimming Association, has since been shared more than 120 times as at 30 June, including both former and current athletes.

Said national sprinter Calvin Kang, one of those representing Singapore at the upcoming SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur: “The harsh reality of sports in Singapore.”

National squash player Vivian Rhamanan, a gold medalist at the last SEA Games in Singapore in the jumbo doubles, said: “I’m one of the fortunate athletes to get funding by Singapore Sports Institute. Currently carded as L4, n get $600 annually from this system.”

Added former national sprinter Izwan Firdaus, a silver medalist from the 2009 SEA Games in Laos: “I have to beg my parents for a new training shoe each time my shoe broke.”

Sharing how athletes were told that they should run for their passion and not for the passion, Izwan said that he could not live with the way the athletes were being funded and decided to choose to focus on his rice bowl instead.

Former national swimmer and Olympian May Ooi, who is now a mixed martial arts fighter chimed in and added that “appropriate allocation of resources for deserving athletes should be a priority.”

Responses by other athletes as follows:

Government agency Sport Singapore has not responded to the story by TOC, or the Facebook post by Mr Raymond as yet.

When contacted, Mr Raymond said: “The frank and unedited responses by the athletes is loud and clear. It makes for painful reading but it is a harsh reality. The athletes must always be at the heart of whatever we do in sports administration.”

Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com

July 1, 2017
Man Angry With Estranged Wife Bantai Children, Sentenced To 4-Months Jail

A father hit his young children with a fabric belt and even held an ignited lighter near them.

The 33-year-old father of five did it because he had insisted his children were not telling him the truth about his estranged wife’s whereabouts.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identities of the children, had lost contact with his wife after she left the flat in Boon Lay some time before January last year.

Yesterday, the unemployed man was sentenced to four months’ jail for two counts of ill-treating his 10- year-old son and nine-year-old daughter.

He was also jailed for a day and fined $1,000 for a separate offence of stealing $41 worth of cigarettes from a minimart in Boon Lay.

Four other charges – ill-treating his 10 year-old son, causing hurt to the boy’s stepmother and two counts of dishonest misappropriation of property – were considered in sentencing.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Ong said the abuse happened on Jan 29 last year. The accused was home with four of his children when he asked the victims if they had any information about his estranged wife. Both said they did not.

He became angry, accused them of lying and grabbed a folded fabric belt to hit his son.

The boy was struck on the shoulder and was in pain, but his father continued to hit him as he tried to dodge the blows. In all, the boy was struck about 10 times all over his body. The man then turned to his daughter and hit her about five times with the same belt.

Later, the accused approached his son with an ignited lighter and held it near the boy’s left arm. It was close enough for the boy to feel the heat.

The man did this while quizzing his son about his wife’s whereabouts, and also did the same thing to his daughter.

When his daughter cried and said she was not lying, he kept the lighter and walked away.

Multiple bruises were found on both children, with red marks on the boy’s arms and chest.

The accused also stole cigarettes on April 17 last year at 4.13am.

His jail term will start after the expiry of his current sentence of three years and six months for taking drugs.

The accused could have been fined up to $4,000 and/or jailed for up to four years on each charge of ill-treating a child which caused the child unnecessary physical pain.

The maximum penalty for theft in dwelling is seven years’ jail and a $30,000 fine.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 1, 2017
Malay Butcher Was Drunk When Throwing Ofo Bike From 15th Floor Of HDB Flat, Given 9 Weeks Jail

A 47-year-old butcher was sentenced to nine weeks’ jail on Friday (June 30) for throwing a yellow ofo bicycle from the 15th floor of a Housing Development Board (HDB) block at Upper Boon Keng Road last week.

Selamat Mohamed Ali was convicted of one count of committing a rash act that endangered human life on June 22. Another charge of dishonestly converting a yellow ofo bicycle to his own use was taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that at about 5am on June 21, Selamat was heading home after a drinking session in Orchard Towers, when he decided not to return to his flat at Blk 11 in Upper Boon Keng Road.

Instead, he took a lift to the 15th-floor lift landing of the block to rest.

About half an hour later, he became worried about where he would stay as he had overheard that his uncle wanted to sell the flat, Deputy Public Prosecutor Dwayne Lum told the court.

Selamat then spotted two yellow ofo bicycles at the lift landing, which were left there by an employee of the bicycle-sharing company. The latter could not return them as there was no available vehicle to transport the bicycles.

The employee, whose job is to collect bicycles that belong to the company, is also living at a unit on that floor.

Selamat carried one of the bicycles and threw it over the corridor parapet of the 15th floor.

He did not check if there was anyone at the ground floor of the block before doing so. He also did not check if the bicycle had landed on anyone, or if anyone was hurt by his act, said DPP Lum.

Around that time, a witness and her husband were at the void deck sorting out newspapers for them to sell and deliver, when she heard a loud crash behind where they were standing. She turned to find a badly damaged yellow ofo bicycle on the ground and her husband called the police.

When the police arrived at the scene, they patrolled the building and found Selamat sleeping at the 15th floor lift lobby.

CCTV footage from a resident staying on the same floor showed him committing the offence.

Source: www.todayonline.com

July 1, 2017
Malay Couple Arrested For Instagram Online Raya Kueh Scam

A 23-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man have been arrested for allegedly cheating victims by advertising the sale of Hari Raya cakes and cookies online, but not delivering them after orders were made.

This was done through Instagram, said the police in a news release on Friday (Jun 30). Channel NewsAsia understands that the suspects are a couple and had been working together in the scam.

Several police reports were made between Jun 19 and Jun 21 from victims who said they did not receive the goods after making payment for their orders. They were also not able to contact the sellers on their Instagram account rayabakesale.

Following investigations, police arrested the two suspects on Thursday. The woman will be charged on Saturday with the offence of cheating, while investigations against the man are ongoing.

If convicted, the woman faces a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 1, 2017