Saturday, November 20, 2010

My Family

To : All my Follower


This is my own feeling about what happened today. If you are wondering what happened , message me and i'll tell you. Of course it's about somebody died. I felt miserable , sad and in pain....




By : Vinson and Sherly ( My wife )


Sherly 's comment : I felt miserable too but think of that person as a hero.


Vinson@live.com.sg     Sherly@live.com.sg

Stateless Man Fight For Singapore Citizen

A 22-year-old man has found himself caught in a fix after discovering that he is stateless, and ‘no longer a Singapore citizen’.
Ogawa Ryuju was born in Japan to a Japanese father and Singaporean mother and has been living in Singapore since the age of 10. Last year, at the age of 21, he had decided to relinquish his Japanese citizenship to become a Singaporean despite the difficulties he had faced, as he had spent most of his growing up years in the city state.
“I was 10-years-old and only in primary 2, and I could hardly speak English then. My schoolmates also liked to pick on the fact that I’m half-Japanese, so they would bring up the issue of World War II among other things,” he told Yahoo! Singapore.
In Singapore, Ryuju had done his ‘N’ Level examinations, and served two years of National Service. He also possesses a pink identity card and a Singapore passport.
“Singapore is where I call my home, where my friends and family live. It does not matter to me if I’m a citizen of Japan or Singapore, as long as I can live here,” he said.
Foreigners have to take an oath to confirm their status as Singapore citizens at the age of 21. Once they turn 22, their Singapore citizenship will be forfeited if the oath has not been taken.
According to Ryuju, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) claimed they had sent him two letters — first when he turned 21 on 31 August 2009, and then six months after that — to inform him that he had to take a formal oath to finalise his citizenship. However, he claimed that he did not receive any letters from ICA.
“They sent me two letters, but I did not receive anything. When they did not hear from me, they could have called and told me that I needed to go down. After all, they’ve got all my details,” Ryuju lamented.
He only discovered the bad news on October 4 this year, just over a month after his 22nd birthday, when he went down to the ICA to renew his Singapore passport.
“They told me that I was no longer a Singaporean, and the person even showed me a letter that they were preparing to send to me. This was a bit ridiculous as my 22nd birthday had passed more than a month before, and they still hadn’t officially informed me of this,” he said.
He also revealed that his initial appeal to the ICA was recently rejected. His Member of Parliament assisting him in this matter, Mr Heng Chee How, had advised him to re-apply for Singapore citizenship.
However, Ryuju is holding strong to his principles.
“I believe that this situation is the fault of the ICA. If they had handled the situation well, there would not have been this miscommunication. Instead, they do not even want to admit that they have any fault to play at all. I believe that all humans make mistakes, and I’m seeking an apology from their side on this mix-up before I apply again,” he added.
When asked if he would regret spending two years of his life in National Service only to end up not retaining his Singapore citizenship, he shook his head immediately.
“Of course, who wants to spend two years of his life in NS? But for me, I think NS was good as I learnt a lot of values that I otherwise would not have picked up if I was simply leading a normal life outside,” he declared proudly.
ICA could not be reached for comment on the matter. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/19/stateless-man-fights-for-singapore-citizenship/

Friday, November 19, 2010

Youth Attacked in Ang Mo Kio ( Teen Slashed )

Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy who slashed a youth in Ang Mo Kio on Thursday.
According to The New Paper (TNP), two youths got into a loud dispute outside a 24-hour fast-food restaurant at Block 448, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
After shoving each other, one of them took out a knife and slashed the other on the right shoulder in front of shocked patrons.
The 17-year-old victim, who left a blood trail where the attack took place, was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Madam Lim, 60, a newspaper vendor, told TNP, “I saw the victim getting into the ambulance. His arm, from his shoulder to his elbow was covered in blood.”
Residents said that two groups of youths were shouting at each other before the incident.
According to police, the victim and attacker are acquainted. The spokesman told TNP: “Preliminary investigations suggest the incident is not gang related.”
Some people Yahoo! Singapore spoke to were shocked when told about the latest slashing.
Said events manager Eric Tan, 36, “It sounds like slashing is becoming the norm for youngsters these days. Hopefully the police will come down hard on these teenagers.”
Salesman Tony Soo, 28, agreed. “Teenagers these days are badly behaved. For this incident to happen in broad daylight is a big concern. What are their parents doing? Can you imagine what would have happened if there were kids around the area when the slashing took place?”
The Ang Mo Kio slashing is the third incident after a teen was slashed to death at Downtown East and six people were involved in the Bukit Panjang clash. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/19/teen-slashed-in-ang-mo-kio/

I Assumed They Were Speaking Mandarin ( The Sound Of Singlish )

 I was sitting down at Boat Quay one morning, shortly after my arrival in Singapore, and overheard two young Asian girls chatting at the table next to us.
When I didn’t immediately understand what they were saying, I assumed they were speaking Mandarin. However, after a few more minutes, I realised I could understand a few words, and then to my astonishment, I realised that they were in fact speaking English. I was even more amazed when I realised that this must be their first language. How then could they speak it with such a funny accent?
Before I came to Singapore, I had of course heard of Singlish, but had assumed it was more a case of sprinkling the official language of English with a dash of Chinese or Malay slang. I had not realised that it is actually a stable, fully-fledged language and more recently, rather a controversial topic.
This very local dialect is viewed with pride and affection by most Singaporeans, and considered to be an important part of local heritage.
However, in recent years, the government has become increasingly concerned that the popularity of Singlish could lead to deterioration in the population’s “proper” English, thus limiting Singapore’s trading opportunities with the outside world and denigrating their appearance abroad.
As a result, not only is Singlish banned on television, but somewhat amusingly the Speak Good English Movement’s latest campaign suggests that the next time you see a sign written in poor English, you should whip out your post it notes and paste a sticky note over it, correcting the error. The idea has been described as guerrilla by some, and seems a tad excessive (not to mention at odds with the strict rules on vandalism).
On launching this year’s campaign the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan replaced the ubiquitous and perfectly comprehensible sign at the Xin Food Court saying, “No outside food allowed” with one which reads “No food from elsewhere, please”. Seriously, the original was fine.
Taxi drivers are one of the best sources of Singlish and are a constant source of amusement for us “ang mohs” and, sometimes, of frustration. We wonder why when we say an address, the taxi driver will sit and ponder for a few minutes until repeating it seemingly identically.
On one occasion, a friend got a bit tongue-tied when asking for an address and it came out as “Reonie Hir”. As we looked at each other in horror at this unintentional faux pas, the taxi driver merely repeated “Ah, Reonie Hill lah, OK.” Apparently no offense was taken, and off we went.
On one occasion, my lack of Singlish was a serious hindrance. I had received a voucher for a facial, which I duly tried out. The next day I received a call from an unknown number and, assuming it was the beauty salon calling to harass me about future treatments, was a tad curt. However, after a few minutes, to my horror, I realised it was a telephone job interview!
By this point, I had no idea who the company was or even what the role was, and spent the next ten minutes alternately cringing every time I had to ask the interviewee to repeat herself, and wondering what the heck we were talking about! Aiyo! Needless to say I never heard back about that one.
Someone who seems to straddle both worlds with ease is the YouTube wonder kid, aka the “Singaporean White Guy”, a hybrid expat Singaporean/American high school boy, well worth checking out . http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QlM9Z-EK3vg
In my ongoing quest to improve my Singlish, I have just been informed of a fascinating word: “kiasu”.
It is not just a Hokkien adjective meaning literally “afraid of losing” but most interestingly of all, TalkingCock.com (not a porn site but an excellent tool for Singlish enthusiasts) calls “kiasu-ism” Singapore’s most defining national characteristic. It is this attitude that leads Singaporeans to join a queue, even if they don’t what it is for — just in case they might be missing out.
Most educated Singaporeans realise when to use Singlish and when to use “proper” English, and a blogger summed it up perfectly when he wrote: “Ban Singlish cannot but must learn when to use, lah.”
A little taste of Singlish I’ve managed to decode in my short time here:
  • You see ang moh go eats so much, leh! – Look at the foreigner eating so much!
  • Dis country weather very hot one. – In this country, the weather is very warm.
  • Dat person there cannot trust. – That person over there is not trustworthy.
  • Tomorrow dun need bring camera. – You don’t need to bring a camera tomorrow.
  • He play soccer also very good one leh. – He’s very good at playing soccer too.
  • Walau, I want eat chicken rice  – I am craving for chicken rice.
  • I go bus-stop wait you  – I will be at the bus stop waiting for you.
  • No good lah. – This isn’t good.
  • Cannot anihow go liddat one leh. – You/it can’t go just like that.
  • How come never show up? – Why didn’t you/he/it show up?
Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/11/the-sound-of-singlish/

    Buzzword You Shouldn't Use On Resume ( 50 Buzzword )

    You've written your resume. You poured a lot of effort into the page that will represent you, and you can't wait to distribute it far and wide.
    Not so fast. Before you send that puppy out, check it for buzzwords. Like "team player." Or "detail-oriented." Or "accustomed to fast-paced environments."
    Here's why you should avoid them: They're vague. They make your resume look like everyone else's. They're probably not among the keywords employers search for. They take up space on your resume that could be used for strong, concrete, specific examples of what you've accomplished, the work you've produced, and how hiring you would benefit your potential employer. Buzzwords are tired and overused, cliches that have lost their meaning over time.
    Most importantly, every buzzword is a lost opportunity.
    You want your resume to stand out. The best way to sell yourself is to show, don't tell. Explain your accomplishments rather than spouting them off in trite ways.
    So check your resume for these boilerplate words and phrases. If you find them, replace them--or at the very least, elaborate upon them--with real-life, specific examples.
    1. Team player
    2. Detailed-oriented
    [See 21 Secrets to Getting the Job.]
    3. Proven track record of success
    4. Experienced
    5. Excellent communication skills
    6. Leadership skills
    7. Go-to person
    8. Managed cross-functional teams
    9. Exceptional organizational skills
    10. Self-starter
    11. Results-oriented professional
    12. Bottom-line orientated
    13. Works well with customers
    14. Strong negotiation skills
    15. Goal-oriented
    16. People-person
    17. Dynamic
    [See How to Use a Job Rejection to Your Advantage.]
    18. Innovative
    19. Proven ability
    20. Top-flight
    21. Motivated
    22. Bottom-line focused
    23. Responsible for
    24. Assisted with
    25. Skilled problem solver
    26. Accustomed to fast-paced environments
    27. Strong work ethic
    28. Works well with all levels of staff
    29. Met (or exceeded) expectations
    30. Savvy business professional
    31. Strong presentation skills
    32. Looking for a challenging opportunity
    33. Cutting-edge
    34. Multi-tasker
    35. Proactive
    36. Seasoned professional
    37. Perfectionist
    38. Highly skilled
    39. Functioned as
    40. Duties included
    41. Actions encompassed
    42. Best-in-class
    43. Strategic thinker
    44. Trustworthy
    [For more career advice, visit U.S. News Careers.]
    45. Flexible
    46. Works well under pressure
    47. Quick learner
    48. Partnered with others
    49. Results-focused
    50. Out-of-the-box thinker
    Finally, here's one more phrase you don't need to include on your resume: "References furnished upon request." It's assumed that you'll offer references if the employer asks, so don't clutter your resume with those unnecessary words.
    Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at http://www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com/. Read more at http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/50-Buzzwords-You-Shouldnt-Use-usnews-369644370.html

    Thursday, November 18, 2010

    Taiwanese Athlete Disqualified At Taekwondo ( Taiwanese Competitor Disqualified At Taekwondo )

    GUANGZHOU, China – In the first major judging controversy of the Asian Games, Yang Shu-chun of Taiwan was disqualified from the taekwondo competition Wednesday for using an illegal sensor on the heel of her shoes.
    Yang Jin-suk, secretary general of the World Taekwondo Federation, told a media conference that officials noticed in a pre-match inspection that the 2008 Beijing Olympic competitor appeared to have one extra sensor on the heel of each shoe.
    The judges told her not to use them in the under-49 kilogram division match, then disqualified her with 12 seconds left in the first round because they noticed she still had them on her shoes. Philippine referee Stephen Fernandez then stopped the fight.
    The 25-year-old Taiwanese competitor was leading Thi Hau Vu of Vietnam 9-0, but Vu advanced to the quarterfinals.
    The decision, which the secretary-general said was confirmed by a five-member games technical committee, left Yang Shu-chun and her coach in tears, and unwilling to leave the competition area.
    "She was very well-known in the circuit. Why even bother to do anything like that?" the WTF secretary-general told The Associated Press.
    "The fact of the matter is while she was out there competing, the sensors were discovered. That relates to the question of did she get that many points because of the sensors?"
    Tai Hsia-ling, the minister of Taiwan's Cabinet-level Sports Affairs Council who was in Guangzhou, disagreed with the situation.
    "This is a very, very unfair statement," Tai said. "We will protest strongly again. We are very upset that he (the WTF) made a statement like that before the results of the investigation are out. It is very unfair to our athletes."
    Taiwanese taekwondo competitor Huang Hsien-yung later went on to win gold in the under-46 class, and said she used her teammate's disqualification to motivate her.
    "When I first found out, I thought 'how could that be?'" Huang said. "But I turned my grief into motivation."
    Yang Jin-suk's announcement at Guangdong Stadium, venue of the taekwondo competition, was met with boos and chants from some of the Taiwanese media attending the event.
    Yang Shu-chun, who was not immediately for comment, also competed at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20101117/tsp-tae-asian-games-taekwondo-dq-4th-ld-6e81073.html
     

    Tuesday, November 16, 2010

    Cable Car Stalled Due To Lighting ( Bad Weather )

    Twenty cable car passengers were trapped in their cabins for 15 minutes yesterday, after lightning triggered sensors that brought their cable cars to a sudden halt.
    Nobody was hurt in the incident but it was the first time in 36 years that the cable car system in Singapore, which stretches between Mount Faber and Sentosa, has come to a halt due to lightning.
    Cable car operators Mount Faber Leisure Group said that at 12.45pm, due to “strong winds and bad weather conditions”, the cable car’s safety system automatically stopped the cars as a precaution after it detected the “weather irregularities”.
    While technicians inspected the cable lines, the twenty passengers were left perspiring 100-metres above the ground for 15 minutes.
    However, a backup system was in place to help bring the passengers back to the cable car stations at Mount Faber, Sentosa and Habourfront.
    The last passenger alighted at 1.45pm, approximately one hour after the cable cars stopped moving. The journey between Mount Faber and Sentosa is about 1.75km, which takes about 13 minutes.
    More tests were carried out after all the passengers alighted, and the system was up and running again in an hour.
    Aviation surveyor John Leonard, 42, was with his three-year-old daughter when the lights and LCD display inside the cabin blacked out and the cabin came to a stop.
    “There was a bolt of lightning very close to our car, and then the car suddenly stopped,” the Singapore-based Briton told ST.
    He also added that his first concern, when the incident happened, was for his daughter.
    “I was okay, but I thought if I were stuck up here for a long time with a three-year-old, what would I do?”
    He was also reminded about the time when the Singapore Flyer stalled in December 2008, where 10 passengers had to be lowered via safety harnesses, and was worried that they too might have to “climb down” from the cars.
    Mr Leonard also revealed that the cable car had stopped briefly twice earlier in the journey, but the lights were still functioning and the LCD display told passengers to “stay calm and enjoy the view”.
    “But it was quite stormy and misty, so we couldn’t see anything out of the window,” he added.
    He insisted that more could have been done to reassure the stranded passengers.
    Mount Faber Leisure Group said that the stranded passengers can get refunds for their cable car ride.
    The cable car system recently re-opened in July after a 10-month makeover. The lightning protection device that detected weather irregularities and stopped the system yesterday is part of the new advanced safety features, said a spokesman.
    In a previous cable car accident in 1983, the tower of a Panamanian-registered oil rig that was being towed from Keppel Wharf struck the cable lines of the system, causing two cabins to plunge 55-metres into the sea, killing seven. Thirteen other people were also trapped in four cabins between Mount Faber and Sentosa, and were rescued after three-and-a-half hours. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/15/cable-car-stalls-due-to-bad-weather/

    Wednesday, November 10, 2010

    I'm Going To Japan ( Sorry For The Late Imformation )

    Hi , I am going to Japan tomorrow for 1 weeks so at that time i won't be posting any thing. So I'm Sorry.


    From ,

    Vinson

    Tuesday, November 9, 2010

    What Was Micheal Jackson Like As A Dad ( Michael Jackson Kids Reminisce About Their Normal Dad )

    LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's children reminisced on Monday about their "normal dad" in a rare TV interview that marked a transition to a less sheltered life.
    "I kind of felt like no-one understood what a good father he was. I'd say he was the best cook ever," his daughter Paris Jackson, 12, told TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
    "He was just a normal dad, except for he was, like, the best dad ever," she added.
    Paris, her older brother Prince Michael, 13, and Prince Michael II, 8, who is also known as Blanket, were filmed with their grandmother and guardian Katherine Jackson and her husband Joe at the Jackson family compound in Los Angeles.
    The interview was broadcast on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Monday.
    Paris and Prince said they were adjusting well to school, which they started in September. Katherine Jackson, saying she wanted to give the children as normal a life as possible, said that shy Blanket wants to attend school next year.
    Jackson kept his children secluded before his death in June 2009, and often had them wear veils in public.
    Paris, the most talkative of the trio, said the veils were sometimes uncomfortable, but she appreciated that her father wanted to protect them.
    "He tried to raise us without us knowing who he was, but that didn't really go so well," she said, adding that she hoped to be an actress. "I'd like to be an actress when I'm older. I sometimes do improv. I used to do it with my dad."
    Prince said he liked videogames and sports and that he wants to produce movies and direct when he grows up.
    Katherine Jackson said all three kids speak a lot about their father. "Paris, she's very emotional. She talks about him all the time, and she's a strong one. All the pictures on her wall in her bedroom are Michael," she said.
    Katherine Jackson called the day Jackson died of a prescription drug overdose "the worst day of my life."
    "You know what broke my heart more than anything else in this world? When people at the hospital told us 'You can leave now' and Paris said 'Grandma, where are we going?'," she told Winfrey.
    Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, is awaiting trial on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He has admitted giving Jackson what turned out to be a fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic Propofol to help him sleep.
    Katherine Jackson told Winfrey that she had tried to stop what she called his addiction to painkillers and to plastic surgery procedures on his nose.
    Her son's nose got so small that it looked "like a toothpick at one time. I had told him, 'that's enough, why do you keep going?'" she said. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20101109/ten-entertainment-us-michaeljackson-kids-db3f2d5.html
     

    I Had No Idea I Was Going To Give Birth ( Jamie Yeo Becomes A Mum )

    Former radio deejay Jamie Yeo gave birth prematurely to baby daughter Alysia at Gleneagles Hospital on Thursday, reported local entertainment news portal omy.sg.
    “I had no idea I was going to give birth, I thought I was just having stomach cramps that whole night,” said the 33-year-old television host, whose baby girl arrived two and a half months early.
    Fortunately, Yeo’s delivery bore no other complications.
    “The whole process was very smooth, I didn’t need to be anaesthetised or take painkillers,” she said.
    Alysia, who weighed 1.2kg at birth, will have to spend the next four months in hospital due to her premature arrival.
    “She looks so tiny. It really breaks my heart. I’m willing to do anything for her,” said Yeo.
    Alysia is Yeo’s first child with English husband Thorsten Nolte, 35, whom she married earlier this year after her separation with radio personality Glenn Ong early last year after five years of marriage. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/08/jamie-yeo-becomes-a-mum/

    Friday, November 5, 2010

    Teen Murder Shocks Singaporeans

    A gruesome murder, a raging debate about Singapore’s national identity and a former pilot’s riveting tale of trauma after surviving Singapore’s worst-ever air disaster dominate this week’s headlines.
    The week got off to a grisly start with the shock stabbing and murder of 19-year-old Darren Ng Wei Jie in Downtown East when a staring incident turned ugly on Saturday.
    Four attackers slashed Darren several times on his back, limbs and abdomen with choppers in a violent brawl in full view of stunned by-standers. The second-year Republic Polytechnic student later died from his multiple stab wounds at Changi General Hospital.
    All four have been charged with murder, although one of Darren’s attackers is himself in critical condition after jumping off a three-storey balcony in a desperate attempt to escape police arrest.
    The incident has since generated great debate over gang-related activities and violent youth behaviour.
    As Darren’s friends and relatives reel from a tragic case of teen violence, debate raged online, and later in traditional media, about what it means to be Singaporean.
    Triggering the discussion were comments made by 23-year-old Nanyang Technological University student, Lim Zi Rui in a Ministerial Forum organised last Friday.
    The final-year aerospace engineering student engaged guest-of-honour Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in a lively dialogue over what he believed was young Singaporeans’ increasing loss of national identity.
    “When I was younger, I was very proud of being a Singaporean… But that was about five, ten years ago. Five years later, with all the changes in policies and the influx of foreign talent, I really don’t know what I’m defending anymore,” he said.
    In reply, SM Goh simply said, “If this is happening, it is very serious. If the majority feel they don’t belong here, then we have a fundamental problem. Then I would ask myself: What am I doing here? Why should I be working for people who don’t feel they belong over here?”
    Over 2,000 comments flooded the Yahoo! Fit-to-Post blog, many sympathising with the young student.
    Just days later, results of a poll revealing that young Singaporeans are proud of their country were released, sparking another firestorm on the issue.
    While some readers endorsed the survey findings and said they agreed with it, others questioned the timing of the survey results and questioned its credibility.
    “I am proud to be Singaporean and am glad that I was born here,” wrote jaymichaeljohnson.
    Others like reader entebbe, however, asked for “a more credible poll across a wider range of age and income groups to get the real feel” of the situation.
    And even as the work week ended with a Qantas plane making an emergency landing at Changi Airport, an inspirational real-life survival tale served to remind us how precious life can be.
    In an exclusive interview with Yahoo! Singapore, Singapore Airlines (SIA) First Officer Cyrano Latiff, 46, spoke of his uphill struggle to rebuild his life and career after surviving Singapore’s worst-ever aircraft disaster.
    Cyrano was one of three pilots of the ill-fated SQ006 flight that crashed in Taiwan in 2000, killed 83 passengers and crew members on board.
    “It was a difficult period for my family as my three kids back then were still young,” Cyrano revealed. “I must give all the credit to my wife. She is a very strong person who kept the family together,” he said of his wife, who works as a service quality consultant in the food and beverage industry.
    Cyrano’s account of his traumatic experience on the day of the tragedy, which was later published in Today newspaper and Shin Min Daily News, drew messages of support and encouragement from Yahoo! Fit to Post readers.
    Reader chancl wrote, “I salute your bracery, tenacity and resilience. You are an inspiration to not only your students but to all Singaporeans.” Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/04/week-in-review-teen-attack-shocks-sporeans/

    Thursday, November 4, 2010

    British Author Shadrake Found Guilty ( British Author Guilty Of Insulting Singapore's Judiciary )

    From Left: Lawyer, M. Ravi and British author, Alan Shadrake speaking to the media. (Photo: Yahoo! SEA).
    British author, Alan Shadrake, 76, was found guilty of contempt for scandalising Singapore’s judiciary system.
    During the three day hearing last month, Deputy Senior State Counsel Hema Subramanian, told the High Court that at least 14 statements in the 219-page book entitled, “Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice In The Dock”, constituted a direct attack on the judiciary.
    Ms Subramanian argued that those statements alleged or insinuated that the Singapore courts bowed to pressure from foreign governments, favoured the rich and privileged and were used as a tool by the ruling party to muzzle political dissent.
    Summarising his 80-page judgement, High Court Judge Quentin Loh ruled that 10 of the 14 statements had scandalised the judiciary.
    He noted the statements in Shadrake’s book insinuated that “judiciary in Singapore is not impartial and independent” and that judiciary decisions “are biased against the weak, poor and lower-educated”.
    Judge Loh mentioned that Shadrake’s case was not about individual opposition against the death penalty and said that individuals can and have the right to air views on the death penalty in public.
    The judge also highlighted that 6,000 copies of Shadrake’s books have been sold till this date and if left unchecked, those reading the book would believe in his claims and might lose confidence in the country’s administration of justice.
    While Judge Loh has reserved sentence till next week, Shadrake faces a possible jail term, a fine or both for contempt of court...... P.S I didn't write finish the whole thing so you'll have to read at Yahoo News! Here is the website http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/03/british-author-guilty-of-insulting-spores-judiciary/ I'm sorry that it is troublesome.

    Suspected Serial Molester Arrested ( ' HeartBeat Molester ' Arrested )

    A man believed to be the “Heartbeat Molester” was arrested by police for his involvement in at least 20 outrage of modesty cases.
    In its statement, police said that a 47-year-old man was arrested at his home in the Sengkang area.
    Police have been looking for the suspect since 1999, but he has been able to evade capture due to the age of his victims who were unable to give a proper description.
    However, last month, police managed to obtain and release images of the man captured for the first time on closed-circuit television (CCTV). A member of the public who saw the published CCTV images tipped off the police.
    The molester was believed to be back on the prowl after lying low for seven years, and was linked to three cases in Hougang, Punggol and Sengkang in the past two months.
    Targeting young girls between the age of 8 to 12 years old, his tactic sees him approach his lone victim at void decks or lift lobbies, pretending to ask for directions to a non-existent flat with a made-up unit number.
    Conversing in either English or Mandarin, he would then ask his victim to lead the way and then bring her to a secluded staircase landing to commit the offence.
    In some cases, he would pretend he needed to rest and would place the victim’s hand on his chest to “feel” his heartbeat. He would then tell his victim he had a weak heart. Sometimes, he was bold enough to move his victim’s hand down to his other body parts.
    While investigations are still ongoing, he could be jailed for up to 10 years and caned if found guilty.
    On a separate incident, police also issued a warning on Wednesday about a “bogus” policeman, who has been outraging the modesty of women by conducting searches on them.
    The Straits Times reported that between February and October this year, six reports were filed. All the victims said they have been approached by a man in plainclothes at the void deck or corridor claiming to be a police officer.
    In these cases, the culprit would use different reasons to conduct a search on the victim, claiming among other things, that he was checking for drugs and underage cigarette smoking. He would then use the opportunity to molest them.
    The victims are aged between 12 and 36, and the incidents took place mostly in Pasir Ris, Choa Chu Kang, Woodlands and Boon Keng. The culprit has also been known to flash fake “police” passes of various colours to bolster his claim of being a police officer.
    Police have advised the public that the proof of a police officer’s identity is his warrant card. A genuine warrant card will carry identification features such as the police crest, the photo of the officer, his name and identification number.
    Impersonating a public servant carries a fine and a jail term of up to two years. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/04/heartbeat-molester-arrested/

    Wednesday, November 3, 2010

    Three Charged For Downtown East Murder

    Darren Ng Wei Jie (left) died from his injuries after being attacked with choppers at Downtown East.
    Three of the four men arrested for the death of 19-year-old Darren Ng Wei Jie in Downtown East last weekend have been charged in court for murder.
    The three men are 21-year-old Tang Jia Min, 20-year-old Ho Wui Ming and 19-year-old Chen Wei Zhen.
    According to The Straits Times, the fourth man, 18-year-old Edward Tay Wei Loong, hit his head while putting up a struggle against the police, causing internal bleeding within the skull and is now in the intensive care unit of Changi General Hospital. He is currently in a neck brace and guarded by two police officers. He is not allowed to receive any visitors.
    The four suspects — who are students and full-time national servicemen — were hiding in a chalet at the SAF Yacht Club in Tanah Merah Coast Road when the police came to arrest them.
    The fight last Saturday reportedly started when Darren and his friends got into a staring incident with another group of about 10 teenagers at the Pasir Ris resort and amusement complex.
    The incident then turned into a violent brawl and Darren is believed to have been slashed several times on his back, limbs and abdomen by his attackers, who were armed with choppers.
    The second-year industrial and operations management student from Republic Polytechnic later died from his multiple stab wounds at Changi General Hospital.
    According to Today, Darren’s father, Mr Francis Ng, said at his son’s memorial service last night, “My son died because of his love for his friends.”
    Darren’s childhood friend, girlfriend, elder sister and parents took turns to give their eulogies of a “cheerful” young man with “a heart of gold” to a crowd of 400 friends and relatives. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/03/three-men-charged-for-downtown-east-murder/

    Awning Saves Plummeting Baby ( Toddler Survives Seven-Floor Fall In France )

    PARIS (AFP) - – An 18-month-old boy survived after falling seven floors and bouncing off a Paris cafe awning into the arms of a passer-by, witnesses said Tuesday.
    "My son saw a little boy on a balcony. He had gone right outside the railing... I said to myself I mustn't miss him," the toddler's saviour, local doctor Philippe Bensignor, told AFP, recounting Monday's drama.
    "I had time to move from side to side to get in the right position," he added. "The little boy was fine. He cried a little bit but calmed down straightaway."
    An official involved in investigating the incident said the boy had been left alone in the family apartment in northern Paris with his sister by their parents, who were taken into custody afterwards.
    "It's a real miracle," said the cafe's barman, who gave his name as Gaby, pointing to a small tear in the awning where the toddler bounced off.
    "We were closed yesterday but the mechanical device for closing the awning wasn't working." Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101103/tts-france-children-offbeat-509a08e.html

    Aussie Teen In Whale Controversy ( ' Dude , It's a Whale ' , Says Boy Who Rode Sea Giant )

    SYDNEY (AFP) - – An Australian teenager who climbed onto a whale and rode on its back has said he never intended to hurt the animal and had been acting instinctively when he put his arms around the massive sea creature.
    Sam Matheson, 14, said he was with a friend at Middleton Beach in Albany south of Perth when he saw the animal not far off the Western Australian coast and decided to take a closer look.
    "I swam out to it and put my arms on it, sort of laid against it for about 20 or 30 seconds. I was out of the water from the waist up," the keen surfer told Perth's Sunday Times.
    "It was like a leather texture, like a really smooth leather, really soft. It wasn't even scary, it was like, 'Dude, it's a whale'."
    The teen said the whale, which he estimated to be about 14 metres (46 feet) long, did not even notice him until he laid on it.
    "Then it lifted up its tail, it went under and it pulled me down at bit, but I was fine and I swam back to the rocks," he said.
    Matheson said he did not realise that it was illegal or dangerous to swim within 30 metres of a whale and that he now regretted his actions.
    "If I had known it was illegal I wouldn't have done it," he told the paper.
    The story of the teen whale rider made headlines after a witness photographed the boy clambering on the southern right whale, prompting officials to warn the public that doing so was illegal and potentially fatal.
    They said the teenager was lucky to have escaped injury and the incident could easily have ended tragically had he been in the way of a tail slap or breaching action.
    Matheson was let off with a warning but harassing protected species carries a maximum fine of 10,000 dollars (9,890 US dollars) under environmental laws. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101101/tap-australia-animal-environment-whale-5a1703c.html

    MBS Rapped For Failing To Collect Entry Levy ( Marina Bay Sands )

    Integrated resort Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has been issued a warning by the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA).
    This was over an incident in May, when 15 diners walked through the MBS casino without paying the S$100 levy, reported Today.
    The patrons had been dining at the Imperial Treasure restaurant, situated within the MBS’ casino area on the second floor, when they discovered the two lifts, their only exits, were out of order.
    MBS staff told them they had to pay the S$100 levy to exit by the casino but the diners refused. After a half-hour standoff, they walked through the casino without paying.
    A CRA spokesperson said the diners entered the casino “for the purpose of exiting the premises and did not pay the entry levy”.
    She said, “This could have been avoided if MBS had properly and promptly informed the diners of available alternative exit routes.”
    An MBS spokesperson told the same paper, the IR has enhanced accessibility of the restaurants situated within the casino area and security staff have been trained to direct customers to the nearest exits.
    MBS apologised for the “inconvenience caused to our guests at that time”.
    Under the Casino Control Act, MBS could have been liable for disciplinary action – including having its casino licence cancelled or suspended – or fined up to S$1 million, for failing to collect entry levies from Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/03/mbs-rapped-for-failing-to-collect-entry-levy/

    Tuesday, November 2, 2010

    Man Pulls Shark ' s Tail To Save Woman ( In Australia )

    PERTH, Australia – Officials say a female diving guide was bitten on the thigh and buttocks by a shark but was saved when another swimmer pulled the shark's tail.
    Frank Pisani of Fremantle Sea Rescue said Sunday that an unidentified man grabbed the shark by the tail as it bit Elyse Frankcom in waters about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Perth.
    Pisani said Frankcom started to sink to the bottom but the man grabbed hold of her and brought her to the surface and back on board the boat.
    Frankcom had been guiding a group of people on a dive with dolphins on Saturday.
    Department of Fisheries spokesman Tony Cappelluti says the 10-foot (three-meter) shark was either a great white or a whaler shark.
    Frankcom is in stable condition after surgery Sunday. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20101031/twl-as-australia-shark-attack-33df70f.html

    Alchohol ' More Dangerous Than Heroin ' ( Alcohol More Harmful Than Heroin , Crack Cocaine : Study)

    LONDON (AFP) - – Alcohol is more harmful than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, a new study by British researchers said Monday.
    Scientists looked at the dangers to both the individual and to wider society and found that alcohol was the most dangerous substance, according to the study by the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD).
    The results fly in the face of long-held opinions about which drugs pose the greatest dangers, with the authors claiming they demonstrate "the present drug classification systems have little relation to the evidence of harm."
    "They also accord with the conclusions of previous expert reports that aggressively targeting alcohol... is a valid and necessary public health strategy," said the authors.
    Drug experts on the committee devised their own system to judge substances and believe their consensus provides a valuable assessment which could guide policymakers.
    The research, published in medical journal The Lancet, looked at the how much a drug harms the human body as well as other factors such as what its use costs the health care and prison systems.
    Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine -- or crystal meth -- were found to be the most deadly. But when the wider social effects were factored in, alcohol was the most dangerous, followed by heroin and crack cocaine, said the study.
    Substances were given a mark from zero to 100 based on certain criteria, with alcohol scoring 72 overall followed by 55 for heroin and 54 for crack.
    One of the study's authors was David Nutt, a former British government drugs adviser during the previous Labour administration.
    He was sacked after a disagreement with the government over the decision to upgrade the classification of cannabis.
    The ISCD says its remit is to investigate and review scientific evidence relating to drugs, free from political concerns. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101101/tts-science-health-alcohol-britain-cac1e9b.html

    Zipping Around China In Light Speed ( A Bullet Train To Beijing )

    The bullet train from Tianjin arrives in Beijing before passengers can get too comfortable on their plush swivel chairs. Travelling at a maximum speed of 350 km per hour, the train takes just 30 minutes to pull up at Beijing South Railway Station.The ride is so fast that it takes less time to reach Beijing by bullet train from Tianjin then it takes to navigate the traffic congested roads from Beijing international airport into the heart of the capital.

    When it was launched in 2008, before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government said the train was the fastest in the world. Tianjin, about 115 km east of the capital, is a port city with a very different vibe from the country's capital. Tianjin hosted some of the soccer events of the Beijing Olympics and it revamped its waterfront area for the Games. The fast connection between the two cities opens up a wide array of tourist destinations for visitors to China. Even the train ride to Beijing gives visitors a glimpse of panoramic views of the Chinese countryside and farmers at work in their fields.

    For only US$15 per ticket for a deluxe seat, which comes with a herbal tea, or as low as US$8 for a seat in the cheapest class, the bullet train is a tourist attraction in and of itself.
     
    Meanwhile, visitors who want to spend a little time in Tianjin before moving onto the sights and sounds of Beijing can enjoy a wide range of attractions in this northeastern Chinese city. Among them is the Dabei Monastry, a Ming Dynasty monastery, a Qing Dynasty Confucian Temple and a wooden mosque that dates back to 1644.

    The street life in Tianjin is enticing as well with street vendors spilling onto narrow lanes, and a wide array of streets with houses in traditional Chinese architectural styles. There is even a quixotic street called Machang Dao which is lined with staid English homes. Tianjin has an excellent antique market with many bargains as few foreigners shop there and prices are lower than antique and thrift markets in Beijing.
    For architecture buffs, the Beijing South Railway Station, the train's destination in Beijing, is an awe-inspiring building. It took just three years to build the sprawling train station which has glass walls and a glass roof. The station is even larger than the Bird's Nest stadium where the 2008 Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies and athletic events were held. The station generates its own electricity thanks to more than 3,000 solar panels on its roof.

    Upon arrival in Beijing, visitors can get into the city by switching to Subway line 4, or they can grab a taxi or bus into the centre where the Forbidden City and many other tourist attractions await
    them. Read more at 

    Monday, November 1, 2010

    My Wife Kept My Family From Falling Apart ( My Wife Kept The Family Together : Pilot Of Ill-Fated SQ006 ) Part 2

    When it felt like his life was falling apart, his wife kept it all together.
    That’s how former Singapore Airlines (SIA) First Officer Cyrano Latiff describes the uphill struggle to rebuild his life and career after surviving Singapore’s worst-ever aircraft disaster.
    The 46-year-old Singaporean was one of three pilots who was in the cockpit of the ill-fated SQ006, which ploughed into heavy construction equipment as it tried to take off from Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-Shek airport on the night of 31 October, 2000.
    83 of the 179 passengers on board were killed, including several crew members.
    (Read details of the crash here.)
    “It was a difficult period for my family as my three kids back then were still young,” Cyrano told Yahoo! Singapore as he described how his life went into a tailspin in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
    “My three kids back then knew something had happened and they didn’t have any after thought or emotions because they were so young, and when I was away, my wife kept it all together,” he added.
    “I must give all the credit to my wife. She is a very strong person who kept the family together,” he said of his wife, who works as a service quality consultant in the food and beverage industry. They met back in junior college and have been married for over 20 years.
    Looking back, he recalled how his wife stood by him throughout.
    “She made sure everything was taken care of, especially to the kids. It was a slightly similar situation when I left the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as an infantry officer to take up this flying opportunity as a cadet pilot in 1994,” said Cyrano, who was with the SAF for 12 years.
    “Back then, she supported the family while I spent my weekdays as a cadet pilot at Seletar on an allowance of S$1,000 a month before becoming a First Officer.”
    “After the tragedy in 2000, we downgraded our living because I was terminated by SIA and we moved from our condominium to a 4-room HDB flat. We didn’t take any holidays, ate out less and cooked more at home and it was tough financially,” said Cyrano, who moved his family back to a condo a few years ago.
    In 2003, though, Cyrano said he welcomed his fourth kid to the family, calling it a ”positive distraction” from the tragedy.
    Today, his four children — three boys, one aged 7 and a pair of 19-year-old twins, and a daughter, 18 – are aware of what happened on that fateful, stormy night in Taiwan.
    “They needed to understand what happened because there are implications as they are the children of the pilot of the crash but I am glad that they are not disturbed,” said Cyrano.
    “My wife and I make it a point to explain to them what they read about in the papers,” he said.
    Investigators collecting evidence from the crashed position 05R runway at Taipei Chiang Kai-shek International Airport on 3 Nov 2000. (AFP Photo)
    From flying to teaching
    Despite having to live with painful memories of the crash for the last decade, Cyrano reveals that flying has never been far from his mind.
    “After completing my secondary school education, I applied to be a RSAF pilot trainee but was rejected and I thought my dream of flying was gone,” he said.
    “However, the opportunity came up again when I was serving in the army. So I reapplied in 1994 to be a cadet pilot and when I was accepted, I finally had a chance to realise my dream of flying.”
    When his services were terminated by SIA following the crash in 2002, he joined Lufthansa as an aeronautical consultant for two years before venturing into the food and beverage industry.
    However, the teaching bug hit him in 2008 when Temasek Polytechnic’s (TP) Engineering School opened its doors for him to lecture in its Diploma in Aviation Management & Services (AMS), a three-year course that prepares graduates  for an aviation career spanning airport management and operations, air traffic control and aviation safety and security.
    “It was an opportunity TP gave and I took it. I had to adapt quickly and I turned my experiences into teaching modules, field trips and case studies for the students to take up when they go into the industry because it’s applicable. Teaching and sharing from a surviving flight crew who has gone through the whole nine yards is a very different and unique perspective altogether,” said Cyrano.
    AMS’ section head, Abbas Ismail, himself a former airport management staff at Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), feels that Cyrano’s presence has been a big boost for the course.
    “He inspires the students and his experience is an asset. Back then, we were a new diploma programme and he was very supportive and contributed a lot of ideas,” said the 45-year-old Abbas. “With him being a pilot, it helped us a lot beyond our expertise with his first-hand account.”
    Students from the Diploma in Aviation Management & Services at Temasek Polytechnic’s Engineering School receiving tips from Cyrano (third from left).
    Another of Cyrano’s colleagues, Charmaine Oei Tsu-Min, said he brings invaluable real-life experiences to the classroom.
    “When he speaks to the students, it’s very credible of a pilot who has gone through extremes, the case studies plus emotions; it’s all real, mind you. And with the students seeing how he overcame the tragedy, they will gain a lot from it.”
    She said she was also touched by how brave he was.
    “When I first met Cyrano on a school project, he didn’t share what happened on SQ006 until much later and I was very touched by the sharing. I was thinking, if it was me, I will blame myself but in this case, it was an accident, so you can’t blame anyone,” she said.
    She recounted one episode in which Cyrano organised a community programme called “Flight and Flying” for over 20 students from the Singapore School for the Deaf (SSD).
    “He got his family and our TP students involved by bringing the kids from SSD to experience being in an aircraft and you should have seen how happy the kids were, to be in the cockpit and touch the airplane,” said Tsu-Min.
    “In spite of the accident, he was still able to go near an aircraft to help these kids. I can quite understand if a person who has gone through what he has wouldn’t want to go near an aircraft and I am glad he wasn’t dwelling on the past and moving on,” she added.
    One of Cyrano’s students, Poh Zong Rong, 19, said it was an “honour” to be taught by the ex-SIA pilot.
    “He is really brave to move forward because the accident took a lot of lives and it was not easy for him. It’s really an honour to have him teach us,” said the student who will be graduating this year.
    Cyrano (left), with his students from the Diploma in Aviation Management & Services at Temasek Polytechnic’s Engineering School.
    ‘I hope to teach and return to commercial flying’

    Never one to be easily contented, Cyrano still harbours dreams of returning to commercial flying.
    He shared with Yahoo! Singapore his bold ambition; to be the first commercial pilot-lecturer in Singapore, which could see him spending his time both in the institution and the cockpit, and perhaps taking off on short-haul flights on weekends.
    “The objective on having this is to have our students constantly updated to the industry changes because being on the ground in a simulator and up in the air are totally different,” he said.
    Having faced his fears and worst nightmares and emerged all the stronger for it, Cyrano hopes to pursue his dream yet once again. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/01/my-wife-kept-the-family-together-pilot-of-ill-fated-sq006/

    Halloween Horror At DownTown East ( Teeneger Stabbed At DownTown East , Dies From Injuries )

    Halloween celebrations at Downtown East on Saturday turned into a real-life horror story when a young student was  violently attacked in full view of a crowd. He later died in hospital from his wounds.
    According to The Straits Times, 19-year-old Darren Ng Wei Jie was with two friends when they got into a staring incident with another group of about 10 teenagers at the resort and entertainment complex in Pasir Ris on Saturday afternoon.
    Witnesses then said they saw angry words exchanged before the altercation turned into a violent brawl on the lawn just outside McDonald’s. Darren is believed to have been slashed several times by his attackers, who were armed with choppers.
    After trying to escape, a bleeding Darren finally collapsed outside Sakura International Buffet, located on the second floor of Downtown East. He was believed to have suffered cuts on his limbs, back and abdomen.
    A student nurse, who happened to be working part-time at Sakura restaurant, tried to stop the bleeding from Darren’s multiple wounds wounds as she and one of Darren’s friends waited for an ambulance.
    Calling herself Aina, the 18-year-old told The New Paper,”He was using his hands to cover where he was stabbed. There was blood all over him… I was so shocked, I couldn’t think.”
    After seeing Darren’s friend remove his own shirt to try and soak up the blood from Darren’s wounds, Aina said she asked a colleague to get some ice cubes, a towel and some water.
    “Looking at the amount of blood, I didn’t think he could make it but I really hoped that he could… After that, I was freaked out and I couldn’t do my cashier work. I was shivering, ” she said.
    While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Aina added that Darren kept telling his friend,”Very pain, I cannot take it.”
    Darren was later pronounced dead at Changi General Hospital about five hours later.
    While no one has been arrested, police have classified the case as murder and investigations are ongoing.
    Confirming the incident, Singapore Police Force issued a statement which said that the police received a call at 5.50pm on Saturday about a fight which occurred at Downtown East, Pasir Ris Close.
    “The said 19-year-old male youth was conveyed with injuries to Changi General Hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead on the same day at about 10.55pm,” the statement said.
    A third-year student at Republic Polytechnic, who declined to be named, says Darren Ng was a second-year student from the School of Engineering.
    Although she did not know him personally, she told Yahoo! Singapore, “Some of my friends were talking about the case but so far, it’s just another normal day in school”.
    A spokesman for Republic Polytechnic confirmed that Darren Ng was indeed a 2nd year student pursuing a Diploma in Industrial and Operations Management at the School of Engineering.
    Commenting on the tragic incident, he told Yahoo!, “We are deeply distressed at the untimely passing away of Darren Ng.
    “We extend our deepest condolences to his family and would provide any assistance that they may require.”
    While the spokesman declined to comment further on the case which is pending investigation, he added that the school has also activated counseling support for friends and classmates of Darren.
    He also urged the media to allow the family some privacy during this period of bereavement. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/01/teen-hacked-to-death-at-downtown-east/