Capture of Mas Selamat: Singapore Muslims relieved May 9, 2009 Capture of Mas Selamat S’pore Muslims relieved <!–10 min–> ‘Now that Mas Selamat has been caught, a sense of relief is as much felt by the Malay community as by the community at large.’ said Mr Masagos. — ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN THE re-arrest of Mas Selamat Kastari in Johor, where he sought shelter while on the run, vindicates the Singapore Muslim community’s stand that they have no sympathy for those who plot violence in the name of Islam, several leaders of the community said on Saturday. After the Jemaah Islamiah regional leader escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year, there was suspicion among some that he might be harboured by sympathisers here. Mr Abdul Mutalif Hashim, the chairman of the Darussalam Mosque in Clementi, said that for as long as he was on the run, some suspicion lingered over Muslims here. ‘I feel very relieved now, as that assumption did not help race relations,’ he said. Mr Masagos Zulkifli, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Education, stressed that the Malay-Muslim community was just as alarmed as other Singaporeans were over Mas Selamat’s escape. ‘Now that Mas Selamat has been caught, a sense of relief is as much felt by the Malay community as by the community at large. ‘This reflects the fact that the Malay-Muslim community is mature and rational and understands that whatever threatens the nation is also a threat to them, and therefore, we are as single-minded about how we need to address and look at the threat of terrorism,’ he said. http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28568.90 Capture of Mas Selamat: Ministers not told earlier May 9, 2009 Capture of Mas Selamat Ministers not told earlier <!–10 min–> At a press conference on Friday, Mr Wong said the Government did not inform the public of the capture earlier because doing so could jeopardise operational secrecy and may even endanger sources of information. — ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN SO TIGHTLY held was the news of Mas Selamat Kastari’s arrest by Malaysia Special Branch on April 1 that even Singapore ministers, besides the Prime Minister, was not told of it.They first knew of this only on Thursday afternoon when all the ministers were having their weekly pre-Cabinet lunch, PM Lee Hsien Loong revealed in a statement on Saturday. RELATED LINKS COMMENTS BY PM LEE The PM was informed of the capture of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiah terror leader by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng ’soon after’ he was arrested in Skudai, a town in Johor Baru. ‘I knew that ISD had been working hard on the case, and had found some leads which they had given to the Malaysian authorities. But we could not say anything publicly or else it would jeopardise the operation,’ he said, explaining why the news was withheld from the other ministers. ‘I was happy and relieved that Mas Selamat had been found and arrested before he had done any harm. Kan Seng told me that the Malaysians had asked us to keep this quiet for the time being. I replied that we had to respect this, even though I knew that Singaporeans would be very anxious to know the news. So we held the information very tightly.’ But on Thursday, Mr Wong, who is also the Home Affairs Minister, received a phone call informing him that The Straits Times had asked the Internal Security Department to confirm their scoop which came from its Kuala Lumpur correspondent Leslie Lopez, that Mas Selamat has been arrested by the Malaysians. ‘As the story had leaked, we had no choice but to confirm it. It was only then that Kan Seng told the Ministers that Mas Selamat had been arrested, the news had leaked, and we would be confirming the story. They were taken completely by surprise,’ said Mr Lee.� At a press conference on Friday, Mr Wong said the Government did not inform the public of the capture earlier because doing so could jeopardise operational secrecy and may even endanger sources of information. http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28568.89 Hey ladies, shoes for you. If you’re looking for hand-painted or custom made shoes, look over to Shoe Infatuations. URL: http://shoe.nithium.com/          If you wish to be updated with new designs, do connect with them on Facebook and Twitter too.   Cheers! //zw New York, New York I remember seeing Manhattan for the first time two years ago. After nearly 18 hours of being crammed in my seat, either eating peanuts or sobbing, I finally felt the plane lurch towards the airport. “Just air pockets,” reassured the passenger next to me, and trying to distract me, he said, “You can see the Empire State Building from over here.” It could have been the stale peanuts, the violent lurching, the severe homesickness that had already started to kick in – or a combination of everything – but I couldn’t have cared less about the Empire State Building at that moment. But still out of courtesy, I looked out the window, and saw the skyline I had hitherto only seen on TV and in movies. And as I took it all in, every painful emotion was being temporarily replaced by only one thought: I was really in America. The unpleasantness of my journey here might make it seem as if my decision to move was sudden or reluctant, but neither was the case. I had been planning to leave for months before my wedding. My fiancé worked here and when it was time for us to decide which one of us would move, I decided I’d had enough of my engineering job and my tiny island-nation. After 17 years in Singapore, I felt the proverbial contempt towards it that familiarity breeds. I knew every path, every twig and leaf, every face on the way to work and back. It was time to move on. In my first few months here, concerned Americans enquired about how I was coping with the culture shock. But it wasn’t really that at all – from our small two bedroom HDB flat in Singapore, I was already playing air-guitar to the music of bands from Brooklyn playing on my iTunes, reading the likes of Gawker and Dlisted and pointing and laughing at trashy hipsters on my computer screen. What I was feeling though, in my first few months here, was sensory overload. Within days, I went from being bound by the strict conventions of the Indian household – don’t wear that, be back by 10 pm, no you cannot go to Bali with your friends, are you crazy? – to being completely untethered by curfews and other parental expectations of propriety, in the city that never sleeps. And I intended to stay up with it as much as I could. But, like many formulaic love stories, my romance with New York didn’t start out rosy. The first time my husband and I ventured into the city from Stamford, Connecticut, where we lived, it had been raining steadily all day. The day progressed and ended as terribly as it could, prompting me to scribble a very incensed post on an old personal blog of mine two years ago. To cut a long angry story short, it ended with me declaring that, in the true spirit of embracing America, I would consider exploiting my pain to start my own line of ‘I broken-heart NY’ T-Shirts.” A lot has changed since that day. For one, I no longer irrationally fear the outer boroughs. I have spent more than one evening walking in and out of barbershops and storefront offices along 125th Street in Harlem, asking older looking Black residents if they ever thought they would see the day that the country would have a Black president. I’ve bothered every grocery and thrift store manager along Steinway Avenue in Astoria, to ask if they’d felt the effects of the Wall Street collapse. I’ve awkwardly shimmied to Britney Spears’ Gimme More on a small raised platform at Corio, The Home of Burlesque, not long after burlesque star Angie Pontani spun her nipple tassels there (I was forced to – it was my birthday). Random men in bars have drunkenly leaned into my ears to say things I couldn’t possibly hear over the racket. “I can’t hear you!” I yelled at one such man. “I know!” he yelled back, grinning impishly. I have come a long way from staring at twigs and leaves. Then there is the company. Walking along the glitzy storefront designer boutiques on 42nd Avenue one evening, two friends of mine that I’ll call M and N (from North Carolina and Vancouver, respectively) were talking about how provincial we looked. M wore formless old jeans and a nondescript grey hoodie while N and I ambled alongside him in our laundry day best. “I kinda thought when I came to New York, I’d just get edgy and fashionable,” I remember M saying dryly. I too admitted that I’d counted on the fashion pixies of New York to drift towards me and cloak me in Lower East Side hipster finery, giving me a total makeover. Just like that, our common shattered fantasies pulled us together across all our ethnic and cultural differences. And this is often the foundation of my friendship with a lot of people I’ve met here and grown fond of. And ironically, that is how the city has lived up to my unrealistic fantasies of it. I have only ever lived in two cities my entire life and they are Singapore and New York. Friends often ask me to compare the two and ask where I would rather live. This reminds a little of something I wrote long back in my old blog. I copy-pasted an excerpt of a conversation between the characters, Andrew Largeman and his girlfriend, Sam in the movie, Garden State. Here is the most important snippet of that conversation: Andrew Largeman: You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn’t really your home anymore? All of a sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff, that idea of home is gone. Sam: I still feel at home in my house. Andrew Largeman: You’ll see when you move out. It just sort of happens one day and it’s just gone. And you can never get it back. It’s like you get homesick for a place that doesn’t exist. I mean it’s like this rite of passage, you know. You won’t have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it’s like a cycle or something. I miss the idea of it. Maybe that’s all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place. I found it remarkable, how much this mirrored my sentiments about leaving Singapore for the first time two years ago. Till that point, I had never lived away from my home for more than 4 weeks at a stretch. When I first came to America and moved in with my new husband to an empty apartment, it suddenly hit me that I had lost a place that I’d loved without even realizing. It wasn’t a matter of having physically moved out – I knew I could always go back there to my parents and spend time there and it would be like my home. But it would only be like home and none of the planning and mental preparation had quite prepared me for how much it would suddenly hurt when I first sat on that flight from Singapore to Newark. But New York City is the home of the displaced, as I’m slowly discovering. Anyone from a Hindi-speaking cab driver to a fashion-retarded Singaporean can feel right in place. And we can all create a fleeting illusion of home for these dynamic years that are our twenties, even as we miss that same imaginary place together. Mas Selamat has been caught Mas Selamat has been caught by the police over in Malaysia. Other than just the fact that a suspected terrorist has finally been caught, a man wanted for quite a while, the thing that really strikes me about this piece of news is that it puts all my conspiracy theories down to just so much hubris. I had entertained the notion that MS had really been killed while being interrogated by the police, and that his escape was just a concocted story to fool the public. Well, it looks like that idea has finally been put to rest with this latest news. Well, I had not totally bought into this conspiracy theory anyway. Or did I? The thing is, I can’t really be sure anymore as his escape from the detention center happened so long ago. My memory is not that fantastic, and I may be biased in my memory. It appears that he escaped in a make-shift boat from our northern coast, over to Malaysia. I can believe that. I’ve been to that area, and the Straits of Johor is indeed very narrow. Just a few hundred meters. This is a good lesson and reminder to myself to not to be too cynical of the news that are published by our local newspapers. What is Singapore design? Is it just because it is done by a Singaporean, like how the group at “DESIGNED IN SINGAPORE” define it? Perhaps how it is done with Singaporean products, like how Homespun have done with some of their products? Or like how Larry Peh does with some of his designs? Or should it be designed for a Singaporean? The grammar of Singapore design needs to be defined so that the people doing it can make products that serve the needs of Singaporeans and better reflect our identity. Kinetic Gal does Street Magic! Like all magicians, I love messing around with stuff and seeing what kind of ‘weird things’ we could do from normal objects and this is one of it! I was doing my usual work in the office, and after playing around with some balloons (which i usually do because i like to practise), i came out with this impromptu battery into balloon effect. Just for the magic enthusiasts to know, I’d credit my inspiration to J C Sum from one of the effects he shared with me about two years ago. Check out the battery into balloon that i did over here! Take a laugh around Singapore town! To those who are laughing at the “reverse” tourist, here’s me trying to have the last laugh. Being a tourist isn’t about the destination, it’s really about carrying a camera and acting like one. Find out more at http://tightsarenotpants.com (I’m serious!) Why did the bird cross the road? Who says people who hang out at the library are boring and have no sense of humour? Govt will plug any weakness in Singapore's border security Govt will plug any weakness in Singapore’s border security By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 May 2009 1813 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Mr K Shanmugam (file pic) Video Mas Selamat’s possible water escape routes Special Report • Mas Selamat Arrest SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Law and Second Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has said security along the country’s borders is tight. He stressed that if there is any weakness in Singapore’s border security, the government will work towards plugging it. Mr Shanmugam was speaking on the sidelines of a fund-raising event organised by New Hope Community Society. He was responding to questions on whether border security measures would be enhanced, after it emerged that terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari had swum across the Straits of Johor from Singapore’s northern coast using an improvised flotation device. Mr Shanmugam said: “In certain stretches between Singapore and Malaysia, it’s a few hundred metres across. And every day people try to get in. It’s a constant challenge for officers. Wherever it can be plugged, of course we will do so, but it’s a pretty tight system.” He also commended the close cooperation between the police forces of Singapore and Malaysia in the re-arrest of Mas Selamat. He said Singapore’s Home Team officers were very stretched with their duties when Mas Selamat escaped in February last year. They had to put in extra effort beyond their call of duty to track him down. But the arrest of the Jemaah Islamiyah leader shows the determination of the Internal Security Department (ISD). - CNA/ir http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28568.79 Mas Selamat's re-arrest not the end of Singapore's problem Mas Selamat’s re-arrest not the end of Singapore’s problem By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 May 2009 1851 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Mas Selamat Kastari Video Mas Selamat caught unawares Special Report • Mas Selamat Arrest SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said Singapore’s security challenge is to keep up its guard without getting fatigued or complacent. In his first remarks on the capture of Mas Selamat Kastari, Mr Lee said Singapore must not think that the re-arrest of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader is the end of its problem. He said the terrorism situation in Southeast Asia is under control, but the threat is far from over. He added that the price of security is eternal vigilance. In a statement to the media on Saturday, the Prime Minister also said information about the capture of Mas Selamat on 1 April was not made public earlier, because of a prior agreement with the Malaysian authorities. Mr Lee said he was told about the arrest by his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak on 11 April during an impromptu four-eye lunch in Thailand’s Pattaya after the ASEAN meeting was called off due to demonstrations. He thanked Datuk Seri Najib for Malaysia’s generous support and help and told him Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Wong Kan Seng had earlier told him of the arrest. Mr Lee said he was happy and relieved that Mas Selamat had been found and arrested before he could do any harm. But Malaysia had asked Singapore to keep this information quiet for the time being, so Singapore respected this and held the information very tightly in order not to jeopardise the operation. But on May 7 afternoon during a weekly pre-Cabinet meeting lunch, Mr Wong received a phone call informing him that the Internal Security Department (ISD) had received a request from the The Straits Times to confirm a scoop that Mas Selamat had been arrested by the Malaysian authorities. As the news had leaked, the Singapore government had no choice but to confirm the story. Ministers who were present at the lunch were completely taken by surprise when Mr Wong told them that Mas Selamat had been arrested. In his statement, Mr Lee also thanked all officers involved in tracking down Mas Selamat over the past year. He said he never had a doubt that Mas Selamat would be found because he knew the quality and commitment of the ISD officers working on this. He said the ISD had recovered quickly from the mistakes which led to Mas Selamat’s escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year. Mr Lee also thanked the ISD and its Malaysian counterpart, the Special Branch, for working closely together. - CNA/ir http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28568.74 Mas Selamat's arrest will have little or no impact on JI splinter cells Mas Selamat’s arrest will have little or no impact on JI splinter cells By Loh Chee Kong, TODAY | Posted: 09 May 2009 0743 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Related News • Politicians, community leaders welcome Mas Selamat’s arrest • Malaysia says Mas Selamat under investigation for allegedly plotting against the country • Some Singaporeans express doubts over Mas Selamat’s capture • Malaysia confirms Islamic militant Mas Selamat in detention • Singapore government confirms arrest of Mas Selamat • Singapore’s JI leader Mas Selamat arrested in Malaysia Special Report • Mas Selamat Captured SINGAPORE: Kudos to Singapore’s Internal Security Department and the Malaysian Special Branch for the recapture of former Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari. And yes, his arrest has dealt a blow to a JI network already suffering from “a crisis of leadership”, as S Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ (RSIS) senior fellow Antonio Rappa pointed out. But hold the champagne — there is precious little time to rejoice, not with major events such as the Youth Olympics and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings to be held here in the near future. Indeed, it would be foolish and ironic for Singaporeans to let their guard down now, especially since Mas Selamat’s escape in February last year had drilled home important lessons on complacency. Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng was the first to remind Singaporeans to stay vigilant. “Singaporeans must not think that just because Mas Selamat is arrested … the threat of terrorism will not be there anymore,” Mr Wong, who is also the Home Minister, said on Friday as he confirmed the arrest. In the 13 months that Mas Selamat was hiding, presumably in Johor, terrorists elsewhere had been hogging the limelight: Attacks in Mumbai and Lahore killed more than 190 people and injured hundreds more. Just last week, Singaporeans received the sombre news that one of its own, Mohammad Hassan Saynudin, was convicted in an Indonesian court for leading three other terrorists in killing a Christian-Indonesian teacher and plotting an attack on a bar frequented by non-Muslims. His case offers the latest example of how splinter cells are posing to be the “bigger danger”, said Ms Sidney Jones, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group. Noting how Mohammad Hassan single-handedly turned the cell from a “non-violent group into a violent group”, Ms Jones told Weekend Xtra: “You only need one committed person who can then recruit and organise a much smaller group that may have had no affiliation to jihadist groups more generally.” The reality is that the recapture of Mas Selamat would have little or no impact on these splinter cells, said Ms Jones. Dr Rappa added: “We also have to realise that there are larger problems looming in the horizon … not just Mas Selamat, he was just like the flavour of the month.” To rehabilitate or not? As and when the Malaysian authorities hand him over, Mas Selamat would be brought back to the Whitley Road Detention Centre, which has beefed up its security considerably since the lapses. But as the authorities have stressed previously, the facility was designed to rehabilitate — and not punish — detainees. Given his numerous escape attempts, Mas Selamat’s belligerence — he was caught with two others while reportedly hatching another terrorist plot — has cast doubts on his willingness to abandon extremist leanings. Said RSIS’ Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna: “It is not even clear if he would accept rehabilitation as he is without doubt a truly hardcore ‘true believer’. Religious rehabilitation is extremely difficult with such individuals.” Mr Muhammad Haniff Hassan, a prominent Muslim cleric, stressed that Mas Selamat “remains an ordinary human being who deserves a chance”, despite his track record. The general consensus around the world is that rehabilitation is an effective and humane tool to quell the extremist threat. Notable successes include the leaders of the Egyptian Al-Jihad and Islamic Groups — two of the largest groups in the world — who renounced violence in 1997 and 2007 respectively. “(They) have now become the forefront critiques of Al Qaeda after more than a decade in prisons,” said Mr Muhammad. On rehabilitation, Ms Jones said: “The problem with these programmes, in general, is that the only way you know if they’ve been successful is if somebody is tempted to rejoin the network. “In Singapore, when people get released, they are mostly not exposed to temptation … Mas Selamat had the opportunity (to escape) and he took it — with vengeance.” - TODAY/so http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28568.73 Malaysia frees 13 'internal security' detainees Malaysia frees 13 ‘internal security’ detainees Posted: 09 May 2009 1720 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Hindraf members hold banner at a candlelight vigil to protest Malaysia’s ISA (file picture) Video Malaysia frees 13 ‘internal security’ detainees KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said on Saturday it has freed 13 people held under its tough internal security laws, including three ethnic Indian activists detained since organising anti-government protests in 2007. “All of them have been released today,” police chief Musa Hassan told AFP. He said five Filipinos and two Indonesians released will be sent back to their home countries. The remaining six Malaysians were freed on certain conditions on which the police chief declined to comment. “We will pass the foreign detainees to the immigration to be deported to their home country,” Musa said. The release of the Indians, members of the banned ethnic Indian rights group Hindraf, removes a thorn in the side of new Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is trying to promote his reform credentials. They and the other 10 were held under the Internal Security Act (ISA), a relic of the British colonial era which allows for indefinite detention without trial, and which human rights groups have campaigned to have it abolished. The government said on Friday that it had decided to release the 13 because “they no longer need to be held under ISA”. One of the Hindraf members, M. Manoharan, was elected from his jail cell to a seat in the parliament of Selangor state in general elections last year that saw a sharp swing to the opposition. Manoharan’s wife, S. Pusphaneela, said the release of her husband would enable the state lawmaker to serve the people and she is looking forward to his return. “He is on the way home now and my three children are waiting anxiously for their father,” she told AFP. Rights groups welcomed the release of the 13 but urged the government to free the remaining 14 people, mainly suspected Islamic militants, held under the ISA or charge them in court. “We always believe that these detainees who were never proven guilty in any court of law should not have been detained in the first place,” Abolish ISA Movement coordinator E. Nalini said. Najib freed another batch of 13 detainees, including two Hindraf leaders, soon after being sworn in last month and has denied it was a bid to win back support for the ruling coalition. The five Hindraf leaders were taken into custody after enraging the government in November 2007 by mounting a mass rally alleging discrimination against minority ethnic Indians. Ethnic Indians make up less than eight per cent of the 27-million population of the mainly Muslim-Malay country, but say they fare badly in terms of education, wealth and employment opportunities. - AFP/ir http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28660.1 Mas Selamat plotting attacks on S'pore before arrest in Johor Mas Selamat plotting attacks on S’pore before arrest in Johor Jemaah Islamiah terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari was plotting attacks on Singapore at the time he was captured in Johor on April 1, says Malaysian PM Najib Razak. This was disclosed to the Malaysian media yesterday (May 8), hours after Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng revealed how the JI leader escaped by swimming across the Straits of Johor using an ‘improvised flotation device’. The Straits Times report is as follows: “Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari was plotting attacks on Singapore at the time he was captured in Johor on April 1. “Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak disclosed this to Malaysian media yesterday, hours after Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told local media the JI leader escaped Singapore by swimming across the narrow stretch of water that separates Singapore from Johor, with the help of an ‘improvised flotation device’. “Datuk Seri Najib told Malaysian reporters: ‘We apprehended him here (in Malaysia), his main focus at the time was Singapore. He was planning a lot of things in Singapore.’ “He did not provide details, but said he had ‘mentioned this’ to Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong when they met in Pattaya, Thailand, on April 10-11 for the Asean summit that was eventually aborted because of protests. “Mr Lee was ‘very happy and grateful that Malaysia has succeeded in apprehending Mas Selamat’, said Mr Najib. “Mas Selamat, leader of a group of Singaporean JI members, escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year. “He was captured in Johor on April 1, according to regional intelligence sources The Straits Times spoke to. “This was confirmed by Mr Wong at a press conference in Singapore yesterday, the same day The Straits Times broke the news of the capture. “Mr Wong said that as far as the authorities know, no local JI network was involved in aiding Mas Selamat’s dash from Whitley to Singapore’s northern shore. “Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said the Singapore Government did not inform the public of the capture earlier because doing so could jeopardise operational secrecy and perhaps even endanger sources of information.” http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28659.1 Loan shark vandalises my car for no reason! Loan shark vandalises my car for no reason! He has not borrowed money from any loan shark, yet a STOMPer’s car was badly vandalised with the infamous “O$P$” insignia. Said the STOMPer in an email to STOMP today (May 9): “My innocent car as been vandalised by Ah Long with spray paint wordings — “O$P$” yesterday (May as seen in the pictures. “I was away from home for a week because I was outstationed. “When I went to carpark to drive my car yesterday (May at about 6pm, I was shocked to see my Hyundai Tuscani vandalised! “A police report has been made. “My car was parked in the multi-storey caprark at block 98 in the the Aljunied Crescent area. “I confronted the flat owner of (his block and unit number were spray-painted on victim’s car) and the elderly couple claimed that their son (already moved out since 7 or 8 years ago) had indeed borrowed money from Ah Long and their flat door area was heavily vandalised with painted wordings for the past 2 months.” The STOMPer said the couple lives in block 109. “I stay at block 110. “They also claimed that I am the third ‘victim’ as another 2 cars (BMW and Benz) whose owners do not have any relation to them, had been vandalised in the same manner while parked at a nearby carpark. “I suggest the authorities should conduct more police patrols and installed CCTV in multi-storey carparks in order to eradicate such vandalism by Ah Longs. “A quick check with the car workshop indicated that a re-paint job on my car cost around 800-100 dollars. “Crime is indeed getting serious in Singapore!” http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28658.1 Taxi skids and crashes along CTE during heavy rain, causes huge jam Taxi skids and crashes along CTE during heavy rain, causes huge jam Poor visibility caused by the rainstorm this morning (May 9) apparently caused this taxi to skid and crash along the CTE. STOMPer Mark, who saw the accident, said: “On May 9, 4.45am, it was raining cats and dogs. “One taxi skidded and crashed along the CTE going towards the SLE. “The rain was so heavy you could hardly see more than 10m ahead. “A massive jam was formed because of the crash. “Police, tow truck and ambulance were very efficient as they reached in no time. “I pity them as they had to clean up the mess in that weather. “Hope the taxi driver is fine.” Taxi crash on CTE due to heavy rain http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28657.1 Uninvited guest on Vesak Day Uninvited guest on Vesak Day Guess who decided to drop by STOMPer Meg’s home on Vesak day? It was a friendly, though uninvited, little bat! Said the STOMPer: “At 4am, I woke up to a faint chirping, only to find it hiding near my kitchen ceiling. “I called all pest controllers only to find out none are specializing in capturing this animal. “It’s still in my house.” http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28656.1 Again, meat left outside restaurant: Swine flu, food poisoning scare, just don't care Again, meat left outside restaurant: Swine flu, food poisoning scare, just don’t care STOMPer Boukenger is concerned when he saw these packs of frozen meat left outside a closed Chinese restaurant in Tiong Bahru Plaza. Said the STOMPer in an email to STOMP yesterday (May 8): “I was passing by Tiong Bahru Plaza at 6.45 am on my way to work when I noticed packs of frozen meats from the food supplier being left unattended on the floor outside this Chinese restaurant as it was not yet open for business. “I think that raw foods such as these should be kept in the freezer immediately after delivery. “Leaving raw food in this way is not hygienic plus it was left on the ground which was dirty and where bacteria is abundant. “The weather was hot as well. “With the recent food poisoning and the swine flu virus wreaking havoc, all the more resturants and food stalls should practise food hygiene.” Related articles: Minced meat left outside Japanese restaurant Meat left outside Japanese restaurant…again http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28655.1 Singapore Tomorrow s gonna be a tough day. Mountain of works to do and I havent done anything yet. The internship is still being processed. Dont know where it leads to.. Just hope for a bright future somewhere in Singapore. I desperately want to work in Singapore. Dont know why, but it seems a little peaceful and promising place for me right now. Been there once. And there was absolutely positive attitude about it. Nice people, friendly atmosphere, not too crowded, not too busy. Perfect to have a long break after an boring, motivation-hampered semester. Want myself to attune into a another and totally different environment. Singapore ! Hope to see ya ! I find myself in an unstoppable laziness. i wake up and start a day without any motivation. Classes r boring, teachers r unhelpful and spend most of the time staring at the screen rather than have eye contacts with students. My seminar is the worst. The class initially came up with a inspiring teaching style and end up with a very tasteless case study, and stupid group meetings. Still keep wondering why I ve been able to bear up with this so far. Have to find my own way to raise myself up. Been a long time since the last interesting conversation with someone. Really miss it.. On the corner of Beach & Bras Basah Singapore Raffles Hotel in Singapore pervades my dreams. I feel sure I visited in a recent life. Perhaps I served tea to Somerset Maugham. Or frothed frocks from steamer trunks and laid them out for waltzing. I like to think I was some hack, one of those ‘our man abroad’ types. Serious talk in the Long Bar over Tall Island Iced Teas tossing peanut shells to the floor while the Japanese muster. Singapore is extraordinary, that’s all I can tell you. Less extraordinary than it was. In my time terrible things were trampled to make way for yet more neon plaza. As if Orchard Road wasn’t emporium enough. In later years I slewed straight for Raffles and sought colonial reassurance in cool leafy pillar and haughty uniform. A weeks commission on satay sticks and the perfect Mojito. Those grand steamer hotels, the Eastern & Oriental of Penang, the Ambassador of Mumbai, they romance me of a time I never knew. An epoch of travel and niceties I covet. Fat leaves quiver heavy with tropical rain. Margaret O’Hare is a creative commercial photographer in County Antrim. Fine Art Imaging is an image resource offering photography based design solutions. Nike: palloni giganti e auto fracassate Location :Singapore Agenzia : Ogilvy & Mathe Cliente : Nike Dopo gli Ufo Milanesi ecco altri esempi di come le auto fracassate insieme alle cose giganti abbiano  sempre il loro fascino nel mondo della pubblicità, questa è una palla gigante nike realizzata nel 2004, attenzione del passanti assicurata… ~> Singapore Zoo Of all the tourist spots we visited in Singapore, I enjoyed Singapore Zoo the most! Compared to Manila Zoo, Singapore is really interactive and animals are not caged! Yes, animals are cared very well. They’re placed in really huge places with bounderies of water so that it will prevent them from escaping or going near the people. But no glass cases. And they can really run wild. It’s really fun and it’s a huge place, somewhere in Woodlands. I’m a bit disappointed that I hadn’t seen a panda. Anyway, hopefully you can visit here too! Kena Pluck! Episode 2 Car crash!!! Kena Pluck! Episode 1 The Dog Eater!! Beautiful Saturday Morning I woke up about 1 hour ago after a full night of vagabonding in France, Indonesia, Singapore, Thaila Livia Gallery For 2 years, parents didn't know about Aware's sexuality programme. From ignorance to OUTRAGE For 2 years, parents didn’t know about Aware’s sexuality programme. Then events unravelled over the last 7 days FOR two years, the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) conducted sexuality workshops and talks to schools, and he did not complain. By Benson Ang and Han Yongming 09 May 2009 FOR two years, the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) conducted sexuality workshops and talks to schools, and he did not complain. Now Mr Twoon Kok Yam, 50, the vice-president of a shipyard, feels strongly enough to sign an online petition against such programmes in school. One good thing coming out of the Aware saga, said Mr Twoon, was that it brought this programme out into the open. He learnt that anal sex and homosexuality were represented as neutral in these programmes, as recommended by Singapore’s foremost feminist organisation. (See report on right of facing page.) Mr Twoon has two sons, 21 and 19, and one daughter, 14, in Secondary 2. ‘Anal sex. Pre-martial sex. Orgasm. Is this suitable material to be taught to my daughter?’ he asked. ‘Students’ minds are very impressionable, and they think whatever is taught in schools is correct.’ ‘But the messages behind such programmes may not be agreeable to everyone.’ Mr Twoon’s wife, production planner Grace Goh, 48, added: ‘Kids always want to try things out. What if they try this, and it becomes too late for them to turn back?’ Like all parents, they worry that their children will be subject to bad influences, like booze, drugs and promiscuity. For MrTwoon, the family – involving a heterosexual couple – is still the basic unit of society. When MOE suspended the programme, he was relieved. So was housewife Mun Ho Pheng, 50, who also signed the petition. She has a daughter, 15, in a girls’ school and didn’t even know that some sexuality programmes were being taught in schools by external parties, like Aware, the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association and the Family Life Society. She thought only teachers taught MOE-approved programmes to students. The online petition to MOE was started by Madam KF Khoo last week, who was concerned that Aware’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) programme indirectly endorsed homosexuality and anal sex as ‘normal’ or ‘neutral’. The online petition has since garnered more than 7,400 signatures, although it is unknown if unique individuals are behind each signature or if the numbers are being racked up by a few activists. Aware was recently involved in a leadership tussle between the veteran members and new members who were elected to the executive committee (exco) during Aware’s annual general meeting in March. The fight was played out in the media and culminated in an extraordinary meeting last Saturday, where a vote of no-confidence was passed, and the new exco resigned soon after. The Aware exco was then replaced by veteran members. But since Aware’s new guard drew attention to what they saw as pro-lesbian and pro-gay sentiments in the CSE programme last week, MOE has received about 100 e-mails and phone calls expressing similar sentiments as the petition. On Wednesday, MOE suspended the CSE programme conducted by Aware and other vendors and explained that it is ‘reviewing ways to provide parents with more information about sexuality education in the specific schools their children are in.’ Aware responds In a letter to Aware members yesterday, president Dana Lam-Teo said she stands by Aware’s CSE programme. She claimed MOE found certain responses in the programme to be ‘explicit and inappropriate’. She then said: ‘We are prepared to review these (responses) and make any changes so long as the principles and objectives of the CSE are not compromised. ‘We hope to be able to resume the CSE programme before long.’ Children need to be educated about sex. Like parents need to be educated about sex education, it seems. They cared but… IF they cared so much about the CSE programme, why didn’t they attend the Aware extraordinary general meeting (EGM) last Saturday? Mr Twoon Kok Yam said that although he applauded ousted president Josie Lau’s team for highlighting aspects of Aware’s sexuality programme, he felt that her team could have managed their internal affairs more effectively. He also didn’t attend because he was busy with church on that day. On the other flip side is 59-year-old nurse Ow Yeong Sou Yong, who is single and has no children. She also didn’t attend the EGM although she supported the old guard. She said: ‘I’d prefer Aware to be run by a multi-cultural, multi-religious exco instead of only Chinese Christians. ‘But that still doesn’t change the fact that I don’t agree with the sexuality programme the way it is now,’ she said. Statements in guide deemed… NON-CONTROVERSIAL VIOLENCE: Unacceptable in a relationship, whatever the provocation may be. PILL: The Pill is used to reduce the chances of pregnancy. However, it does not protect you from infection. SEXY/HOT: All very personal concepts – what is hot for you may not be hot for another person – there is no universal definition of hot. What is more important is that the person feels good about herself. CONTROVERSIAL ANAL SEX: Can be healthy or neutral if practised with consent and with a condom. VIRGINITY: A concept which is really difficult to fix, traditionally virginity is related to the hymen. But perhaps we can also think of virginity as a state of mind? PRE-MARITAL SEX: People might place pre-marital sex as negative, but it is really neutral. The key is whether the couple is aware of the consequences and responsibilities and is ready for them. http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.68 H1N1 FLU: Six in 10 GPs say they can't get protective gear Flu Watch UNMASKED Six in 10 GPs say they can’t get protective gear Authorities act to address concerns A SHORTAGE of N95 masks, which doctors and clinic staff are required to use during the orange alert, has led to talk of hoarding. By Ng Wan Ching 09 May 2009 A SHORTAGE of N95 masks, which doctors and clinic staff are required to use during the orange alert, has led to talk of hoarding. General practitioners have been unable to get their hands on the masks to help protect them against the possibility of being exposed to the Influenza A (H1N1) virus. Talk of hoarding began when a representative from a distributor here of 3M N95 masks told Dr Chong Yeh Woei, president of the Singapore Medical Association (SMA), that his company has 40,000 boxes of such masks. Said Dr Chong: ‘That’s 800,000 masks!’ But when The New Paper called the company, its chief operating officer, who spoke to us on condition that we do not name him or the company, said it was a misunderstanding. He said that a young employee had been mistaken and given the wrong information. ‘We do not even have one quarter of that amount. And even if we want to get that many masks, it’s not possible,’ he said. The shortage of protective items was one of the key issues that surfaced during a forum organised by the SMA, College of Family Physicians of Singapore and the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday. Of the more than 500 GPs who attended the forum, six in 10 said they had difficulty getting supplies of protective gear for their clinic staff and themselves. After the meeting, SMA managed to organise new supplies released by MOH and began distributing the items on Monday night. Said Dr Tan Sze Wee, SMA spokesman and council member: ‘Sufficient amounts have been given such that at least all of the GPs and specialists that we’re looking at – 1,400 and 700 – should be able to buy enough… for one weeks’ supply. ‘Once that’s done there will be a re-supply coming through from MOH again.’ GPs have been told of the new supplies. Stockpiles Said Dr Tan: ‘We are drawing down from MOH’s national… stockpile, which is currently also used by the re-structured hospitals. ‘GPs and specialists are on the frontline of this outbreak. Members of the public will feel more confident if they see doctors using proper (gear),’ he said. ‘Because this is under alert orange, doctors still need to pay for this. Under alert red, the stockpile that comes to GPs will be free.’ Dr Chong added that he and his staff will continue to adhere to alert orange standards until the MOH officially declares it is an alert yellow situation. MOH announced on Wednesday that Singapore is now on a progressive step-down of the alert status to yellow. From yesterday, only healthcare workers looking after high-risk patients need to wear full gear. Clinics that need to stock personal protective equipment can call the SMA at 6223 1264. AROUND THE WORLD 2,100 cases and 44 deaths reported AS of last night, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that 2,099 cases of Influenza A(H1N1) infections have been reported by 23 countries, including 42 deaths in Mexico and two in the US. Mexico has reported 1,112 confirmed human cases of infection, while the US has reported 642 cases. WHO officials acknowledged that they were still struggling with the magnitude of the virus and warned it could become more virulent later in the year with the onset of the northern hemisphere’s flu season. Passengers kept on plane for 2 hours ABOUT 250 passengers travelling on a flight from New York to Copenhagen, Denmark were kept onboard for two hours after landing because of a flu scare, reported AFP. The pilot from Scandinavian Airlines System told authorities at Copenhagen’s Kastrup airport 30mins before landing that a 62-year-old man was suspected of suffering from the Influenza A (H1N1) virus. The plane was quarantined in an isolated part of the airport after landing. The man was found not to have the virus, but was sent to the hospital with his wife as a precaution. Denmark has so far reported one confirmed case of H1N1 infection, but the woman has recovered. Schools re-open in Mexico IN Mexico, high schools and universities opened yesterday, a day after offices and restaurants were allowed to reopen after a one-week shutdown to contain the outbreak. Primary schools are scheduled to re-open next week, reported AFP. All businesses – including sports arenas, dance halls, cinemas and restaurants – can operate from today but must screen for ill people and make surgical masks mandatory for employees and customers. During a hospital visit, president Felipe Calderon said: ‘We’ve managed to stop the dangerous expansion… but it’s not time to shout victory.’ Boxing champ ignores quarantine advice FILIPINO boxing champion Manny Pacquiao will return to Manila as scheduled on Friday, ignoring advice to stay in the US to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus. Pacquiao said that he and his entourage do not have any flu symptoms even though the virus was found to have spread to California, reported AP. Pacquiao beat Ricky Hatton in a light welterweight bout in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The WHO had advised Pacquiao to observe self-quarantine for at least five days. It also said that airport welcomers should maintain about a 1-metre distance from the boxing champ and his party, avoiding handshakes and hugs. http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28080.110 Flu risk? No, our birds are clean Flu Watch Flu risk? No, our birds are clean By Elysa Chen May 09, 2009 THIS is a place where customers eat and drink under a roof of birds in cages. The coffee shop patrons like it that way. –TNP PICTURE: FRANCIS LEE But it begs the question: With public and personal hygiene being the buzz words these days, is such exposure safe? Feathers, not the flu, is the hot topic at this coffee shop inSerangoon North Ave 2. That, despite fears that InfluenzaA (H1N1) may have developed partly from the bird flu virus. Car broker Tony Lim, 45, said the coffee shop continues to draw crowds because the birds are such an important part of their lives. Birdwatchers, from those in their BMWs to the jobless, flock there. There was even a couple from Germany. Dr Mathias Klaui, 32, and his girlfriend Miriam Dicrenbach, 30, who were on holiday here, visited the place after reading about it on an Internet forum. One of the bird lovers, a 48-year-old chef who gave his name only as Haji, said: ‘Here, it’s one people, one nation, one Singapore. We have people from all races and all walks of life who gather here.’ Said Mr Lim: ‘Taking care of birds is our hobby. Some even clean their cages every day. You’re more likely to catch the flu from an unhygienic human than the birds there!’ Mr Lim, who lives in Pasir Ris, visits the place as often ashe can to have lunch, so that he can ‘listen to the birds’ songs’. As the men sip coffee, their eyes are trained on the mata putehs – a type of song bird – in their intricately carved wooden cages. But Mr Steven Soon, 42, who is unemployed, said: ‘Keeping the birds here is just an excuse. What we really enjoy is the chit chat among friends.’ http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28650.1 Which is healthier? Which is healthier? A) CHEESEBURGER B) BABY FOOD By Ho Lian-Yi May 09, 2009 WHAT’S a better snack for your kid – one designed for children like Baby Balance Berry Bear Biscuits or ‘junk food’ like a bite of a cheeseburger? The answer may surprise you. A study of 107 foods marketed for babies and young children in British supermarkets in March by the Children’s Food Campaign (CFC), a British pressure group, found that only half of the products surveyed were low in saturated fat, salt and sugar. The CFC is supported by more than 300 British health organisations and 12,000 members of the public, reported The Guardian. And while most of these food may not be available in Singapore, the survey results may prompt parents here to take a closer look at the labels of the baby foods here before they buy them. The CFC survey said that some baby foods they tested contained more sugar and saturated fats than chocolate biscuits and cheeseburgers. While it did not name all the food items it found to be less healthy, the CFC said Baby Balance Bear biscuits (made by UK-based Cow & Gate) was one that contained trans fats – which has been linked to heart disease. The CFC survey also found that Heinz Farley’s Toddler’s Own Mini Cheese Biscuits had 7g per 100g of saturated fat. The CFC compared this to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese burger, which had 6.7g of saturated fat per 100g. Another one on the list is Farley’s Original Rusks by Heinz, a kind of biscuit used for weaning. It had 29g of sugar per 100g, while the same weight of McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives have only 27.4g. CFC spokesman Christine Haigh called the results ’staggering’. –SPH PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS She said: ‘Many foods marketed for babies and young children are advertised as healthy. In reality, in terms of sugar and saturated fat content, some are worse than junk food.’ At least one of the products named, Farley’s Rusks, may be available in Singapore, though it was out of stock at supermarkets we checked yesterday. The more common product here, Heinz Teething Rusks, had 3.4g of sugar per 100g, according to its label. In response to the findings, Cow & Gate stopped production of the biscuits found to contain trans fats. However, Heinz’s corporate affairs director Nigel Dickie told London’s Daily Mail that its Farley’s Rusks were enriched with vitamins and minerals, and an alternative with 30 per cent less sugar was available in England. Heinz also called the comparison of its cheese biscuits, which contain just 1.8g of saturated fat per portion, with the burger, which contains 13g per portion, misleading. When told of the survey, some Singaporean mums said they weren’t too worried about it. Madam Karen Chen, 28, who has a one-month old daughter, said she wasn’t too concerned with it just as long as the foods don’t pose a hazard like melamine. ‘Kids are young, they have high metabolism – they’ll burn off the fats and sugary stuff,’ she said. Others, like Madam Cynthia Lee, 32, a housewife with a 2-week old son, said she was concerned. ‘I’ll probably go for organic food to start off with rather than things off the shelf, just to be on the safe side,’ she said. What do Singaporean nutritionists say about the findings? Processed food Ms Jenny Goh, senior nutritionist at Fitness and Health International, was not surprised. ‘Baby food should always come from natural food. Processed food comes with a lot of unnecessary ingredients, like sugar, salt, fats, even food preservatives, and parents should always read the labels,’ she said. Instead of buying biscuits for a weaning baby, she recommended small pieces of apples, oranges or mashed potatoes. However, Ms Ann Selina Chang, a dietician at The Nutrition Place, said the survey was a little misleading, since babies hardly ever eat anything in quantities similar to a burger. She said it’s okay to feed the children baby biscuits – but only as a treat, to be given only after a proper meal. She said: ‘You don’t want to let babies to get used to sugary foods, of course, but as long its not the bulk of the diet it’s fine.’ http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28649.1 H1N1 FLU: Some clinics let their guard down Flu Watch EXPOSED Some clinics let their guard down Alert status at Orange till next week, but some staff not wearing required gear By Ng Wan Ching May 09, 2009 WE’RE still on orange alert for the InfluenzaA(H1N1) virus, but are staff at private sector clinics protecting themselves? WHERE’S YOUR MASK? Some clinics had staff who did not use any protective gear (above). Others used masks (below), but none of the clinics we visited had staff wearing the full outfit, including gloves, gowns, and eye protection. –TNP PICTURES: JONATHAN CHOO A random check by The New Paper on 25 such clinics revealed that none of them complied fully with Ministry of Health (MOH) requirements on full protection equipment. The staff at more than 2,500 medical, dental and traditional Chinese medicine clinics here are required to wear N95 masks, gloves, gowns and eye protection. Our check was done on Wednesday, before MOH announced it would downgrade its alert status from orange to yellow next week. The preventive measures under the Disease Outbreak Response System Alert (Dorscon) orange status kicked in on 1 May. At best, we found clinics complied only partially with the requirements. Some had surgical masks instead of the N95 masks, or a surgical mask with gown and gloves. At one clinic, a doctor was seen wearing an N95 mask – minus the gown or gloves. When The New Paper reporters asked those who did not comply with the requirements why they did not do so, many just brushed it off, saying they had just returned from dinner or that there was not a single case of H1N1 here yet. There was a sense among those not wearing the protective gear that the situation was perhaps being blown out of proportion. Don’t ‘under-react’ This goes against the grain of the alert status. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan had said on Wednesday that ‘if your public health measure is to have any effect, it must ‘over-react’. It must not ‘under-react’.’ None of those who were not complying with full measures seemed concerned that someone with H1N1 could walk in at any moment. When asked why she wasn’t wearing the full gear, a Toa Payoh GP’s clinic assistant, who gave her name as Miss Celestine, said: ‘No swine flu what!’ She then went on to answer the phone. Later, noticing that the reporter was still around, she put on a mask, and said: ‘We only wear the masks, but we do have stocks of gowns and gloves in our clinic.’ At another clinic in Toa Payoh, a clinic assistant who gave her name as Madam Cynthia said: ‘We normally wear the mask only, and not (the rest of the protective gear).’ One possible reason doctors aren’t wearing the proper masks is a shortage of N95 masks. A few doctors and one dentist said they could not get N95 masks anywhere last week. (See report on page 8.) Said a doctor in Hougang, who declined to be named: ‘I have called every one I know who might be able to help me find N95 masks, but no luck. That’s why we’re wearing only surgical masks.’ He said he did not go to MOH for help. He was wearing a surgical mask and gloves, no gown. His counter staff were wearing surgical masks, no gowns or gloves. Dr Sim Tiong Puay, 47, a GP in Bishan, faced the same problem. ‘Obtaining the N95 masks was rather difficult. We have only a few pieces available,’ he said. Ms Ellen, 57, a clinic assistant in Bishan, said: ‘We ordered the masks the moment the (requirement came into force). They (the supplier) said they would deliver them soon, but we still do not have the masks.’ Some may be trying to conserve their limited N95 masks for the ‘real thing’. In Yishun, a clinic assistant who declined to be named said: ‘We only wear surgical masks now. We have stock of N95 masks, but we’re not using them yet.’ Said Dr Goh Ming Kong, 50, a GP in Bishan: ‘I believe some clinics are trying not to use their N95 masks yet as stocks are limited and they would like to make sure that they do not burn through their supply before H1N1 actually does hit us.’ At a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, a clinic assistant, Miss Chua, said she had never been given any instructions on protective gear. Staff at a second TCM clinic said the same thing. At two dental clinics, one had the assistants wearing only surgical masks, while the other clinic’s assistant did not wear any protective items. Said Madam Beena G, in her 50s: ‘If we go outside (the counter), where we’ll be in direct contact with the patients, we will wear our gowns and gloves. But from inside here, behind the counter, masks will do.’ However, Dr Goh at Bishan thinks the measures are good. ‘It gives us extra time to iron out the kinks before H1N1 hits our shores. I suppose all these measures were put in place because of Sars, which was a very rapidly-spread infection. ‘Perhaps that is why MOH made us use these measures so quickly. ‘I’m very thankful that nothing has happened so far. To be honest, if it were not for the fact that it is mandated, I doubt I would be (wearing any protective gear),’ he said. Dr Chong Yeh Woei, president of the Singapore Medical Association said he would still wear the full gear, even at alert yellow. His private practice is in Orchard Road. ‘This is especially for those running flu clinics, which includes GPs. You just never know when someone with the infection will walk into your clinic,’ he said. - Additional reporting by Jovita Chua, Naveen Kanagalingam, Ervina Mohd Jamil and Kay Tan, newsroom interns. http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28080.109