Workers’ Party may need to look for alternative Punggol East town council site

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/where-will-wp-house-punggol-east-town-council

The Workers’ Party (WP) may need to look for an alternative site to locate its town council office in Punggol East, because the existing town council office in the constituency — at Block 156A, Rivervale Crescent — will continue to be used by the People’s Action Party (PAP)-run Pasir Ris-Punggol town council for at least another six months while the ruling party looks for another site of its own.

According to Pasir Ris-Punggol town council Chairman Zainal Sapari, this is because the town council — which used to serve the residents of both Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and the Punggol East single seat ward when it was helmed by the PAP, would still need at least two offices to serve the residents of the GRC, as is the case with other GRCs.

Mr Zainal, nevertheless, said his town council will vacate its Rivervale Crescent office once it is able to find an alternate site in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and the search will take “at least six months”.

Stressing that the handover of the Punggol East ward will be “smooth”, Mr Zainal cited the matter as one of two issues — the other is the transfer of town council funds — that have to be discussed with the WP.

He also assured that the town council funds will be allocated back to Punggol East Town Council “in a transparent way”, as items such as the operating fund is calculated based on per unit household.

Mr Zainal, who had a meeting with town council staff yesterday, also said that the employees who were looking after the Punggol East ward — there are fewer than 10 of them — will be absorbed by the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council’s managing agent, E M Services. The WP is expected to appoint its own managing agent.

Coming up: 'Kids at work' theme park

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http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/1567318/Coming_up_Kids_at_work_theme_park.html

Children visiting the upcoming $90 million kids' theme park at Sentosa can look forward to "working" as doctors, pilots and journalists at local firms.

Set to open in 2015, KidZania Singapore is in talks with home-grown businesses to help make the miniature city uniquely Singaporean. For example, the "bank" and "airplane" in the theme park would bear logos of an actual local bank and airline.

KidZania Singapore is a collaboration between Mexican company KidZania and Malaysia's Themed Attractions and Resorts (TAR), which operates the existing KidZania park in Kuala Lumpur and Legoland in Johor.

TAR's chief executive Ahmad Burhanuddin said in KidZania Kuala Lumpur, those aged four to 14 "work" for companies such as CIMB Bank, airline AirAsia and newspaper company The New Straits Times.

The idea behind KidZania is for children to learn values such as hard work and punctuality through role play.

The park offers 90 occupations for children, who can pretend to be police officers, doctors, journalists or postmen.

Doing their jobs well will earn them "money" they can use in the "city" to buy things such as food.

The 80,000 sq ft indoor theme park will also be the anchor tenant at Sentosa's new Family Entertainment Centre. Work on the centre will start in the middle of this year.

Mystery Merc left unlocked at Yishun for two weeks

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http://ride.asiaone.com/news/wheels/story/mystery-merc-left-unlocked-two-weeks

Long-time residents like one Mr Sim wondered about the white Mercedes-Benz E200 which was left unlocked at the carpark entrance of Block 710, Yishun Street 71.

"I've been living here for 30 years. We know if the car is not one of ours," said the 57-year-old, adding that nobody had seen its driver.

Yesterday, the police received a call at 12.45pm with a request to check on the nearly 10-year-old car.

They said nothing incriminating was found and no further assistance was needed.

The car's interior appeared empty save for a packet of wet tissue near the gear shift. There were also several brochures scattered on the front passenger seat.

Its rear windows were tinted, though the tint had faded in parts, and a lone parking ticket issued on Wednesday was tucked under its windscreen wipers.

About six policemen were seen around the car, which had several wires sticking out below the car's logo.

The police opened the car's bonnet and boot to have a look and later left a note in the car to say that they had checked it as it was not secured.

The note also said no valuables were found in the car.

Resident Jag Jit Singh, 64, said the police had earlier gone around to peer inside every vehicle at the carpark.

Woman suspects husband having affair; tails him in car

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http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/woman-tails-husband-car-when-she-suspects-he-having-affair-20130129

NOT ACTUAL IMAGE

A woman who caused hurt to her then husband and two others through her negligent driving was fined the maximum $2,500 Tuesday.

Property agent Xiao Shi Ying, 35, who had pleaded guilty in December, was driving along Clementi Road when she coincidentally saw her husband, property agent Wong Hsien Loong, 41, in a car together with a female passenger. She sounded her car horn at him but he ignored her and sped up.

When their cars stopped at a nearby traffic light junction, she alighted and walked over to her husband's car as she suspected him of having an affair. But the lights turned green and he drove off.

Xiao continued to follow him and at one stage, their cars brushed against each other and came to a stop shortly. She again came down and tapped on his window but he drove off. She continued tailing him till she reached the junction of Commonwealth Avenue West and Vista Exchange Green where she failed to properly control her car.

Half of S’pore’s population may be foreigners by 2030

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http://news.insing.com/tabloid/half-spores-population-foreigners-2030/id-ad6b3f00

Foreigners could make up nearly half of Singapore's population by 2030, the Government said Tuesday as it unveiled its politically sensitive projection for a city of up to seven million boosted by young immigrants.

In a white paper on population, the Government said Singaporeans' flagging birth rates – which have been below replacement levels for more than three decades – necessitated immigration into the prosperous Southeast Asian nation.

The paper, released by the National Population and Talent Division, said the total population could range between 6.5 and 6.9 million by 2030.

Foreigners would make up nearly half the population by then with the proportion of Singaporean citizens projected to fall to 55 per cent from 62 per cent as of June 2012.

"Taking in younger immigrants will help us top up the smaller cohorts of younger Singaporeans, and balance the ageing of our citizen population," it added.

"To stop our citizen population from shrinking, we will take in between 15,000 and 25,000 new citizens each year," it stated, adding that the immigration rate would be reviewed "from time to time".

Weight-loss strategies that are worth your money

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http://www.yourhealth.com.sg/content/weight-loss-strategies-are-worth-your-money

Aside from losing weight or improving your health, effectively spending your money must be one of your major goals this year. The great news is that you can achieve both at the same time.

The simplest and cheapest weight and health programs target real lifestyle change-the effects last. Before you set aside a budget for an expensive fitness or weight-loss plan, try these basic lifestyle strategies first:

• Make sure you get seven to eight hours of quality sleep, instead of spending time on expensive stress-management strategies, like shopping.
• Try to walk your dog, run outside, or dance to your favourite music at least 20-30 minutes on most days of the week, and try to do a body weight resistance workout two to three times a week wherever you can, instead of enrolling in a health club or exercise studio. Prepare and cook your own healthy meals, instead of paying for a food-delivery service.
• Get your friends or spouse as your weight-loss buddies, instead of paying a trainer.

If these basic strategies don't seem to work for you, and you are the type of person who really needs motivation, then it's time to invest in a coach or a programme that can match your needs.

Quality programs


Do not commit to cheap deals right away. Think twice before you become a victim of sales talk or cheap online shopping promos, by committing right away to long-term programs and bulk fitness packages.

Invest in quality programs and a good coach. Get the best value for money by choosing safe and effective programs that can work best for you. Avoid spending thousands of dollars on over-restrictive and quick-fix weight-loss programs that will negatively affect your health and your body image.

Make a plan and write it down. Careful and effective planning will strengthen your willpower to exercise regularly and save you from spending on accidental eating.

You need to create your own game plan, like bringing your 300-calorie sandwich instead of spending on expensive meals.

Manage your stress

Sometimes, your weight-loss efforts may stress you because you think too much about your weight, tend to overexercise, and/or still have other concerns aside from your health.

Stress can make you spend on unnecessary things, like buying expensive clothes or bags just to make you feel better. It is also common for most people to reward themselves with food, just to feel better, even for a while.

The best way to manage stress while losing weight so that you can avoid overspending and overeating is to have a positive outlook in life, to get sufficient rest, and to do everything gradually and in moderation in terms of diet and exercise.

S’pore needs foreign workforce: govt

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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/s%E2%80%99pore-needs-foreign-workforce--govt-080909766.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

According to the population white paper released by National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) on Tuesday, by 2030, two in three Singaporeans will hold PMET jobs compared to one in two today.

The remaining one-third of Singaporean workers will be more skilled than non-PMETs today.

Government pointed out that foreign manpower would be needed to complement the local workforce in four key areas, namely:

1. Taking up lower-skilled jobs, as more Singaporeans upgrade into higher-skilled jobs
2. Helping to kick-start new high value-added emerging sectors to provide Singaporeans with a diverse range of good jobs
3. Providing businesses the flexibility to capitalise on economic upswings, while buffering Singaporean workers from job losses in downturns
4. Supporting social and development needs such as construction and social services, as well as conservancy and maintenance work, so that Singaporeans can continue to enjoy a good quality of life at moderate cost

By having foreign manpower supporting the workforce, the city-state will be able to develop a stronger core of higher skilled Singaporeans, government said.

It acknowledged that an influx of foreign workers can cause the population to expand beyond what is sustainable and can lead to lower wagers, reducing the incentive for firms to upgrade workers and raise productivity.

To guard against that, government said it would continue reviewing foreign manpower policies to reduce reliance on foreign labour in the long run.

Have sensitivity & respect online for deceased boys’ family: PM Lee

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/have-sensitivity-respect-online-deceased-boys-family-pm-lee

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged all to continue to show sensitivity and respect, especially online, for the family who lost two sons in the accident at Tampines yesterday.

In his Facebook post, Mr Lee said he is saddened to learn of the terrible accident involving two young brothers and said his thoughts are with the family.

Mr Lee said the government will render all the help the family needs to get through this difficult period.

Making room for millions

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1250938/1/.html?cid=FBSG

The government is planning to build 700,000 new homes by 2030.

That is one of the long-term plans to support the projected increase in population which is expected to hit 6.9 million in about 20 years.

Some Singaporeans have observed that population growth in Singapore has outpaced infrastructure development in the last five years.

The government is now planning and investing in advance to accommodate a larger population.

Beyond just relieving strains on public transport and housing today are long-terms plans to ramp up infrastructure developments to support a population of up to six million in 2020 and then a population of up to 6.9 million in 2030.

The White Paper has named Woodlands, Serangoon and Punggol as possible growth areas to create more space for businesses. It also said the Jurong Lake District, Paya Lebar Central and One-North will be expected to mature by then.

On the way too are 200,000 new homes which will be ready by 2016.

Possible sites for these new homes include new towns in Bidadari, Tampines North and Tengah but some will also be built in mature estates, allowing children to stay close to their parents.

The National Development Ministry is expected to release more details on land use plans this week.

Ten endangered elephants found dead

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http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/ten-borneo-pygmy-elephants-found-dead

A 3-month-old elephant calf tries to awake its dead mother

Ten endangered Borneo pygmy elephants have been found dead in a Malaysian forest under mysterious circumstances, and wildlife authorities suspect that they were poisoned.

The wildlife department in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island says the elephant carcasses were found near each other over the past three weeks at the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve.

In one case, officers rescued a 3-month-old calf that was trying to wake its dead mother.

Sabah environmental minister Masidi Manjun said today that the elephants probably were poisoned. He says that if they were intentionally killed, “the culprits would be brought to justice”.

The WWF wildlife group estimates that fewer than 1,500 Borneo pygmy elephants exist. They live mainly in Sabah and are known for their babyish faces, large ears and long tails.

Man charged with using another person’s credit card to pay for fast food

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/man-charged-using-another-persons-credit-card-pay-fast-food

A man who used another person’s credit card to pay for a fast food chain’s home delivery service on four occasions has been charged with cheating.

Tan Kok Sin, 32, allegedly made the home delivery orders between Jan 29 and Feb 12 in 2011.

The orders, each costing more than S$21, were delivered to a residential address in Bukit Panjang.

Tan faces four other charges of using another person’s credit card in 2010.

On Sept 27, 2010, Tan is believed to have used the card three times, to pay for more than S$400 worth of groceries at a supermarket in Woodlands.

He also allegedly used the same card to pay for a rice cooker at an electrical shop on the same day.

If guilty, Tan faces 10 years’ jail and a fine.

Government did not have 20/20 foresight: PM Lee

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/pm-lee-explains-why-infrastructure-lagged-behind-population-growth

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has admitted the government did not have 20/20 foresight, resulting in problems with inadequate infrastructure in the country.

Acknowledging the problems of insufficient housing and inefficient transportation network, Mr Lee pointed out that the Government was blind-sided by the outcome of some international events.

He elaborated that in 2000 and 2001, the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States plunged countries into recession. Singapore was dealt with a slow economy with minimum population growth and local housing prices went down.

But by 2005 and 2006, Mr Lee said the mood changed and the economy started picking up.

So, he said, the Government did what it thought would have been appropriate then. It decided to make up for lost time by growing the population and boosting the economy.

He acknowledged that infrastructure like housing and transport didn’t keep up with that growth.

He said: “We lacked that 20/20 foresight. Next time, we will try to do better, certainly to have a bigger buffer and not to cut things so fine.”

New London bus to be run by ComfortDelGro-owned company

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1250720/1/.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

A new bus by Metroline Limited will run through the streets of London. Metroline Limited is owned by the Singapore transport company, ComfortDelGro.

The New Bus for London (NBFL) is modelled after the iconic red double-decker, which was decommissioned in 2005.

Metroline will run the first route by the middle of this year.

Crime Prevention Advisory For Chinese New Year

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http://www.spf.gov.sg/mic/2013/130116_cny_advisory_others.html

Police would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of keeping vigilant and taking appropriate crime prevention measures for a safe festive celebration.

Police strongly encourage members of the public to adopt preventive measures against the following crimes:

Housebreaking at Home

• Ensure that all doors, windows and other openings are well secured with good quality grilles and close-shackled padlocks;
• Secure all doors and windows before retiring to bed or when leaving your house unattended, even for a short while;
• Install a burglar alarm, sensor light and/or close circuit surveillance camera to cover the access points into your premises. Ensure that they are tested periodically and in good working condition;
• Do not leave large amounts of cash in your home. All cash, jewellery and valuable items should be kept in a bank or in a good quality safe that is anchored to the wall/floor to prevent the safe from being carted away;

If you are going on a vacation, you should also:

• entrust family members or neighbours to conduct regular visits to your home while you are away;
• make arrangements to suspend your newspaper subscriptions as uncollected newspapers are tell-tale signs that a house is not occupied; and
• inform your Neighbourhood Police Centre of your absence.

Theft while Shopping / Dining / Home Visitation

• Be alert and attentive to your surroundings;
• Never leave your personal belongings like handbag, wallet or mobile phones unattended in public places such as on a table at eateries or in a shopping trolley;
• Do not be distracted by strangers creating a commotion or accidentally bumping/spilling something onto you;
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash with you;
• Do not adorn your children with gold jewellery as they are easy targets for potential criminals; and
• Avoid placing your wallet in your back pocket and always remember to sling your handbag in front of you and ensure that it is fastened or zipped at all times.

Prevention of Snatch Theft / Robbery at the ATM or bank

• Do not disclose your schedule to exchange new notes or withdraw money;
• Get someone to accompany you for the transaction if withdrawing large amount of money;
• Be aware of stranger(s) loitering around the ATM or bank before or when withdrawing money;
• Conceal your notes before leaving the bank outlet or ATM; and
• Be aware of distraction techniques employed by potential criminals such as dropping cash on the floor.

Car Rental Scam

• Rent vehicle from reputable car rental companies;
• Check with Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) to confirm that the car rental business is a registered one;
• Insist on a documentation on the rental details, such as for the payment and particulars of the parties involved, and keep a copy for your reference; and
• Request to see the vehicle and its identification document to verify the ownership.

Shop Theft

Police would also like to remind retail outlets to be extra vigilant against shop thieves during the festive period, especially when large crowds throng the shopping malls and supermarkets for festive goods. Shop theft is a crime and those who commit such offences can expect to face the consequences of flouting the law. Police have also been working with the managements of retail chains to implement anti-shop theft measures at their outlets and hope that all retailers take greater responsibility and ownership of the issue. Such offences can be sufficiently prevented if adequate measures are put in place. Hence, retailers should:

• Display expensive items in locked display shelves, which are only accessible by the staff;
• Enhance the store’s security system by installing CCTVs and convex mirrors. Ensure that the cameras are in good working condition;
• Avoid displaying expensive goods such as canned abalone near the store’s entry and exit points. They should be placed at strategic locations within your premises where they can be monitored by staff or placed under CCTV surveillance. Use empty cans for those near the entry and exit points;
• Use an electronic tagging system;
• Display advisory signage or warnings against shop theft; and
• Advise all staff to be observant and vigilant.

Police Advisory on The Use Of Sparklers

While the importation and sale of some types of sparklers are legal in Singapore, the use of sparklers should be done in a responsible manner according to the safety guidelines prescribed by the manufacturer.

New Punggol NPC sees 260 sign up for COP

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http://www.hometeam.sg/article.aspx?news_sid=20130128G4aJojTDkaPc

New Punggol Neighbourhood Police Centre sees 260 residents sign up for the Citizens-on-Patrol initiative since 1 Nov 2012. Residents will go beyond traditional joint patrols with police and will be trained to help detect and deter crime.

Punggol NPC is the fourth in a line of NPCs to adopt the Community Policing System (COPS) into its daily operations.

Tampines NPC, Clementi NPC and Bukit Merah NPC have already adopted the system while Bishan, SengKang, Woodlands East and Woodlands West will join them within 2013.

COPS strive to steadily increase collaboration between enforcement officers and members of the public to deter, detect and prevent crime.

The initiative leverages every channel possible for police officers and residents to interact and forge positive and effective partnerships to reinforce Police’s efforts to keep the neighbourhoods safe and secure.

This includes having more police officers deployed on bicycle patrols and increasing their engagement with residents.

The enhanced engagement efforts led to the recruitment of 260 new Citizens-on-Patrol (COP) members in Punggol since 1 Nov 2012 bringing the total number of members to 500.

Beyond carrying out the traditional joint monthly patrols with police officers, members will be given more information on crime trends and attend training sessions by SPF where they will be taught how they can help to detect and deter crime.

These resident members will also help use social media channels to increase awareness of crime prevention methods.

“People have to understand that what we do is for the benefit of the community around us. Personally, knowing that I have the power to help keep the community safe and secure is why I wanted to join COP,” said Mr Haja Nizamudeen, Chairman of Punggol Coral Tree Resident Committee.

Govt to tighten law to better protect timeshare consumers

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http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/govt-to-tighten-law-to-better-protect-timeshare-consumers#scpshrtu

The government is tightening safeguards and plugging loopholes in the law to better protect consumers in timeshare deals.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Monday that it is making the changes because timeshare businesses continue to account for the most number of consumer complaints.

MTI said an increasing number of businesses has moved from selling conventional timeshare —— which is the right to use a timeshare accommodation for a specified period —— to selling holiday club memberships.

These club memberships involve an advance payment for the right to obtain holiday benefits, such as discounted accommodation and airfares.

MTI said such holiday clubs essentially offer a similar product to timeshare, but they are not subject to the cooling—off period under the law as they do not fall under the current definition of "regulated contract".

There is also a lack of transparency about important features in timeshare and holiday club contracts, including the rights of the consumer and the obligations of the timeshare seller.

Thus MTI is proposing changes to the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) (Cancellation of Contracts) Regulations.

A key change is in the definition of "regulated contract". This will be expanded to include "long—term holiday product contracts" to close the current loophole where certain timeshare operators deliberately modify their business model to escape the requirements under the law.

This will also give consumers of holiday clubs the same protection as timeshare contracts, such as a five—day cooling—off period.

No money is to be collected during the cooling—off period. MTI said this will increase the protection and reduce the incentives for errant businesses to force a sale.

Executive Director of Consumers Association of Singapore, Seah Seng Choon explained why there is a need to act on timeshare businesses.

Mr Seah said: "When they want to get out of the contract during the cooling—off period, they have great difficulty getting their money back and there’s always a delay in recovering the payment made. During the course of the time, some of these timeshare may just disappear or close and consumers may not be able to get their money back."

MTI wants to hear from the public and welcomes feedback and views over the next five weeks till March 1.

Fencers off to flying start in Brunei

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http://www.todayonline.com/sports/fencers-flying-start-brunei

The Republic’s fencers made a clean sweep of the gold medals on offer on the opening day of the South-east Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Junior and Cadet Championships 2013 a few days ago.

At the Brunei capital, the women sabre fencers led the way by securing all four medals in the individual event, with Felicia Yam, Christabel Yong, Jolie Lee and Lau Ywen filling all the semi-final slots.

The men’s foil individual event also saw an all-Singaporean final with 16-year-olds Joshua Lim and Christian Lim the pick of a 23-strong field.

The women’s individual epee event saw a meeting of two old rivals in the final, with Singapore’s Rania Herlina Rahardja squaring off against Nguyen Thu Hien of Vietnam.

And it was 20-year-old Rania who triumphed by edging Nguyen 15-13.

Singapore also collected a bronze medal in this event through 15-year-old Donna Lim, who had lost to Nguyen in the semi-finals.

Fencing Singapore President Nicholas Fang was delighted with the opening day results.

“This validates the hard work being put in by our young fencers who are gearing up for the Asian Youth Games, Youth Olympic Games and other major events in the next three years,” said Fang.