SINGAPORE: Commuters were affected by two separate faults on the Circle Line and the East-West Line during Wednesday (Nov 15) morning’s rush hour, resulting in train delays that caused crowds to form at several stations.
Photos and videos were shared on social media of huge crowds at Bishan MRT station, which is an interchange along the Circle Line and the North-South Line.
One social media user shared several pictures of what appeared to be an almost packed Circle Line platform at the Bishan MRT station.
Other images showed congestion along linkways leading up to the platform at the station.
Congestion at Bishan MRT station due to a signalling fault on the circle line. (Photo: Wilson Teo/Facebook)
Crowds at Bishan station due to a signalling fault on the Circle Line. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
SMRT said on Twitter at 6.42am that delays on the Circle Line were caused by a signalling fault. About two hours later, it updated that the fault was cleared but advised that trains and stations were crowded.
A Singaporean man selflessly donated his kidney to his ill father who had less than one year to live and even forged the titanium stitchings from his father’s operation into his own wedding ring.
The filial son, Shaun Nair, 29, told Shin Min Daily News that his father had diabetes.
Due to complications, Shaun’s father started showing symptoms of kidney failure last year.
He went to see a doctor, who told him that he had between five to eight years to live.
However, when he visited a hospital for a checkup this year, he found that his condition had worsened, and an acute renal failure was imminent.
Shaun’s father was told that he had less than one year to live.
The news came as a huge blow to him, who was unable to accept that he would have to undergo dialysis to live.
Shaun, a customer service officer, said: “My father thought for a while and told the family afterwards that he did not wish to for dialysis to affect his quality of life.
“He chose to give up on treatment.”
At this point, Shuan knew that there were only two options for his father.
The first was dialysis, which he had rejected, leaving the only solution to be a kidney transplant.
However, after the family persuaded the elderly man to go for a transplant, they were told that he would be placed on a waiting list, and he would have to wait at least eight years.
To offer him a chance at life, Shaun decided to donate one of his kidneys to his father.
After a two to three-month intensive check, it was concluded that Shaun’s kidney would be suitable for the transplant.
On July 2017, the father-and-son duo underwent a six-hour-long operation for the transplant.
Both resumed their normal lives after.
Shaun, who is getting married soon, added: “To commemorate this meaningful event, I decided to keep the titanium stitchings left from my father’s operation.
The ring forged with the titanium staples used in the surgery.Photo: Stomp
“I initially intended just to keep it by my side, but later had the idea to forge them into a wedding ring which I’ll wear every day.”
A dancing busker has drawn flak for allegedly harassing women while performing.
A short video clip uploaded on social media Sunday showed the street dance performer grabbing a female audience member by her hair in the middle of a performance in Hongdae, a district in Seoul known as a hotbed for youths and buskers.
The performer kept on dancing while holding onto the woman’s hair. The person who filmed the video said, “I was shocked. In the middle of the show, he just grabbed her hair.”
Photo: YouTube
After the post spread online, some commenters said that the busking team has repeatedly grabbed female spectators’ hair during performances. They added that the act amounts to harassment.
A woman posted on social media that she was a victim of the unexpected act, saying “I was dazed by the involuntary head-banging because I have anaemia.”
The accused street performer said in an interview with a Korean media outlet that the act was for the “atmosphere of the performance.” He said that he always apologised if the “performance was too much.”
Police moved to quell rumours about a narcotic substance in Korea that turns people into zombie-like monsters, following a feature broadcast by SBS’ “Curious Stories Y,” Friday.
Reports speculate that the rumored “zombie drug” is a type of “bath salts” — recreational designer drugs that come in powder form. In Korea, those in possession of bath salts are liable to a minimum of one year in prison, while those who import, manufacture or sell the drug face a minimum of five years’ imprisonment.
The Nov 10 episode of “Curious Stories Y” relays the account of a family in Seoul, who were disturbed in the small hours of Oct. 10 by the sound of of their window breaking.
The unsuspecting husband brushed off the noise thinking it came from a neighbouring house. But as he got up to use the washroom, he came face to face with a stranger standing in the middle of the living room, bleeding from his head and with a hair-raising glare in his eyes.
The stranger attacked him, biting off a chunk of flesh with unexplainable ferocity.
The stranger attacked, biting off a chunk of flesh with unexplainable ferocity. (SBS)
In the police investigation that followed, the man was identified as a Vietnamese tourist, who said he heard a commanding voice in his head that his “sins will be forgiven” if he enters the house. The man appears to have been hallucinating.
The Gangbuk Police Station said Sunday that there were no grounds to suggest that the Vietnamese man had consumed a “zombie drug,” and that they suspect that he has a mental illness.
SINGAPORE: Both the Circle Line and East-West Line were affected by delays during the morning rush hour on Wednesday (Nov 15) due to two separate faults.
A signalling fault on the Circle Line caused delays on the Circle Line, SMRT first said in a tweet at 6.28am, adding that it was investigating the fault.
In an update 12 minutes later, the train operator said the signalling fault was between Farrer Road and Buona Vista. It advised commuters to expect 20 minutes of additional travel time between Buona Vista and HarbourFront stations, in both directions.
[CCL]: Due to a Signal fault between #Farrer Road and # Buona Vista .Pls add 20mins train travel time between #Buona Vista and HarbourFornt on both bounds.
Free buses were available between Paya Lebar and HarbourFront stations, it said.
Congested train at Bishan MRT station, after the Circle Line was affected by a signalling fault on Wednesday morning.
The fault was resolved more than two hours later, although trains and stations remained crowded.
[CCL] CLEARED: Fault cleared but trains and stations are crowded. Due to congestion, pls add 5mins travel time towards #HarbourFront. Free regular bus service still available.
The East-West Line was also affected by delays due to a train fault at Joo Koon station.
In a tweet at 8.25am, SMRT advised commuters to add 20 minutes of travel time between Jurong East and Joo Koon stations.
It later increased the additional travel time to 30 minutes, and extended it to between Jurong East and Tuas Link stations.
Free buses are available between the stations, SMRT added.
[CCL] CLEARED: Fault cleared but trains and stations are crowded. Due to congestion, pls add 5mins travel time towards #HarbourFront. Free regular bus service still available.
Irate commuters took to social media to vent their frustration with the train delays.
Reader Priscillaa Shinbone commented on Channel NewsAsia’s Facebook page saying that she was stuck in a train between Marymount and Caldecott stations for an hour.
Another reader Siti Rubiah commented that her train was stuck at Bartley station for half an hour and Serangoon station for at least 20 minutes.
Jomond Kio told Channel NewsAsia that he waited for a train at Buona Vista station for more than 10 minutes. He then gave up and chose to travel by Grab instead.
This is the second day in a row that train commuters have been affected by delays.
SINGAPORE: While a good number of traffic accidents in Singapore are exactly that – unfortunate accidents – some of them might point to something more sinister.
According to the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), the number of accidents reported as fraudulent has doubled, from 13 in 2016 to 26 as of September this year.
Prosecution figures have also gone up. A total of 66 people were charged for motor insurance fraud last year, a near 40 per cent increase from the 48 charged in 2014.
Motor insurance fraud is the act of deceiving insurers into giving a payout for property damage or personal injury caused by a fake traffic accident.
Moreover, a majority of motor insurance fraud cases are linked to large-scale syndicates, officers from CAD’s insurance and specialised fraud branch revealed on Friday (Nov 10).
And anyone can fall for their ruse.
“Generally, my observation is that a lot of people are sucked into this,” head of branch Superintendent of Police Abdul Rani Abdul Sani said. “In the last five or six years, there have been at least five major syndicates.”
These groups can stage accidents by deliberately jamming on the brakes, or engineer accidents by intentionally damaging vehicles at a secluded location.
The modus operandi of motor insurance fraud syndicates. (Source: CAD)
Like any organised mob, they have masterminds, recruiters and even stunt drivers and phantom passengers.
WEBS OF DECEIT
Some syndicates also operate overseas and involve foreign nationals together with foreign-registered vehicles, Supt Rani said.
So, how do these groups grow so large?
Potential recruits are tricked into putting “blind faith” in so-called experts like auto mechanics, or trusting friends and family who happen to be members of a syndicate, officers said.
“It really works like MLM (multi-level marketing),” Deputy Superintendent of Police Johnny Sim, team officer-in-charge, said. “You have done this; you ask a friend. That friend gets involved, then starts asking his friend. It expands.”
The different ploys motor insurance fraud syndicates use. (Source: CAD)
Syndicates constantly need more members because stunt drivers require phantom drivers to hide their identity and avoid submitting multiple claims under the same name.
“Some people start off as phantom passengers or phantom drivers,” Supt Rani said. “Then they find this is easy money, so they become a recruiter.”
Phantom drivers can earn about S$500 per claim and an additional S$200 for each passenger recruited, Inspector P Kumarasamy said.
Each member earns an amount “commensurate to the roles that they play”, Supt Rani noted. Deals are also sweetened by the promise of successful personal injury claims.
General Insurance Association (GIA) statistics show that about 160,000 accidents were reported last year, leading to nearly S$500 million worth of incurred claims.
Based on its estimate that a fifth of all motor claims are fraudulent or inflated, this means that S$99 million was lost due to fraud – costs ultimately borne by motorists in the form of higher premiums.
CHALLENGES OF TAKING THEM DOWN
To that end, Supt Rani acknowledged that it is tough to distinguish between real and fake accidents.
“Anyone can submit a claim for injury knowing that they may not be injured. It’s so easy – just a matter of going to the doctor and signing some documents,” he said. “Some cases may not be detected at all.”
An accident involving a car and a bus in Choa Chu Kang. (Photo: Sulastri Kusen)
And because the syndicates have multiple layers, dismantling them is difficult.
“Investigations into these syndicates is very complex because it involves many parties,” Supt Rani said. “Some within the conspiracy also have their own operation.”
“It all boils down to the quality of the interview of all the witnesses that the officers showcase in order to crack the whole case,” he added.
However, not all of them cooperate when interviewed. Some might deny their involvement, Supt Rani said. Others might feign forgetfulness. “Sometimes, it will take a longer time to show the link between one accident and another.”
In the case of one syndicate, where one of its masterminds helped stage 21 accidents and submitted fraudulent claims amounting to about S$1.1 million, officers took a good two years to bring it down.
“It took quite a while because there were really a lot of accidents involved,” DSP Sim said, adding that more than 100 people were interviewed.
“When you want to take down the mastermind, you must build up enough evidence,” Supt Rani added. “Otherwise, in court the whole case will be thrown out.”
GETTING A HELPING HAND
But the branch is not alone in the battle against motor insurance fraud.
It works with GIA and insurers to discuss trends and new issues, Supt Rani said. “We also look at how we can improve situations in order to deter or prevent motor insurance fraud.”
Increasingly, insurance companies have their own special investigative unit too, a GIA spokesperson said.
“This unit is responsible for detecting and investigating claims in greater detail and pursuing action against fraudulent activities on the part of insureds or claimants.”
If there is strong suspicion or evidence of fraud, insurers might report the case to CAD, the spokesperson added.
“If it’s not so easy to get the payout from the insurers, then it doesn’t benefit the masterminds to keep doing this,” DSP Sim said.
The GIA also has an anti-fraud hotline and a fraud management system that applies data analytics in insurers’ fraud handling processes to track phony claims.
“While we are in the early stages of the system, results are starting to show,” the spokesperson said.
ONUS ON YOU
Nevertheless, Supt Rani reminded the public that the responsibility lies with them.
“The seriousness is the fact that a lot of people participate thinking that they can actually gain from this,” he said.
The maximum penalty for cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code is 10 years’ jail and a fine. Abettors of acts of cheating face the same.
“A lot of times they think that they don’t have the intention to cheat, so they won’t be charged for cheating,” DSP Sim said. “But the issue is what they do actually facilitates the other person to cheat the insurer.”
Supt Rani stressed that those in the lower ranks of a syndicate will never know the full extent of the crime being committed.
“What he knows is when he joins, he will be making a false claim, but he doesn’t know the size of the syndicate,” he said.
“The most important thing is they should realise that if they are having financial difficulties, never get involved in such things.”
SINGAPORE: Recently, SMRT has come under criticism for issues ranging from train disruptions late last week leaving commuters angry over the lack of official announcements about the impending delays, to the more serious matter about the falsification of maintenance records by some of its employees that led to the MRT tunnel flooding in early October.
It seems neither commuters nor SMRT staff can catch a break.
While the company’s woes have been analysed from a variety of perspectives, many commentators have focused narrowly on specific issues such as the amnesty offered to staff to come clean and report gaps in processes, and the tunnel flooding incident.
Few have offered constructive suggestions on what SMRT management can do about its more problematic and pervasive challenge of dealing with seemingly more frequent delays and disruptions more decisively.
Having studied the responses of several other organisations such as Johnson and Johnson, BP and Singapore Airlines that have gone through crises, there are some guiding principles that may be instructive for SMRT management, in my opinion.
1. FOCUS ON CONTROLLABLE ASPECTS IN SHORT TERM
One of the first tasks of SMRT management should be to avoid knee-jerk reactions.
It is easy to paint with a broad brush and talk about broken culture. Not only is such talk demoralising for staff but it may also be inaccurate – after all, SMRT has received high praise from global surveys for its operational efficiency and service standards for many years.
SMRT’s internal communications bears repeating the key message that SMRT has a responsibility to provide safe and reliable transportation and any future breaches jeopardising safety or reliability will be dealt with in the strictest manner, with the concerned employees being held accountable.
But a more productive course of action is for SMRT management to determine whether the cheating incident was a localised break in culture or an organisation-wide malaise, and focus their recovery accordingly.
In doing so, the management also needs to make a distinction between factors that are controllable in the short run versus those that can be fixed only in the long run. Ageing equipment can cause breakdowns but that equipment can be replaced or upgraded only in the medium term since the service has to keep operating, posing constraints on quick replacement.
Elsewhere in SMRT, the organisation has not found any evidence of falsification or wilful dereliction of duties in the core railway maintenance and engineering groups, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in a ministerial statement last Tuesday (Nov 7).
Other aspects such as improving maintenance procedures, enhancing its readiness to deal with breakdowns and delays, and higher responsiveness to commuters may be more controllable in the short run. These actions may not only improve SMRT’s immediate performance but also help stem arising public negativity.
2. MANAGE INTERNAL MORALE
Having attracted a lot of criticism from various quarters, the SMRT staff’s morale may have been negatively impacted. Even employees that are committed to doing their best and providing good service may think their efforts futile.
While SMRT management must not condone lapses and intentional cheating, it also must appear nurturing to its employees, recognising and building on the strengths of the organisation while also plugging gaps in its culture and operating procedures.
Harping on only negatives is likely to lead to a vicious cycle where negativity becomes all consuming, whereas building on positives while also acknowledging the negatives can break this vicious cycle.
3. PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS
SMRT management should also focus on communications with its key stakeholders, especially commuters.
SMRT has received a top three placement worldwide in rankings by CNN Travel (July 2017) and The Vacation Times (March 2017). Going by the coverage in the local media and perception among Singaporean commuters, are these rankings misplaced?
More likely to have caused the delays and disruptions is the recent strain on our MRT system. The network is being used by an ever larger number of commuters of 600 million per year, according to CNN travel, or more than 1.5 million every day.
The network is also getting more complex with the rapid addition of new lines, coupled with the need to replace ageing equipment.
Commuters seen waiting at a bus stop near Paya Lebar MRT station during a train disruption on the East-West Line, the second one in one night on Nov 11. (Photo: Olivia Siong)
But SMRT cannot expect commuters to empathise if their transport experience does not meet the world-class standards our MRT system has been lauded for.
Instead, SMRT should invest in timely, forthcoming and proactive communication with commuters, when delays and breakdowns happen or are expected. Commuters’ dissatisfaction will be lower if they can obtain advanced updates or full information to make alternate transport plans, and when SMRT is seen acknowledging the situation and trying its best to help affected commuters.
Internally, the organisation must have a high degree of readiness to respond to any breakdowns. Standard operating procedures together with drills and staff training can be quite useful.
SMRT must also manage the expectations of commuters by communicating that it is trying its best to minimise breakdowns and disruptions.
SMRT will do well to learn from the London tube system which also suffers several breakdowns but generally enjoys a perception of being high quality, possibly because of three ways in which authorities have tackled the problem: Redundancies in the system offer commuters alternative travel options, the number of disruptions has been declining, and commuters are also notified in advance and in real time if delays are expected.
SMRT staff and police officers distributing leaflets containing information on bus services available to commuters at Clementi station during a disruption. (Photo: Vanessa Chelvan)
WELL-PLACED TO TACKLE PROBLEMS
SMRT is in a good position to tackle many of the problem areas. Access to financing doesn’t seem to be an issue, facilitating the replacing of ageing equipment.
For so many years of accolades received, the falsification of maintenance records may likely have been a localised issue involving a few errant employees rather an organisation-wide culture problem.
The SMRT management has much to be proud of, but it can lead the organisation to even better results with the adoption of appropriate policies.
Dr Nitin Pangarkar is the academic director of the MBA programme at the NUS Business School.
MANILA: A stabler world to live in, a safer Southeast Asia to operate in and a more prosperous region to grow the economy, these are what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong envisions for Singapore under the Republic’s stewardship of ASEAN.
Speaking to Singapore media on the last day of the 31st ASEAN Summit on Tuesday (Nov 14), he said that Singaporeans should be positive about Singapore’s ASEAN chairmanship. If the regional bloc is effective, it will mean “a stabler world to live in” and a safer and more prosperous region, he said. Singapore will assume the role of chairman next year.
“ASEAN is a lifeboat for all 10 countries in Southeast Asia, to come together, to work together, to have our voice heard on the world stage, to be able to manage our own issues among ourselves,and to cooperate to improve the lives of the people in Southeast Asia,” he said.
Mr Lee officially announced the themes of Singapore’s chairmanship – resilience and innovation – in an acceptance speech during a ceremony to mark the end of the summit. On why these themes were picked, he said careful thought went into what Singapore can contribute as chairman.
“These are issues that confront all of us and if we can deal with them, we can make ASEAN a more effective and more valuable organisation,” he added. Innovation was chosen because it was one way all ASEAN member states can make progress together, he said, adding that a large part of that has to do with a digital economy.
While Singapore has Smart Nation, a nationwide push for transformation through technology, other countries have their own start-ups and projects, Mr Lee said.
“If we come together on the theme of innovation, and smart cities, for example, then I think we have something valuable we can do together. And we can get all 10 countries to participate in their different ways and different levels. All of them can join in and all of them can benefit,” he said.
US-CHINA TIES WITH ASEAN
When asked how Singapore, as chair of ASEAN next year, can prevent member states from being made to take sides if ties between the United States and China fray, Mr Lee said: “You cannot prevent member states from doing one thing or another.”
What ASEAN can do as a group is to enhance its cooperation with China and the US at the same time, he said.
“This conference has shown that ASEAN values the relationships with these two powers. These two powers are also paying attention to their relationship with ASEAN,” he said.
US president Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attended summits at the three-day event.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte alongside the ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines November 13, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
In an interview with CNBC in October this year, Mr Lee said Singapore does not want to pick sides between the US and China, if there are tensions between the two superpowers. On Tuesday, he said that while US and China would like to deepen cooperation with ASEANin “quite different” ways, the regional group can work with both.
He added that negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea would likely start early next year.
During the ASEAN-China summit, Mr Lee said that ASEAN member states have agreed to officially start negotiations with China on a code of conduct that will govern how South China Sea disputes are handled. China lays claim to almost all of the South China Sea. The other claimants are the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
The code of conduct is expected to establish legally binding rules and guidelines on avoiding conflicts, and is meant to reduce the risk of armed confrontations in the disputed waters.
Separately he announced that next year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defence summit attended by ministers and military officials.
Mr Lee hopes that Mr Modi will also be able to make an official bilateral visit to Singapore, he said.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit gala dinner in Manila, Philippines November 12, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
“We will be able to have a programme for him which will enhance our really very considerable relationship with India, and perhaps extend our mindshare in India,” he said.
MANILA: Resilience and innovation will be the focus of Singapore’s ASEAN chairmanship in a world that is “rapidly changing”, the country’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday (Nov 14).
This is to ensure that the regional bloc “remains a central and dynamic driving force that can deal with challenges and opportunities”.
Mr Lee said this at a ceremony marking the end of the 31st ASEAN summit. Singapore will officially take over the role of chairman from the Philippines in January next year.
As chairman for the coming year, Singapore will promote and uphold a rules-based regional order so that ASEAN can better deal with emerging security challenges such cyber security, transnational crime and terrorism, Mr Lee said.
On the agenda are also continued regional economic integration and enhancing regional connectivity, so that ASEAN can remain “competitive and prosperous”, and finding innovative ways to manage and harness digital technologies, and equip citizens with skills and capabilities.
“This is so that ASEAN can remain a vibrant and dynamic place for our peoples to live, work and play,” Mr Lee said.
Under Singapore’s stewardship, ASEAN will also continue to build relations with external partners, Mr Lee said, adding that ASEAN will hold special summits in Australia and India. The group will also celebrate the 45th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations and the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
In a hand-over video screened during the ceremony, Singapore outlined these goals, and unveiled a logo for its chairmanship. The logo was formed by connecting respective ASEAN member states’ capitals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding that the links signify the “collective resilience of an inter-connected ASEAN in pursuit of a common purpose”.
Singapore unveiled its logo for its ASEAN chairmanship at the closing ceremony of the 31st ASEAN Summit. (Photo: MFA)
As country coordinator for ASEAN-China dialogue relations, Singapore will continue to promote closer cooperation between the two sides,, including initiatives to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership, Mr Lee said.
Building on the work of past Chairs, Singapore will continue to enhance cooperation at ASEAN-led fora, he added.
THE PHILIPPINES MOVED ASEAN TOWARDS DEEPER INTEGRATION
Taking stock of ASEAN in the past year, Mr Lee said that the regional bloc celebrated the maturing of ASEAN into a Community, referring to the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, a roadmap that outlines how members will collectively achieve political security, economic cooperation and socio-cultural cohesion by working together.
“ASEAN has built a stable, open and inclusive regional architecture that has brought about security, growth and development for our peoples,” he said.
In the past year, the group focused on regional peace, economic integration, and constructive engagement with partners and key players in the international community, he said.
In accepting chairmanship, Mr Lee congratulated Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on the country’s successful term and its achievements as chairman.
These included the finalisation of a framework for the Code of Conduct of Parties in the disputed South China Sea, the conclusion of a free trade agreement between ASEAN and Hong Kong three years in the making and the adoption of an ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.
The Philippines moved ASEAN towards deeper integration, with its theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World”, he added.
He thanked the Secretary-General of ASEAN Le Luong Minh, and his staff at the Secretariat for their dedication in supporting the ASEAN meetings and agenda, while welcoming incoming Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, Permanent Secretary in Brunei’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Singapore is honoured to accept the chairmanship of ASEAN from “our excellent host, the Philippines”, he said, adding that Singapore looks forward to working closely with the Secretary-General and the Secretariat to strengthen ASEAN’s Community-building efforts.
He said: “As the incoming ASEAN Chair, Singapore hopes to build upon the good work done by past Chairs, and continue our integration journey to foster a close-knit Community that our citizens can benefit from.”
