SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) is looking into prohibiting the use of any white substances for “hash” runs.

This comes after the Woodleigh MRT station security scare, where a suspicious white substance – which turned out to be baking flour – was left behind by a local running group to mark their trail.

Channel NewsAsia understands that NParks and the running groups are also looking into alternative markings such as ice cream sticks or plastic markers.

The Seletar Hash House Harriers, who were behind the “suspicious white substance” at Woodleigh MRT station, have apologised for the alarm and inconvenience caused.

The group said that three of their members were marking a trail near the station for a run using flour.

They chose the MRT underpass from Bidadari to Woodleigh Close as it was the safest route to cross Upper Serangoon Road.

NParks said it is currently working with these hash running groups to reduce the use of baking flour.

“Where ‘hash runs’ are allowed in NParks-managed areas, chalk and flour are prohibited as these substances are more difficult to clean up (and) might seep into and cause damage to the environment,” said NParks group director for conservation Wong Tuan Wah in a statement. “If consumed, these substances might have detrimental effect on wildlife.”

“Only toilet or tissue paper is allowed to be used as markings and they must be cleaned up immediately after the event. If they are not cleaned up, enforcement action could be taken,” added Mr Wong.

Under the Parks and Tree Act, members of the public who litter in Singapore parks and nature reserves may be fined up to S$5,000.

STREAMLINE RESPONSE PROCEDURES: ANALYST

On Tuesday, the baking flour incident triggered the closure of the MRT station for three hours. Another security scare involving an unattended bag at Hougang MRT station earlier this month caused the station to temporarily close.

One security expert said that authorities could look into streamlining their procedures to minimise the disruption to commuters.

“What they could have done maybe is determine first if it was bio-hazardous and if it’s not, while investigations are still going on, they could just cordon off the area but ensure you resume some form of service to the MRT line,” said Nur Diyanah Anwar, a security expert from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

“I think three hours is disruptive on any measure and I think once they have ironed out the procedure that they should take, it should be shorter.”

SINGAPORE: Sport Singapore (SportSG) has filed a police report after it received a letter alleging that a senior officer of Tiong Bahru Football Club (TBFC) had instigated another club to “delay and/or obstruct” the completion of audits until after the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Elections, it said on Thursday (Apr 20).

The governing body of local sports said in a press release that it decided to file a police report on Apr 19 at about 7.50pm over the suspected misuse of TBFC’s funds and a purported attempt by a senior officer of the club to delay and/or obstruct the completion of audits into the S.League sit-out clubs.

SportSG said on Apr 16 that it had asked FAS in July 2016 to look into the proposed merger of Woodlands Wellington FC (WWFC) with Hougang following the end of the 2014 S.League season, which ultimately fell through.

SportSG said it had received complaints from the public about the proposed merger between Hougang and WWFC, and how WWFC’s assets such as jackpot machines were being apportioned.

WWFC fans, who lodged the complaints, also questioned the legality of the merger.

The merger was eventually called off in 2016 after FAS said that it was “not feasible for implementation”.

In the same statement, SportSG also expressed concerns over TBFC chairman Bill Ng’s S$500,000 donation to the FAS in 2014.

“Following the media reports that Tiong Bahru Football Club had donated S$500,000 to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) through the FAS, SportSG looked into the matter, and received further information on Apr 18,” SportSG said.

In response, a spokesman for Mr Ng released a statement to say that he will be fully cooperating with local authorities over the matter.

Mr Ng, who is vying for the FAS presidency and leads the Team Game Changers slate in the leadership election on Apr 29, told reporters that the national footballing body had asked him for a donation rather than a sponsorship for the now-defunct football club LionsXII.

The general secretary of FAS Winston Lee produced evidence to rebut Mr Ng’s claims and prove that Mr Ng was fully aware that his S$500,000 donation was meant for AFF.

SportSG added that it will also request to meet the FAS’ Ad-hoc Electoral Committee to clarify the way ahead for the upcoming elections.

In a statement on Thursday, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged by SportSG in relation to a football club.

“The police will conduct a thorough investigation and will take appropriate action against any persons who have committed offences in Singapore. As investigations are ongoing, it is inappropriate to comment further at this point,” police said.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Neo

SINGAPORE: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) unveiled its Air Industry Transformation Map (ITM) on Thursday (Apr 20), detailing its mid- to long-term plans to transform the city-state’s aviation sector.

These include a new air transport undergraduate degree programme, a “Smart Tower” for air traffic controllers to manage live air traffic, autonomous systems to move passengers, baggage and cargo in airports, wearable technology for ground staff to track operations, and the world’s first passenger boarding bridge designed for operations under harsh weather conditions, among others.

Through the ITM, CAAS said it aims to raise productivity by 40 per cent and “redesign or create 8,000 good jobs” in aviation by 2025, including more jobs for professionals, technicians and cabin crew.

The ITM was developed by a committee of representatives from the aviation industry, unions and the Government, and is one of 23 under the Government’s S$4.5 billion Industry Transformation Program.

Speaking at the Aviation Community Reception on Thursday where he unveiled the ITM, Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng said Singapore’s aviation sector “secured its leading position” through its open skies aviation policy, and an airport design to facilitate transfer passengers. Currently, Changi Airport serves nearly 7,000 flights a week. In 2016, the airport handled a record 58.7 million passengers, achieving 5.9 per cent traffic growth.

But amid land and manpower constraints and increasing competition from airlines and airports around the world, Mr Ng said the aviation industry “cannot rest”.

“Many countries have ambitions to not only beat Changi but to be the hub of choice for their own interests. They are expanding their airports and their airlines are growing aggressively. To stay ahead of the competition, we need to constantly reinvigorate and rejuvenate ourselves.”

“We will need a comprehensive approach,” he added. “We must address every aspect of the airport and airline business, from passenger services, to cargo handling, airside functions, airline operations and air traffic control.”

Mr Ng also said the Government is investing S$500 million in the sector over the next three years through the Aviation Development fund, with a focus on partnerships with local companies and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to develop and export “designed in Singapore” aviation products.

“More projects are in the pipeline and we are ready to commit more resources,” he added.

Both industry players and the unions welcomed the plans.

“As we grow the Changi Air Hub and prepare for an increasingly complex operating environment, we are accelerating our efforts to drive productivity and innovation,” Changi Airport Group’s chief executive, Lee Seow Hiang, said.

Calling the ITM a “major milestone in the development of the Changi Air Hub”, chairman of NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster Ong Hwee Liang said it was important for those involved “to communicate these strategic plans to every worker, as well as help them upgrade and upskill to prepare for the new technologies and skillsets needed”.

SINGAPORE: Two cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection have been confirmed at the Glasgow Road area near Kovan, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Thursday (Apr 20).

Both cases are residents in the area, it added.

NEA said it was notified of the cluster on Thursday and has started vector control operations and outreach efforts at the cluster area. It urged residents to maintain vigilance and continue to eliminate mosquito breeding habitats, as there could still be asymptomatic or mild, undiagnosed cases which might result in further transmission of the virus if there are mosquitoes in the vicinity.

The agency said: “NEA has been conducting preventive inspections in the vicinity even before the cluster at Glasgow Road area was notified to detect and destroy any potential mosquito breeding habitats.”

An additional case has also been confirmed at Poh Huat Road West, NEA said, expanding the original cluster at the Poh Huat Terrace and Terrasse Lane area. Two cases were confirmed at this cluster on Apr 11.

The number of cases reported at the Flower Road and Hendry Close cluster remains at two, the agency added.

NEA said that it is continuing with vector control operations in the Flower Road, Hendry Close and Poh Huat Road West cluster areas.

SINGAPORE: Following a spate of attacks by monkeys in Bukit Panjang’s Segar area, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) on Thursday (Apr 20) said they are likely to be caused by a single monkey.

In a statement issued to the media, AVA said it is “not normal” for monkeys to approach people and enter homes, and the attacks are “a display of atypical behaviour”.

“The monkey’s behaviour is likely to have been altered due to feeding, which has caused it to associate humans with food. The presence of food from feeders, which are easily available, may have conditioned the monkey to regularly visit the estate in search of food,” AVA said. It noted that five cases of monkey attacks in the Segar area were reported in the past week. One of these cases occurred in early April, AVA said, but was only reported recently.

AVA added that it is working with the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) and Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) to remove the monkey in the area, and that various humane methods – such as deploying traps or using darts to tranquilise the primate – will be used. No monkeys were caught in its recent operations exercise, AVA said.

AVA has received about 160 reports of monkey attacks and nuisance in the area since October last year. Most recently, an elderly man was hospitalised after being bitten by a monkey on Monday morning.

AVA WORKING ON MONKEY ISSUES IN SEGAR SINCE OCTOBER 2016

The authority added that it has been working with stakeholders to mitigate the monkey issues since October last year. They have conducted control operations, and a monkey was removed from the area in November 2016.

Additionally, AVA said it has worked with the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council to prune trees and harvest fruit from the trees in the estate, as trees are natural sources of food and shelter for the monkeys.

“We advise the public to keep clear of our operations for their own safety. Crowds of people may hamper our operations by causing the monkey to be wary and go into hiding,” the statement said.

AVA also urged residents in Segar to keep their windows and doors closed as much as possible, especially during the early mornings and late afternoons when the monkey is known to be more active.

“The public can also make their premises less attractive to monkeys by keeping food out of sight from the monkey and practicing good food refuse management, such as double knotting garbage bags and disposing garbage in bins with secured lids,” AVA said.

“Aggressive monkeys pose a risk to public safety. Monkeys may also carry zoonotic diseases that are harmful to public health,” AVA added. “AVA’s priority in managing the wild animal population is to ensure public health and safety is not compromised.”

SINGAPORE: About 840 athletes have met the mark set by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) to represent Singapore at the upcoming 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This number is expected to be trimmed when the National Sports Associations (NSAs) confirm the participating athletes.

In a media release on Thursday (Apr 20), SNOC said these athletes were selected from 34 sports on Thursday, when the SNOC Selection Committee – chaired by Minister for Social and Family Development and SNOC President Tan Chuan-Jin – met to consider nominations put forward by NSAs.

Athletes who have yet to meet the qualifying mark have until mid-June to meet the selection criteria of a third-place finish at the Southeast Asia level, SNOC said. Appeals will be considered by SNOC on Jun 15, 2017.

The 29th SEA Games will take place in August this year, with 405 events competed in 38 sports. Sports such as cricket, ice hockey and ice skating will feature for the first time at this year’s event and Team Singapore athletes in these sports have all made the mark on their first try, SNOC said.

At the 28th SEA Games which was held in Singapore in 2015, Team Singapore fielded 747 athletes – the biggest-ever team representing the city-state at a major Games. They took home a record medal haul of 84 gold, 73 silver and 102 bronze medals.