FINAL WEEKEND: Singapore Airlines special fares at Travel Revolution 2017 travel fair featuring $70 child fares to selected destinations with every two adult tickets purchased!
Event details:
– 24 – 26 February 2017 – 11am – 9.30pm Daily – Marina Bay Sands, Level 1 Expo Halls A & B
In celebration of Singapore Airlines’ 70th birthday, they’ve prepared a host of special deals for everyone. Visit the Singapore Airlines booth to enjoy great fares to many exciting destinations and more.
Imagine walking along the streets with a life-sized version of your favourite Disney Tsum Tsum character.
If that sounds like your kind of fun, get ready for Singapore’s very first Tsum Tsum roving parade that is set to take place next Thursday (March 2).
Fans of the stackable plushies will be thrilled to know that the parade will feature six 2-metre tall inflatable floats of classic Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh.
Witness these adorable characters from your childhood come to life as they take march down the streets starting from Bugis Junction.
Besides the parade, there will also be an interactive Tsum Tsum carnival held across 14 Capitaland malls from Friday (March 3) till April 2.
The carnival will be launched at Plaza Singapura’s Atrium on the same day as the parade to kick off the festivities.
Other activities there are in the line-up include recreated scenes from Disney Tsum Tsum short episodes that will be part of the carnival sets as well as a Clockwork Tower that comes to life every hour.
Details:
Tsum Tsum march from Bugis Junction, Bugis Square Level 1 (4.30pm)
Arrival of Tsum Tsum characters at Plaza Singapura’s Atrium (5.45 – 7pm)
For more information, visit www.capitalandmallasia.com.sg/tsumtsum.
Lee Min-ho donated about $44,000 (S$61,807) to children who have been abused, according to the nongovernmental organisation Good Neighbors on Wednesday.
“The money will be used for children who have gone through domestic violence,” a representative from the organisation said.
“It will help them receive psychological therapy and help them with their heating bills at home.”
The actor’s donation platform Promiz, which was organised by Lee and his fans, raised the amount from Jan. 16 to 26.
Good Neighbors and Promiz collaborated on a campaign called, “Making Warm Winter for Both Bodies and Hearts” via social media.
The Facebook pages of the NGO and donation platform needed to reach over 1,000 likes in order to make the donation to the needy.
Since 2014, Promiz has participated in projects to help raise funds for animals and children.
Lee attended the 2017 National Brand Awards on Wednesday to receive the grand prize for boosting Korea and Hallyu worldwide through his career.
Renowned advertising and public relations company Ogilvy PR comes under unwanted spotlight again after one of its employees died while reportedly working overtime despite suffering from pneumonia.
The death of young brand strategist Mark David Dehesa of Ogilvy Philippines on Sunday (Feb 19) reignited a testy debate about overwork at certain agencies in recent years following the deaths of young workers.
Dehasa’s death sparked an outpouring of grief, as well as speculation by some that overwork may have contributed to his death, although no direct evidence has suggested this, reported AdWeek.
Confirming his death, Ogilvy Philippines issued the following statement, attributed to CEO Elly Puyat: “It is with great sadness that we confirm the sudden passing of our colleague Mark Dehesa from complications leading to pneumonia on Sunday February 19, 2017. Mark was a much loved and important member of our family in the Philippines, and our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and friends at this very difficult time.”
While the statement did not touch on any link between his overtime work and his death, Adweek reported an unnamed former colleague as saying Dehasa worked long hours last Friday to prepare for a meeting, before asking to be taken to a hospital.
Responding to the untimely passing of yet another young colleague, former Ogilvy copywriter Jeff Stelton minced no words when he said “it’s time we say no to this unnecessary martyrdom”.
But enough is enough, he felt.
He added: “It’s time to say no to getting up for a 9am presentation when you finished work at 4 in the morning. It’s time to say no to coming in to work the next day to finish another requirement when you were in a 26-hour shoot. With that being said, it’s time to say no to 26-hour shoots altogether.”
Stelton reportedly later edited his post to say he did not mean to imply that overwork was “solely” responsible for Dehasa’s death, and that he was merely revealing the experiences of insiders in the industry.
This is the second death of an Ogilvy employee in recent years that has been cited as connected allegedly to overwork. In 2013, Gabriel Li, a 24-year-old member of the company’s technology team, died in the company’s Beijing office.
In the same year, a woman who worked as a copywriter for Young & Rubicam in Indonesia reportedly died after working 30 hours at a stretch.
TAIPEI – Uber has shown no intention in toning down its rhetoric, launching more advertisements to promote UberEATS and recruit partner drivers.
The Directorate General of Highways (DGH) is still collecting evidence to fine UberEATS, an on-demand meal delivery service run by the embattled ride-hailing company Uber Taiwan, officials said on Wednesday.
The DGH said on Wednesday that the meal delivery app was “still recognised as an illegal business,” but “UberEATS exploits legal loopholes to evade government inspections, making it very hard to collect evidence to confirm their business operations.”
Furthermore, compared to the number of cases reporting on the ride-hailing service last month, UberEATs drivers were very rarely caught by police, officials said.
UberEATS continued operations after Uber Taiwan announced “a pause in operations” early February in what the company called an attempt to “inspire the Tsai administration to open more dialogue and cultivate an open attitude toward modern technologies and innovative economies.”
Earlier last week, Uber Taiwan claimed to have made progress in negotiations with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), calling upon the public to “defend the right to choose the livelihoods of Uber partner drivers” by participating in a protest slated for this weekend.
Moreover, Uber showed no intention in toning down on its rhetoric, launching more advertisements to promote UberEATS and recruit partner drivers.
One must be 19 years older to qualify as an UberEATS partner, but is no longer required to have a car. Bikes and scooters are usable too, Uber said in its online recruitment ad.
Cars must be manufactured in 1996 or after, while no particular requirements were given regarding the age of the bikes or scooters used.
You would think that for any aspiring actress making her big screen debut, the scariest thing would be having to disrobe for the camera or getting physically intimate with a co-star.
But the buxomy leading ladies of steamy slasher flick Siew Lup had other more pressing concerns – namely the action sequences in the film.
“I don’t have any experience fighting so I did some of that in an unnatural way initially on camera,” coos Rebecca Chen, who adds that fortunately, her more experienced co-star and stuntman, Sunny Pang, came to the rescue. “It’s a good thing he was there to guide me.”
She plays a former prostitute who bares her killer instinct; while Pang plays her impotent husband in the film which is a follow-up to veteran TV director Sam Loh’s erotic thriller Lan Tong (2014).
Both movies were selected for the Singapore Film Festival and had sold-out screenings.
Chen’s sentiments are shared by Siew Lup’s other equally well-endowed actress Melody Low, who plays a terminally-ill woman looking to experience true love before she dies.
The 24-year-old YouTube star says that fighting Chen’s character and playing dead posed a challenge for her: “(Next to those), I think the sex scenes are actually not that bad!”
But that’s not to say the on-screen nudity wasn’t an issue both first-time actresses took lightly.
Chen admits that it was a concern for her, but her work as a professional pole-dancer and freelance model helped her feel confident in her own skin.
It also helped that the 26-year-old was single when Siew Lup was being shot and even though she’s now attached, it won’t influence her decision in taking on such a daring role.
“I would still do it but I would talk to my boyfriend about it first,” she explains. “He should understand, given my line of work in the entertainment industry.”
Chen also shares that filming Siew Lup’s sex scenes was exhausting. “We had our privates taped up and I had to moan quite a bit,” she recalls. “It was actually more tiring than anything else because it went on for about one or two hours.”
Low was initially considered for Chen’s role, but turned it down as she thought it was too daring.
The one she took on still required her to disrobe for a steamy bathtub sex scene with co-star Louis Wu but the nudity is implied rather than explicit. “That is my limit,” quips Low, who has previously posed for the now-defunct local version of UK lads’ magazine FHM and taken part in Miss Singapore Universe.
She has also starred in music videos for local rappers Tosh Zhang and Shigga Shay where her ample bustline and generous cleavage tend to hoard the spotlight for obvious reasons. Low admits the fear of being stereotyped into certain types of roles but she’s confident that things will work out on their own; and she can be seen playing a student in the upcoming local comedy, Lucky Boy.
“If a script is good, I’ll take on any role,” she says.
Chen shares the same view and says that she is open to any other opportunities that might come along.
“I’ve always wanted to act for the longest time,” she declares. “And I’m glad I took on this role despite the challenges.”
Timely tribute to the sexploitation genre
The odd arthouse drama aside, Singapore cinema is largely characterised by way too many Jack-Neo-type feel-good, slapstick comedies and horror films for the industry and audience’s own good.
Kudos to local veteran television director Sam Loh for taking a brave step to change that with his erotic thriller Lan Tong (2014).
It pushed the censorship boundaries with its graphic nudity and violence; and was screened uncut at the Singapore Film Festival but had to be snipped slightly for general release.
But that hasn’t held Loh back as he pulls no punches with Siew Lup, the spiritual sequel to Lan Tong, which is bigger and bolder in more ways than one.
It has been passed uncut even though the blood flows more freely and the sex scenes are steamier, thanks to the two leading ladies, Rebecca Chen and Melody Low, leaving their inhibitions at the door.
The shock value is definitely there but the slightly predictable plot lets the film down.
Inspired by the adulterous Pan Jin Lian character in the classic Chinese novel Jin Ping Mei (The Golden Lotus), Chen plays Mia, a former prostitute who is freed from her trade after Quan (Sunny Pang), a butcher, buys her out.
They get married but his sexual inadequacies put a strain on their relationship and it doesn’t take long before Mia finds comfort in the arms (among other body parts) of young funeral director Wu (Louis Wu).
But that affair also sours when the terminally ill Xuan (Low) enters the picture and things get steamy between her and Wu before it leads to a very bloody climax.
Siew Lup pans out like those Category Three Hong Kong sexploitation flicks of the 90s with its soft-porn moments.
It’s a genre that has almost gone out of fashion in Asian cinema for years now so it’s very timely that Loh has stepped in to fill the niche.
The erotic thriller is not for everyone – where’s Yangtze Theatre when you need it most – but for those who like their films trashy, the search ends here.
Rating: C+
dylantan@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on Feb 24, 2017. Get The Business Times for more stories.
Awards seasons is approaching its highest points as the Academy Awards is slated next week.
Bets, comedy bits, and touching speeches are surely lined-up as the nominees deck themselves in a few designer pieces.
We are in for an interesting show, given the political tone previous awards shows have set and the general aura of Trump Taking.
Over. Everything. Hugely.
The Oscars have served as a touch point for the societal climate, whether it’s through the speeches of the winner or through the films that get chosen for specific nods.
We expect that this one will be no different.
Here’s what you need to know as we anticipate the show, two hours of people in nice clothes talking nicely about others.
Sometimes, that’s all the break we need.
#1 Jimmy Kimmel will be hosting
After Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen DeGeneres, and Chris Rock.
Jimmy Kimmel will break an almost decade-long tradition.
He will be the first late night show host in around 10 years to take on emcee duties at the Oscars.
How many Trump jokes will he pull?
Jimmy admits that the current US president is “topic no. 1, 2, and 4″.
#2 Will there be a Hamilton sing-along?
Musical acts will include Sting, Justin Timberlake, John Legend and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
They are set to perform all five nominees for Best Original Score including “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from Trolls and the anthem from Moana which was co-composed by Lin Manuel Miranda.
We’re still crossing our fingers that there will be a Hamilton part somewhere.
#3 Not-so-white no more
Unlike last year’s show, this year’s Oscars comes back with a vengeance from their #OscarsSoWhite faux pas.
Every acting category includes a person of colour with six black actors and seven actors from minorities.
Films up for awards include also protagonists in black or minority situations such as Fences, Hidden Figures, and Moonlight.
#4 Guess Who’s the Favorite?
La La Land is the unsurprising favourite with 14 nominations.
So far, the movie has nabbed a lot of accolades in previous awards shows.
The nominations include Best Motion Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Ryan Gosling.
This record was previously achieved by only by two other films: Titanic and All About Eve.
#5 Get ready to cry
The “In Memoriam” reel will remind us why 2016 sucked as it will play tribute to Carrie Fisher, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, Prince, and many other members of the Academy that made the magic happen backstage.
At the Budget 2017 announcement, there were many important points raised by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, and we’d like to talk about as many of them as possible. But Singaporeans seemed fixated on just one issue – the price of water.
And it’s not surprising, when you think about it. Just like water makes up 70 per cent of a human body, many Singaporeans think “the 70 per cent” are to blame for this newly announced price increase of 30 per cent.
30%! So much!
Knowing that the increase would be significant, Environment Minister Masagos tried to cushion the blow by announcing much earlier in the month that there would be a water price increase. But even then, I don’t think anyone expected such a significant increase.
It was only at Budget 2017 where the actual specifics were revealed. Minister Heng, in his Budget speech, tried to defend the increase by providing four main points: that production of water through desalination and NEWater plants were costly, the last time they increased the price of water was in 2000, the increase would be phased in slowly, and lastly, that households will be given rebates to defray the increased costs.
Assuming you’re not one of the three people who look at their utilities bill regularly, here’s the surprisingly complicated water pricing structure in Singapore.
Firstly, there’s the basic Water Tariff, which for households is currently $1.17 per cubic metre before GST if you use less than 40 cubic metres per month (i.e. anyone who doesn’t live in a bungalow), and $1.40 per cubic metre if you use more than 40 cubic metres of water a month (i.e. people who can afford it). The Water Tariff makes up the bulk of your water cost each month.
Secondly, there’s a Waterborne Fee and the Sanitary Appliance Fee. The Waterborne Fee is a variable fee and is currently charged $0.28 per cubic metre based on your usage. The Sanitary Appliance Fee is a fixed fee charged at a flat rate of $2.80 per fitting per month based on how many toilet bowls your property has. These two charges help offset the cost of maintaining, operating and expanding the country’s sewage systems.
Still with me? Good.
The third and final fee is the Water Conservation Tax. The government introduced this tax back in 1991 and set it at 30 per cent of the Water Tariff if you use 40 cubic metres of water or less each month, or 45 per cent of the Water Tariff if you use more than 40 cubic metres of water each month. It doesn’t represent the cost of producing water, it’s just a way to encourage you to conserve it.
So how does the announced increase in water price affect these charges?
The main point is that the increase affects ALL the various charges. What’s interesting is how they’ve increased at different rates. Most households in Singapore use 40 cubic metres of water or less each month. The Water Tariff, for us, will only increase from $1.17 per cubic metre of water to $1.19 later this year, to $1.21 per cubic metre from July 2018. That’s just an increase in 4 cents, or 3.4 per cent of the current Water Tariff.
Over the same period, our Water Conservation Tax will increase from 30 per cent to 50 per cent of the Water Tariff, or an increase of 26 cents per cubic metre of water, or a 76.4 per cent increase of the current Water Conservation Tax. While this seems like a significant amount, it’s in line with the Government’s consistent call in the past 25 years to conserve water.
However, what is very curious is the decision to merge the Waterborne Fee with the Sanitary Appliance Fee. The official reason is to be “more reflective of the volume of used water discharged”. In other words, just because your household has three toilet bowls doesn’t mean you go to the toilet three times more than the household with only one toilet bowl. That seems fair.
What doesn’t is how the Waterborne Fee has now jumped from $0.28 per cubic metre of water to $0.92 per cubic metre of water over the next two years. That’s a 64 cent increase per cubic metre of water, or a seeming 228 per cent increase!
Thanks to PUB here’s a quick table of the new water price changes:
Graphic: Public Utilities Board
And yes, these values are pre-GST.
That’s not how math works
Before you jump on the comments box and start flaming me for being a sensationalist troll, I know that I haven’t included the Sanitary Appliance Fee. But let’s look at a scenario – an HDB 5-room flat that, according to Singapore Power’s website, uses just 17.5 cubic metres of water a month. Let’s assume there are two toilet bowls in the flat.
The Waterborne Fee would currently be $4.90, and the Sanitary Appliance Fee would be 2 x $2.80 = $5.60, for a total of $10.50.
Come July 2018, the Waterborne Fee (which includes the Sanitary Appliance Fee) for the same amount of water usage would be $16.10. Even though it’s not a 228 per cent increase, it’s still a 53.3 per cent increase, and that’s still pretty alarming.
But all that being said, let’s just put things in perspective
Assume you live in a 5-room HDB flat that uses an average of 17.5 cubic metres of water a month. Currently, you’ll be paying $37.10 a month.
By July this year, assuming the same water usage, water will cost you $41.85 a month. By July 2018, assuming the same water usage, it’ll set you back $47.95 a month.
Yes, that’s almost a 30 per cent increase, but in real terms, it’s only $10.85 more a month by 2018. It’s not that much more.
All in all, over the next two years, assuming your water usage stays constant, you’ll be paying $1,012.50 for water, about $122.10 more than you normally would. But here’s the thing, as the owner of a 5-room flat – you’ll also be getting up to $260 in U-Save Rebates during that time, so there’s still a net benefit from the government.
The water price increase seems to be mainly to discourage businesses from wasting water, and with the U-Save rebates, is designed not to have a major impact on Singaporeans. But since this is just one of many small cost increases in Singapore over the past couple of months, one is led to wonder why our government seems determined to give us so many bitter pills to swallow.
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2017-02-21 11:48:42
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Budget 2017: Heng Swee Keat receives warm welcome back in Parliament
SINGAPORE – Passengers of SMRT Taxis will now incur a fixed administrative fee of $0.30, instead of the standard 10 per cent, when they pay by Mastercard.
As part of a launch promotion, this fee will be waived for the first 200,000 such payments made between March 1 and Aug 31.
SMRT said in a statement today (Feb 24) that the partnership with Mastercard “supports Singapore’s push towards promoting a cashless society and convenience in day-to-day transactions”.
SMRT Taxis are equipped with contactless payment terminals that accept transactions via not only credit cards, but also near-field communication platforms such as Android Pay and Apple Pay.
“The growth of digital payments has led to an evolution in both technology and infrastructure; we believe commuters will continue to enjoy the benefits of fast, secure contactless payments. On top of offering greater convenience, it is also more affordable for our cardholders,” Deborah Heng, country manager for Mastercard Singapore said.
