Her French husband, Mr Jerome Rouch-Sirech, 39, and their two children, one-year-old twins, were also injured in the incident.
Ms Angara, an Indian national, moved to Singapore in January 2013 when she joined global social and mobile payment platform Fastacash as its chief marketing and strategy officer.
She was previously vice-president of marketing at Myntra Designs in Bangalore, India.
Ms Angara, who studied at the University of Pennsylvania and Ithaca College in the United States, had also held positions at France-based company electronic payment company Ingenico and international food company General Mills.
She left Fastacash last year and joined Mastercard as its regional digital marketing head for Asia Pacific.
In a message sent to The Straits Times, Fastacash CEO Mark Carter said: “Radhika was a pivotal member of the Fastacash management team and an inspirational leader who garnered huge respect from all whom knew her.
“Radhika was always there to support colleagues through the Fastacash journey and will be deeply missed. Our condolences and deepest sympathies go to her family at this sad time.”
The Straits Times understands that Mr Rouch-Sirech was discharged from National University Hospital on Saturday night. He heads retail at Puma South East Asia, according to his Linkedin profile.
The family’s home is believed to be at a three-room condominium in the central part of Singapore.
A 26-year-old female Singaporean was also injured in the incident that took place at least 50m away from the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage.
The Straits Times understands that her name is Ms Tay Pei Lei and that she has been discharged too from NUH.
National Parks Board (NParks), which manages the Gardens, said it is investigating the reason the tree fell.
In an update on Sunday afternoon (Feb 12), NParks assured the public that it shares concerns about the safety of its trees in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, especially in view of the recent spate of intense weather conditions.
“We have completed a detailed check of all the trees in Palm Valley and they are safe. We are also in the midst of conducting more checks for trees in the vicinity of the Palm Valley (such as the Rainforest) and all the Heritage Trees in the Gardens,” said Dr Leong Chee Chiew, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation at NParks, in a statement.
Palm Valley, which was the site of the crash, remains closed to public access while clearance operations and investigations are ongoing. The rest of the Gardens remains open and is safe for the public to visit.
The Tembusu tree that fell was a heritage tree and inspected twice a year, which is of a higher frequency than other trees in the Gardens, Dr Leong added.
“This includes checks on the root collar, anchoring roots, crown, trunk and signs of soil movement. The tree was also protected by a lightning conductor and fenced off to prevent compaction of its root zone by visitors,” he said.
He added that leaf litter is routinely applied to the root zone to encourage healthy root growth. The tree was last inspected in September 2016 and was found to be healthy.
Dr Leong said it has increased the frequency of inspections of trees along expressways and major roads, and has taken steps to improve the general health of its trees, for example, such as pruning prior to periods of more severe weather conditions.
“Going forward, we are already developing modelling techniques to better understand the structural behaviour of trees under varying environmental conditions like rain, wind and soil,” he added.
He also urged the public not to speculate on the cause of the tree fall and allow the due process to take its course, as it is still investigating the incident.
Its priority now is to provide assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured, he said.
Correction note: An earlier version of the story said that Ms Angara was a marketing and strategy officer with Fastacash. Her last-held job should be a regional digital marketing head for Asia Pacific with Mastercard. We are sorry for the error.
This article was first published on Feb 12, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
She was chief marketing and strategy officer at global social and mobile payment platform Fastacash.
Her French husband, Mr Jerome Rouch-Sirech, 39, and their two children, one-year-old twins, were also injured in the incident.
The Straits Times understands that Mr Rouch-Sirech was discharged from National University Hospital on Saturday night. He heads retail at Puma South East Asia, according to his Linkedin profile.
The family’s home is believed to be at a three-room condominium in the central part of Singapore.
Ms Angara, an Indian national, moved to Singapore in January 2013 when she joined Fastacash. She was previously vice-president of marketing at Myntra Designs in Bangalore, India.
She had also held positions at Ingenico, France-based company electronic payment company, and General Mills, an international food company.
Ms Angara studied at the University of Pennsylvania and Ithaca College in the United States.
A 26-year-old female Singaporean was also injured in the incident that took place at least 50m away from the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage.
The Straits Times understands that her name is Ms Tay Pei Lei and that she has been discharged too from NUH.
National Parks Board (NParks), which manages the Gardens, said it is investigating the reason the tree fell.
In an update on Sunday afternoon (Feb 12), NParks assured the public that it shares concerns about the safety of its trees in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, especially in view of the recent spate of intense weather conditions.
“We have completed a detailed check of all the trees in Palm Valley and they are safe. We are also in the midst of conducting more checks for trees in the vicinity of the Palm Valley (such as the Rainforest) and all the Heritage Trees in the Gardens,” said Dr Leong Chee Chiew, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation at NParks, in a statement.
Palm Valley, which was the site of the crash, remains closed to public access while clearance operations and investigations are ongoing. The rest of the Gardens remains open and is safe for the public to visit.
The Tembusu tree that fell was a heritage tree and inspected twice a year, which is of a higher frequency than other trees in the Gardens, Dr Leong added.
“This includes checks on the root collar, anchoring roots, crown, trunk and signs of soil movement. The tree was also protected by a lightning conductor and fenced off to prevent compaction of its root zone by visitors,” he said.
He added that leaf litter is routinely applied to the root zone to encourage healthy root growth. The tree was last inspected in September 2016 and was found to be healthy.
Dr Leong said it has increased the frequency of inspections of trees along expressways and major roads, and has taken steps to improve the general health of its trees, for example, such as pruning prior to periods of more severe weather conditions.
“Going forward, we are already developing modelling techniques to better understand the structural behaviour of trees under varying environmental conditions like rain, wind and soil,” he added.
He also urged the public not to speculate on the cause of the tree fall and allow the due process to take its course, as it is still investigating the incident.
Its priority now is to provide assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured, he said.
This article was first published on Feb 12, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
BEIJING – In an effort to promote filial piety, a university in Fujian province has set aside 100,000 yuan (S$20,640) to reward students who returned home for the winter break.
Students at Xiamen University of Technology who returned home can enter a lottery through the college’s WeChat account to be reimbursed up to 500 yuan.
The money will be distributed in four rounds during the break, which lasts until the middle of this month. The winners of the first two rounds have already been announced.
According to the college, students were given a homework assignment to return home and help out, such as with spring cleaning or cooking the traditional Chinese New Year Eve reunion dinner, and to interact with their parents and grandparents.
The assignment was conceived in 2012 when academic leaders discovered many students were making use of the winter and summer holidays to work as interns or take part-time jobs rather than visit relatives.
The lottery to reimburse travel costs was introduced last year.
Lin Zhicheng, deputy Party chief of the university, said the assignment stems from the college’s education philosophy and is to foster students’ enthusiasm for their heritage, in addition to learning new knowledge and skills.
“Affection for one’s family is a basic responsibility. Many students, however, lack that affection,” he said.
“We object to socialising during the holidays, because students have many opportunities to do that, but less time to spend with their parents.”
The university’s efforts have seen positive results, Lin said.
“Before we introduced the initiative, 1,000 of our 20,000 students remained on campus during the winter holiday. Now, the number has declined to about 100.”
Cai Lingling, a student at the School of Cultural Industry and Tourism Management, welcomed the initiative and said students could also win money if they share photos or stories about their family on the university WeChat account.
“Before the special homework assignment, I tended to be lazy after just a few days of helping my parents with housework during the holidays. The homework is like a guiding light, reminding me about filial piety and the need to work harder,” she said.
Li Junfu, an associate professor of sociology at Beijing University of Technology, said the university’s special homework assignment could help students get more home education and preserve the country’s traditions, many of which are rooted in family life.
Tokyo – As Japan prepares to celebrate Valentine’s Day, a cranky group of marxist protesters have called for an end to public displays of love, claiming it hurts their feelings.
Members of ‘Kakuhido’, or the Revolutionary Alliance of Men that Women find Unattractive, unfurled a giant “Smash Valentine’s Day” banner as the party-poopers set off to try and overthrow the annual celebration of romance.
The grumpy comrades elicited curious looks from passers-by in the trendy Shibuya district where they rallied against commercialism and chanted other buzz-kill slogans such as “public smooching is terrorism!” “Our aim is to crush this love capitalism,” the group’s public relations chief Takayuki Akimoto told AFP.
“People like us who don’t seek value in love are being oppressed by society,” he added. “It’s a conspiracy by people who think unattractive guys are inferior, or losers – like cuddling in public, it makes us feel bad. It’s unforgivable.” Previously, the killjoy group has also protested against “housewives who control Japan’s future” as their hapless husbands work all hours at the office.
Valentine’s Day in Japan is a huge money-spinner for the confectionery business as women are traditionally expected to buy chocolates for the men in their lives – from lovers to work colleagues.
Men reciprocate a month later on White Day, a Japanese marketing brainwave dreamt up by confectioners in the 1980s to keep the cash tills ringing.
“The tradition of giving chocolates means you’re always competing,” said Akimoto, 33, blasting what his group calls the “passion-based capitalism” of Valentine’s Day.
“You’re judged by how many sweets you get. It’s a business strategy by the chocolate capitalists, it’s ridiculous.” Valentine’s Day originated as an ancient Christian and Roman tradition and Akimoto fumed: “Religious overtones have been twisted and turned into a vehicle to make money.” Japan is experiencing a loss of mojo with couples apparently too stressed or busy to have sex, frustrating government efforts to raise the birthrate as policymakers struggle to cope with a shrinking population.
Akimoto claims the group’s message has begun to hit home after 10 years of protests.
“Recently you hear of more people spending Christmas alone or women growing tired of Valentine’s Day,” he said. “We believe that through our fight, we’ve helped contribute to that social shift.” Kakuhido was founded in 2006 by Katsuhiro Furusawa, who began reading the Communist Manifesto after being dumped by his girlfriend and came to the conclusion that being unpopular with the opposite sex was a class issue, fuelling his anti-Valentine message.
Akimoto offered some advice for would-be disciples of the spoil-sport group, which also protests White Day and Christmas.
“We’re saying you don’t have to enjoy Christmas or Valentine’s Day,” he said joylessly, adding that Kakuhido is also taking aim at Halloween.
“Just spend the day doing normal things. Our enemy is formidable, but we are ready for a long, drawn-out war.”
As a school girl, Brigadier-General Gan Siow Huang joined the Brownies and, later, the Girl Guides, for a taste of adventure.
“It gave me the opportunity to meet more people and have outdoor adventures. I have good memories of campfires, outdoor cooking and camping in the school field,” recalls BG Gan, 43, the first woman Brigadier-General in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), who attained the one-star rank in 2015.
“There weren’t so many such opportunities back then and my family couldn’t afford them.”
The third of four children, her father was a taxi driver and her mother a housewife.
In fact, the Guiding movement did more than give her the adventures she craved – it played a role in her high-flying career.
“Being in a uniformed group, I felt a strong sense of identity. I was interested in the experience of leadership and teamwork, which was useful in my career when I joined the SAF,” says the commander of the Air Power Generation Command.
As a Girl Guide patrol leader in upper secondary school, BG Gan led small teams organising campfires and outings.
More than the skills she learnt, such as tying knots, using a compass and identifying the stars in the sky, she says the values the Guiding movement hold dear, such as integrity and bravery, have stuck with her.
BG Gan is the mother of three daughters, aged five, 10 and 14. Her husband, Mr Lee Jek Suen, 43, is the assistant vice-president of strategic planning at Jurong Port.
The Guiding movement in Singapore marks its 100th anniversary on Saturdaynot only with a sense of tradition, but also with a view towards helping girls and women take on present-day challenges.
Ms Kim Lay Eng, Chief Commissioner of Girl Guides Singapore, says: “Some things about Guiding haven’t really changed. Girls today still enjoy making friends. They learn to be independent and bond through unique Guiding experiences such as camping and sleeping outdoors.”
Girl Guides Singapore has close to 9,000 members in more than 190 units of Brownies – for children in primary schools – and Guides, from Secondary 1 to 5, numbering more than other girls-only uniformed groups, says a Girl Guides Singapore spokesman.
Guiding is offered as a co-curricular activity (CCA) in more than 55 per cent of primary and secondary schools.
Ms Kim says the movement stays relevant by keeping pace with the expectations of girls today and seeking to meet their future needs.
This includes having technology- based programmes, international opportunities and recognition for individual and group efforts.
Some changes in Guiding in Singapore over the years involve how girls apply the skills they learn.
For instance, youngsters who learn about flora and fauna can share their knowledge with visitors to Gardens by the Bay and Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.
In the past, they would each have been tasked with creating a scrapbook.
Another contemporary programme is Free Being Me, in which girls are taught body confidence and self-belief.
Previously, a similar scheme would focus more on learning about personal hygiene and grooming.
On the Centenary Celebration World Thinking Day on Saturday, more than 5,000 girls, Guiding leaders and volunteers are expected to attend a commemorative event held at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which features activities such as picnics and performances.
Girl Guides Singapore comprises not only Brownies and Guides, but also other units such as the Young Adults – for those aged 17 to 25 – and the Trefoil Guild for older women who were former Guides.
But one of the movement’s most prominent advocates of nearly 60 years was never a Guide.
Puan Noor Aishah, 84, wife of Singapore’s first President Yusof Ishak, became the first Asian president of Singapore Girl Guides Association as the movement was known then in 1959, the year Singapore attained self-government.
After Singapore gained independence in 1965, she was installed as the patron of the movement.
Veteran Guiding leaders credit her with helping to raise funds for the movement when funding was scarce, and with helping to secure a plot of land for the Guiding headquarters in the Clemenceau area in the 1960s.
She says she supported the movement because she believed in its values, which she felt were especially relevant during Singapore’s formative years.
“It was about how to bring up girls to be good citizens, to never think about race, to help one another. That was exactly what all of us needed,” says the mother of three children, grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of 12.
Even after her husband died in office in 1970, she has continued to support the movement, for example, by accepting invitations for dinners and fund-raising events.
“From time to time, I will help them because we are friends,” says Puan Noor Aishah, who has an award for Brownies and Guides named after her, and is a recipient of the Laurel Leaf award for distinguished service to the movement.
The Guiding movement also remains in the heart of former Girl Guide, Ms Chua Sock Koong, 59, group CEO of Singtel. She says Guiding has helped her in her career.
“I’d like to think the Guides motto – Be Prepared – has somehow stayed with me all these years.”
Training in her youth helped in Everest feat
The foundations for the mental and physical resilience that Ms Lee Li Hui needed to climb Mount Everest was laid when she was a Girl Guide.
She says: “Guiding laid the foundation for making one more confident in the outdoors.”
Ms Lee, 35, was the first Singapore woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 8,848m, in 2009.
She was part of the Singapore Women’s Everest Team, the first all-female expedition from Singapore to scale the summit.
Training on a demanding schedule for five years before their feat was a mental challenge because they did not know if they would be selected from an initial team of 28 members, says Ms Lee, a product innovation manager in the reinsurance industry.
The training took place most days of the week and included climbing a 30-storey HDB block several times, carrying backpacks weighing about 20kg, with 5kg ankle weights strapped on.
On the mountain, steely nerves were also needed to keep climbing in minus 40 deg C conditions, where “one’s toes and fingers were always cold to the point of pain”, she says.
The expedition team was whittled down to six members, five of whom made it to the top of Everest. One team member did not because of illness.
Ms Lee, who is married to a 36-year-old professional in the oil and gas industry, has been drawn to outdoor challenges since her youth.
In 2013, she crossed 560km of Greenland in icy conditions on skis, a feat she accomplished with her friend, Ms Jane Lee, who led the all-woman Everest expedition.
Since Everest, Ms Lee Li Hui has also climbed to the summit of Aconcagua in Argentina, the world’s second-highest peak after Everest, in 2011.
Ms Lee, who has no children, recalls meeting her fellow guides frequently after school ended to plan annual campfires and other activities.
“I remember soaking firewood in kerosene, which is no longer the practice now. We had splinters in our hands and it made us feel rugged,” she says with a smile.
“When you’re mountaineering, you put your life in the hands of one another. Towards the end of the Everest climb, it was the commitment to the team goal that drove me. It was not letting others down.”
Milestones
1910: The founder of the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, formally launches the Guide movement after a few girls gate- crashed a Boy Scout event in London, pleading for “something for the girls”.
1917: The Singapore Girl Guide movement started as part of the Malayan Girl Guides Association.
1935: A Guiding contingent was registered at St Andrew’s Orthopaedic Hospital, signalling inclusivity. Six girls with tuberculosis made the Brownie Promise – a pledge to observe Guiding principles – while lying in their hospital beds.
1939: Girl Guides in Singapore contributed to the war effort in the European theatre of World War II, by knitting garments, collecting foil for recycling and packing bandages and other medical supplies.
1942-1945: Singapore Guiding activities were halted during the Japanese Occupation. Guides hid flags, Guiding literature, badges, awards and uniforms, which were used after the war. 1950: The Singapore movement sent its first overseas delegation of eight Guides to attend a camp in Perth, Australia, marking the start of more international interaction.
1956: As part of the movement’s first Bob-A-Job Week – a fund-raising event – 800 Girl Guides scrubbed floors, cleaned windows and looked after babies.
1967: A Guide Company for deaf children was started.
1990: Singapore started hosting international Guiding events, beginning with the 27th World Conference of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
1994: The first Annual Cookie Sale was launched, raising $137,000. Brownies and Guides sell tins of cookies every year to raise funds for the movement.
2000: President’s Guide Awards were conferred on 25 Guides, a record number. The annual award is the highest accolade that a Boy Scout or Girl Guide can receive in Singapore.
venessal@sph.com.sg
Commemorative stamps featuring four prominent women associated with Guiding will be sold at the Singapore Botanic Gardens gift shops on Saturday and thereafter at the Guide Shop, 9 Bishan Street 14. The stamps include wartime heroine Elizabeth Choy; President Yusof Ishak’s widow, Puan Noor Aishah; Brigadier-General Gan Siow Huang; and mountaineer Lee Li Hui. For online orders, go to www.girlguides.org.sg.
This article was first published on Feb 12, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
Is someone spritzing pheromones in the air at Mediacorp?
Celebrities are falling in love left, right and centre, with three new star couples coming to light in the past year.
The new lovebirds are actors Jeffrey Xu and Felicia Chin; actor Shane Pow and actress-radio DJ Kimberly Wang; and actress Jesseca Liu and comedian Jeremy Chan.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, The Sunday Times checks in with the new couples to find out more about their budding romances.
The most tight-lipped of the three pairs are Liu, 37, and Chan, 35, who were first spotted shopping at Chinatown’s Chinese New Year Bazaar last year.
They denied dating then and confirmed their relationship only later in the year.
Since then, they have kept a low profile and rarely talk about their love life in interviews.
But the Malaysian actress once revealed why she was attracted to her partner. “He is serious and innocent. I find him reliable.”
They declined to be interviewed for this story.
In contrast, the other two couples are more open about their affection for each other – to a certain extent.
Last year, Shanghai-born Xu, 28, and Singaporean Chin, 31, revealed that they were an item. But they had been dating for almost a year before that.
Both were winners of local talent hunt Star Search – she won in 2003 and he in 2010.
Between the two, Chin is the more established performer, often landing leading roles, such as those in upcoming Channel 8 drama Legal Eagles and online Mandarin series 2589 Days Apart.
Xu is still finding his footing in the entertainment industry.
Last year, he made strides by winning his first popularity prize at the Star Awards and making his movie debut in local comedy Young And Fabulous (2016).
Chin and Xu got closer as friends on the set of period blockbuster The Journey: Our Homeland (2015), where they played mother and son.
In between takes, they chatted about travel and books, and bonded over their Christian faith.
At some point, she gave him a book about travelling by Taiwanese singer Cheer Chen.
He says: “I was touched by the fact that she was listening intently to our conversation and remembered what I like.”
Later, Chin recalls searching for Xu’s name when she got hold of the filming schedule of the Channel 8 long-form drama Life – Fear Not (2015-2016), in which they played lovers.
“I realised that I had feelings for him when I got the rundown and would anticipate if his name was there,” she says. “I was very happy when I saw his name.”
Photo: The Straits Times
He asked her to be his girlfriend on the way to the TV station at Caldecott Hill in December 2015. She agreed and they held hands for the first time.
On their decision to go public with the relationship much later, Chin says: “Once we announced it, people would start asking us questions. We wanted to strengthen our bond first. It’s the same with every young relationship, it’s no different just because we are actors.”
Although both of them are serious about the relationship and usually date with the intention of marriage in mind, they say it is too early to speak of them walking down the aisle.
“But who knows?” Xu laughs. “Maybe when I win a Best Actor award one day, I might propose to her on stage?”
Less coy about their dating life are Pow, 26, a television actor and former Manhunt contestant, and Wang, 26, a 98.7FM radio DJ.
Photo: The Straits Times
They are most demonstrative on social media and their Instagram accounts are filled with blissful wefies, goofy videos and dedications to each other.
They got to know each other better during drum lessons to prepare for the President’s Star Charity in 2015.
Pow, who is filming Channel 5 series Faculty, says: “I would check the schedule to see who was going for the rehearsals. I remember there was once I went and she wasn’t there. I was so disappointed.”
He pursued her for about eight months with “the tenacity of a cockroach”, she says.
She was a child actress and recently starred in Channel 5’s Rojak (2016) and Web series K.O. (2016).
He hung around the radio station to chat with her, asked her out for supper and gave her lifts because her house was “en route” to his home.
“Then I realised he lives in Woodlands,” she says. “I live in the east. He would say, ‘Yah it’s on the way, it’s linked by one expressway.'”
The benefit of both of them working in the same industry is that they can give each other constructive feedback.
For example, he once pointed out that she tended to speak too quickly and that listeners may have trouble understanding her.
What if there are going to be physical scenes in the course of their work, such as the steamy one where Pow made out with actress Oon Shu An for local anthology movie, 4Love (2016)?
Wang says: “That was before we got together, so I don’t care. Now that we are in a relationship, it is basic respect to tell me beforehand.”
It is too early to talk about marriage as the pair want to be financially stable first.
Pow, who is investing in a yakitori restaurant, Mojo, which opens later this month, is ever practical.
He says: “We have to work hard. We are not born rich and we are not super rich now.”
SWIPING RIGHT FOR MR RIGHT
Photo: The Straits Times
Most guys would be stressed out about meeting their girlfriends’ parents for the first time – what more if his girlfriend is one of Singapore’s top models and a familiar face on television.
But Sheila Sim’s then-boyfriend, now-fiance hit it off with her family from the start.
Her mother, a 56-year-old helper at a bakery, loved him.
The meeting, two months into their relationship, went so well that Sim’s father, a 62-year-old taxi driver, predicted the couple would get hitched soon.
His hunch was right.
On New Year’s Eve last year, on a snowy mountain in Hokkaido where the couple were on a snowboarding vacation, her boyfriend, whom she declines to name, got down on one knee and proposed to her with a blue sapphire ring.
The proposal came about six months after Sim swiped right on a dating app on the profile of a 36- year-old Singaporean Chinese in the finance industry.
The couple have yet to set a wedding date, but are looking to hold an “intimate, unique” ceremony.
Sim, 32 and an only child, who was last seen in Channel 8 blockbuster series Hero (2016) and ongoing long-form sequel 118, had been single for two years.
Although her social circles revolve around the glitterati of the fashion and entertainment industry, she says it was not easy finding dates.
“People think it is easy to get to know new people because we meet a lot of people in this industry. But I cannot go up to a random guy and say, ‘Can I buy you a drink?’ There are still certain boundaries.”
Enter the dating app. Filtering her matches to only men with whom she had mutual friends, she met two guys in the flesh.
The second one is her current fiance.
She met him to eat Hokkien mee at a hawker centre five days after they started chatting.
That quick lunch extended to a jog around East Coast Park and then dinner – a date spanning nine hours.
When they had been chatting on the app, he initially had no idea she was a supermodel and actress.
She revealed her identity to him only days before meeting him for the first time.
She says: “I won’t want to date someone who is interested in me because of my work or who I hang out with. What matters is whether we get along, if we make each other laugh and if we like each other’s families.”
The lovebirds are inseparable and have seen each other almost every day since their first date. They bonded over a common love for sports and food.
Perhaps it also helped that the mystery guy is taller than the 1.74m tall model.
Sim says: “He has ‘puppy eyes’ that make him look so ‘poor thing’ all the time. It’s a compliment because it means I want to sayang him all the time.”
What sealed the deal was their first trip two months after going steady.
They trekked Mount Rinjani in Indonesia. It was a test of their physical stamina and compatibility, a “make or break” for the relationship, says Sim.
She need not have worried. Even in the challenging terrain, he made sure to put her first.
“Even when he was having a very hard time, his priority was me. He later casually joked that if we survived the trip together, he could marry me.”
Celebrity couples going strong
Actress Fann Wong, 46, and actor Christopher Lee, 45
Photo: TCS
In 1998, audiences were glued to the romance of the swashbuckling swordsman and his Little Dragon Girl on Channel 8’s period series Return Of The Condor Heroes (pictured).
The couple continued to fascinate viewers as their love story unfolded on and off set.
They played lovers in local idol drama Looking For Stars (2000) and rom-com flick The Wedding Game(2009).
They kept the press and public guessing about their relationship before coming clean in 2005.
They wed in 2009 and welcomed son, Zed, on National Day in 2014.
Actor Zheng Geping, 52, and actress Hong Huifang, 56
Photo: The Straits Times
Local television’s sexiest hunkle Zheng first held his colleague Hong’s hand after a group date on Valentine’s Day in 1990.
Fast forward two decades and they have been happily married for 25 years and are the proud parents of daughter, Tay Ying, 20, and son, Calvert Tay, 16 (pictured).
Zheng and Hong played a couple in Grandma Positioning System (GPS), one of the seven works in the film anthology, 7 Letters (2015).
Actor Andie Chen, 31, and actress-host Kate Pang, 33
Photo: Andie Chen
After months of denying their relationship, the celebrities dropped a bomb in 2013.
Local actor Chen and Taiwan-born Pang admitted they had been dating secretly for a year, gotten married and had a baby on the way.
That baby, called Aden (right, with the couple), is now two years old. The couple also welcomed a daughter, Avery, last year.
Viewers can catch a glimpse of the Chens’ life on their YouTube channel, Kandie Network, which features Aden’s home birth video and episodes on parenting tips.
They once starred as a couple in the prison drama, Break Free (2013).
Suria actress-host Huda Ali, 30, and actor Den Sabari, 36
Photo: The New Paper
The couple (pictured) met at her brother’s wedding in 2005 where Den played the traditional Malay instrument, kompang.
She was intrigued and reached out to him over social media platform Friendster. They dated for five years before tying the knot in 2010.
They have a daughter, Leia Qaseh, four. They also run their own business- LalooLalang, an events firm that organises pop-up bazaars.
She will be hosting Suria’s awards show, Pesta Perdana, next month.
He will start filming the sequel to popular Suria drama, Menantu International.
Actress Chen Liping, 51, and actor Rayson Tan, 52
Photo: Mediacorp Channel 8
The couple did not have a wedding photoshoot when they tied the knot almost two decades ago in 1998.
In fact, the fuss-free Chen did not even wear a wedding gown on the day.
One reason was that they could always rely on wedding shots taken for work, such as those for long-form drama Life -Fear Not (2015, pictured) and social drama Golden Shenton Way(1990).
The couple have a son, Xavier, 15.
Vasantham host-actor-singer Elamaran Natarajan, 45, and actress-host Jaenani Netra, 40
Photo:Jaenani Netra
An unsuspecting Netra got her break in show business while supporting her husband (both pictured) at a studio recording of a programme he was hosting.
She was talent-spotted by an assistant producer and made her debut hosting a youth programme in 1997 on the channel, then called Vasantham Central.
She moved onto acting and can be seen on Vasantham’s family drama, Alaipayuthey.
Natarajan sings on the song-dance variety show Maalai Maalai Vasantham and will be hosting the upcoming variety show Enna Nadakuthu on the channel.
They have been married for almost two decades and have three daughters, aged 14, nine and four.
nggwen@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on Feb 12, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) on Sunday (Feb 12) said it completed a detailed check on the trees in the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Palm Valley, a day after a massive Tembusu tree in the area fell, killing a woman and injuring four other people.
In a media statement, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation Dr Leong Chee Chiew said that the checks showed that the other trees in the area were safe, and added that NParks officials are in the midst of checking more trees in the Palm Valley vicinity.
Palm Valley remains closed to the public while investigations continue and the fallen tree is being cleared.
Dr Leong added that the rest of the Botanic Gardens remains open and is safe for the public to visit.
The Tembusu tree that fell was more than 270 years old and predates the establishment of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It was 40m tall with a 6.5m girth, and brought down surrounding palm trees when it fell. The tree was last inspected in September 2016, NParks said, adding that such inspections include checks on the root collar, anchoring roots, crown, trunk and signs of soil movement.
“We want to assure the public that we share concerns about the safety of our trees in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, especially in view of the recent spate of intense weather conditions,” said Dr Leong, adding that NParks has, over time, stepped up inspections in response to “increasingly unpredictable and severe weather conditions”.
(Photo: Wendy Wong)
Dr Leong noted that previously, trees along expressways and major roads were inspected once every 12 to 18 months, and that since 2012, NParks has increased the frequency of inspections to once every six to 12 months. Since November 2016, trees more than 4m in girth are also subject to yearly detailed second-level inspections, he said.
Besides inspections, NParks also takes measures like routine mulching to supplement the regular application of fertilisers, and pruning techniques to improve the structure and balance of trees, he said.
“Going forward, we are already developing modelling techniques to better understand the structural behaviour of trees under varying environmental conditions like rain, wind and soil,” said Dr Leong.
He also urged the public not to speculate on why the Tembusu fell, saying that NParks is still investigating the incident and its priority now is to help the families of the woman who was killed as well as those who were injured.
SINGAPORE – An orphaned Vietnamese baby with hydrocephalus is now fighting for his life at a Singapore hospital.
A crowdfunding campaign for his operations at the KK Women & Children’s Hospital has been set up by restaurant owner Nguyen Hong Thao, 33.
Seven-month-old Loc Pham Duc Loc was abandoned at Van Buc Temple in the southern coastal province of Ben Tre last July.
The monks took him in and he joined more than 90 orphans living at the temple. But two months later, a doctor conducting medical checks on the orphans found that baby Loc had “a problem with his head”, Ms Nguyen, who runs Thien Long Vietnamese Restaurant, told The Straits Times.
He has hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain”, a build-up of the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain.
Loc was treated at two hospitals in Vietnam, but about a month after his second surgery, he was pronounced incurable by the doctor, she said.
The Vietnamese community in Singapore, who learnt of his plight, suggested to Vietnamese monk Thich Le Hieu to bring baby Loc to the city state, Ms Nguyen said.
Photo: Nguyen Hong Thao
Baby Loc came to Singapore on Jan 12, and was admitted to KKH on the same day.
He has had two surgeries performed so far and has another scheduled on Monday (Feb 13), Ms Nguyen said.
His condition has improved in the month since he came to Singapore, she said.
But he is undergoing at least one more operation on Monday.
Ms Nguyen explained on the Give Asia website that the fluid in Loc’s brain was confined in one part of the brain, but it has now flowed to various parts, complicating his situation.
Doctors will insert a camera in his brain on Monday so they can observe the fluid and find a way to move it to one spot for easier drainage.
Failing that, they may have to remove part of Loc’s skull to drain the fluid. The operations will cost another $20,000 to $40,000.
Before this, they have racked up fees of more than $70,000 for his treatment and hospital stay.
The online campaign has raised about $74,000 as of Sunday afternoon, and Ms Nguyen said other kind donors have provided at least $30,000 more, but they are unsure how much more may be needed as more treatment is required.
The hydrocephalus has also caused Loc to develop problems with his eyes and lungs. The condition has affected much of his brain function, but they hope it can recover partially when the fluid is drained.
Many Singaporeans have also chipped in to help, and to spread the campaign on social media.
One of those who came across the online appeal was Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng, who visited Loc on Friday.
He also helped to spread the word for Loc on his Facebook page.
Mr Ng wrote: “Visited baby Loc today and it was heartbreaking and painful to see a little baby with so many tubes attached to him…I also met the Singaporean, her friends and the temple monk who have been helping him.”
Mr Ng told The Straits Times he will visit Loc again after his latest operation.
“I don’t think there’s a worse situation for a baby to be in, if there’s anything I can do to help I should,” he said.
The people who have got together to help a baby who is unrelated to them deserve recognition, he added.
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2013-08-03 17:44:57
Photo Gallery
Baby girl with swollen head survives multiple surgeries
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This article was first published on Feb 12, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
SEOUL – South Korea’s special prosecutor said its investigation team would again summon Samsung Group scion Jay Y. Lee on Monday to question him on suspicion of bribery, as part of its investigation into a political corruption scandal.
Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman for the special prosecutor, told a news briefing the office would decide later whether to seek another arrest warrant for Lee after his questioning on Monday. The special prosecution team would also question two other Samsung executives on Monday, the spokesman said.
A South Korean court last month dismissed an arrest warrant against the head of Samsung Group, the country’s largest conglomerate, who is embroiled in the graft scandal that has led parliament to impeach President Park Geun-hye, a decision that must be upheld or overturned by a court.
The auxiliary police officer who died in an accident at Tuas Checkpoint on Friday is believed to be the first Certis Cisco officer killed by a member of the public while on duty.
The family will receive financial assistance, including insurance scheme payouts and donations from Certis Cisco staff members, said the private security firm.
It declined to disclose the amount the family will receive.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said there are safety measures in place for its officers, but declined to elaborate as the case is under police investigation.
Both ICA and Certis Cisco said they will conduct a review on the incident.
Lance Corporal Norman Samri, 33, died after he was knocked down by a car at Tuas Checkpoint at 2.30am on Friday.
He and two other auxiliary police officers had been diverting traffic from one of the departure viaduct’s three lanes, where there had been a minor accident.
A Malaysian driver, believed to have been drink driving, suddenly swerved into another lane and ploughed into Lance Cpl Norman.
The other two officers managed to jump out of harm’s way.
Certis Cisco said the last officer who died in the line of duty was in 2012, in a freak accident.
The officer had fallen off his bike after avoiding a falling tree branch and was run over by a van driven by a colleague.
Both of them were escorting a prime mover to the airport.
Lance Cpl Norman’s family members told the Chinese evening papers that they will not be able to forgive the driver for his rash act and that they hope that the 28-year-old driver will get his due punishment.
Lance Cpl Norman, a bachelor, was the youngest of the family’s seven children and he lived with his parents in a three-room flat in Yuan Ching Road.
According to his 70-year-old father, Lance Cpl Norman loved his job and often volunteered to work overtime.
The young man wrote on his Facebook page last month that he was glad to be back at work. He had been absent for a week after getting injured in a bike accident on Christmas Eve.
Each time before he left for work, he would grasp his parents’ hands and tell them that he loved them.
Last December, a man in his 50s was killed at the Tuas Checkpoint after a crash involving a lorry and two motorcycles.
