A Hindu shrine which illegally occupied land along the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway tracks for five years has finally started moving out.

The Sri Thandavaalam Muneeswaran Alayam shrine now rents a space on the top floor of a three-storey building in Upper Bukit Timah Road for $350 a month.

The shrine started relocating its deities to the new site on Tuesday, and the management hopes to finish moving items by next Monday, three days ahead of the deadline to vacate the state land.

This comes after the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) last month issued an encroachment notice to the shrine’s representatives, stating that they had to move by next Thursday.

Otherwise, SLA will have to take legal action to take possession of the land.

Civil servant Adaikalam Annadhurai, the shrine’s treasurer, told The Straits Times that the move from Queensway “isn’t easy”.

“We’ve been here for so long,” he said. “We feel a sense of belonging, but we have no choice but to go.”

The new site, also near the former KTM railway tracks, is a 15-minute drive away.The management said the location is temporary.

They are still on the lookout for a permanent place around Bukit Merah, said Mr Annadhurai, 65.

The shrine was originally under a flyover at the intersection of Queensway and Portsdown Avenue. It was built by workers of Malaysian train operator KTM more than 20 years ago.

In its advisory last December, SLA said it had been engaging the shrine’s representatives since 2011, after KTM stopped train services there and the land was returned to Singapore.

SLA said it gave them ample notice to relocate, and also worked with other agencies to find alternative options, including sharing space with temples.

But the shrine’s management committee of about 20 people rejected those options.

The shrine previously stood on land that is not zoned for religious use.

The land is also part of the Rail Corridor, which is earmarked for redevelopment, SLA said.

calyang@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Feb 10, 2017.
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When it rains, it pours for residents living in a Tiong Bahru block.

During a heavy downpour, domestic worker Aye Aye Naing, 34, steps in and out of the lift on the ground floor of Block 10A, Boon Tiong Road with an umbrella.

“I need to protect the boy when I take him to his childcare centre,” she said, pointing to her employer’s three-year-old son.

Heavy rain can send water flowing along the second-storey corridor of the Tiong Bahru block, where it slips into the gaps between the four lift doors and cars.

So those braving the lifts in the 30-storey block will have to walk through a wall of water. The Tanjong Pagar Town Council, which maintains the estate, is seeking to fix the problem.

“From our investigations, during a heavy downpour, the water flows from the Block 11A multi-storey carpark roof garden, which is connected to Block 10A Boon Tiong Road by a ramp,” a spokesman for the town council said.

The ramp, which runs up two floors, is unsheltered. During a heavy downpour, water flows down the ramp onto the second- storey corridor.

“We will be working with HDB to find a way to add more drainage and a cover to the ramp to prevent the rainwater from flowing to the lift lobby,” the spokesman said.

She added that there have been 19 complaints from residents so far, and that the issue occurs “only during very heavy downpours”.

The Build-To-Order block has been up for about two years.

The rainwater issue came to light after a video yesterday went viral online, garnering over 9,000 views in eight hours.

Those The Straits Times spoke to yesterday said the problem had been raised with the town council and HDB on a few occasions.

“We have a Facebook group for residents living here, and there have been posts about this problem. Members have informed the town council and HDB,” said Ms Clara Yeo, a claims officer.

The 31-year-old has been living in the block for about two years, but has never experienced the lift showers.

Ms Amy Ng, 43, an administrative assistant who was visiting her mother-in-law who lives in the block, said: “There’s shelter all the way, so you think you are safe from the rain. But in the end, it rains at the lift. It’s troublesome for the residents here.”

The town council spokesman said it has liaised with HDB to address the issue, and has tried to ensure the drainage at the roof garden is not clogged. The lifts have been functioning normally.

“We would like to assure our residents that the lift is safe for use and that our lift company regularly checks the safety of the lift,” she said.

Read also: Christmas Eve downpours cause ‘rain’ in lifts at Toa Payoh, Tampines

jalmsab@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Feb 10, 2017.
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In last year’s Budget, the Government set aside $20 million to help young children from low-income families in their learning and development.

The three-year pilot, KidStart, will benefit 1,000 children living in Kreta Ayer, Bukit Merah, Taman Jurong, Boon Lay and Geylang Serai.

Last July, 13-month-old Mathilda Wong was put in a playgroup when the programme was rolled out. After being around other toddlers, she is now more sociable, said her mother, Madam Melissa Lee, 22.

KidStart helps children aged up to six in three ways: home visits to ensure babies up to a year old have good nutrition and care; playgroups for those aged one to three; and executives at pre-schools to make sure children are going to school.

Mr Alfred Tan, chief executive of the Singapore Children’s Society, said the help given to these children to ready them for primary school is vital, since their parents are not likely to do so themselves .

National University of Singapore (NUS) sociologist Tan Ern Ser said: “I have always advocated that helping a child is not merely a matter of giving money, but also of access to social and cultural capital, and KidStart has these ingredients.”

Read also: Bolstering Singapore’s fintech capabilities in Budget 2017

KidStart is one of the latest social policies to have been introduced. Last year’s Budget also presented the $320 million Silver Support Scheme to supplement the income of older Singaporeans.

Experts said a shift to the left took place after the 2011 General Election, which the ruling People’s Action Party won with its lowest vote share since independence.

The party saw the message that not everyone had enjoyed the fruits of economic growth equally, and noted that those who were struggling were unhappy their concerns seemed to go unnoticed.

NUS political observer Bilveer Singh said previous welfare schemes were ad hoc, adding: “Since 2011, the Government has adopted a mantra of helping the poor, realising that if it does not do so, it will be politically punished with more seats lost.”

With globalisation and a restructuring economy taking their toll on an ageing workforce, the Government has had to play a bigger role to ensure that wealth is distributed more equally.

Singapore Management University (SMU) law don Eugene Tan said: “There’s a recognition (that) social safety nets must be strengthened in the light of changing demographics – ageing population, smaller families.”

Read also: Minister Heng Swee Keat to deliver 2017 Budget Statement on Feb 20

So this year’s Budget, to be delivered in Parliament on Feb 20, will contain more help for the elderly, young families and those with disabilities, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah told reporters on Tuesday.

Experts said they hope to see KidStart expanded into a permanent nationwide programme.

Also on their wish list: employment and income security; enhanced equality of opportunity; and help for families with children, seniors, people with special needs and single parents.

“KidStart may well be the start of more elaborate schemes of assistance for children from disadvantaged homes,” said SMU’s Prof Tan.

“We must strive to ensure that access to opportunities and social mobility remain robust. Equality of opportunity is more than a noble aspiration. It’s an imperative if we are to avoid a society riven between the haves and the have-nots.”

$20m: Amount earmarked to help young kids from low-income homes in their learning, health, development.

1,000: Number of children who will benefit during the three-year pilot.

This article was first published on Feb 10, 2017.
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While many food and beverage companies were struggling a few years ago to find enough workers to stay afloat, The Lo & Behold Group opened a new learning and development department to help its staff advance their careers.

Staff attend training courses during work hours, and chief operating officer Andrew Ing will attend external courses to personally evaluate them before recommending them to the staff.

Another focus is on giving its workers new assignments and projects so that they can keep learning, said Mr Ing. “We want to have an engaged workforce that is motivated and sees a long and healthy career with us,” he said.

The group, which runs restaurants and bars such as The White Rabbit and Loof, has an average annual training budget of about $1,500 for each full-time employee. It has about 300 full-time and 150 part-time workers.

Although Mr Ing admits that one downside of investing a lot in its workers is the risk of firms poaching them, he believes that if his company culture is good, they will return.

“It is also important to build a pipeline of good people coming in,” he said.

The firm’s managers also work with employees during appraisals to discuss goals for professional development. He said: “I tell the staff that development is the responsibility of the individual. You have to set goals and see how to achieve them, and we can support you.”

For example, staff who love coffee and want to be a barista can take a certain pathway that the company would recommend, with training courses and books to read.

Every five years, staff can also take a month-long sabbatical to pursue any interest, on company time.

One employee who tapped the company’s training budget is Ms Betty Wong, 44.

The company covered some of the course fees for an advanced management programme in hospitality administration and management that she wanted to attend two years ago. The four-week course was split between Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Cornell University in New York.

Ms Wong was then general manager of restaurant operations. Now, she is director of operations systems. She said the course taught her strategic marketing and finance skills, and gave her a better understanding of hotel operation systems.

She contributed to the launch of the group’s first hotel, The Warehouse Hotel, last month.

“I also got to meet a lot of people from the industry and built valuable contacts that I occasionally lean on for advice,” she said.

This article was first published on Feb 10, 2017.
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The Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) Changi Naval Base will soon get a new name.

The 86ha naval facility’s name will include RSS Singapura, after one of the RSN’s first vessels, The Straits Times (ST) has learnt.

The new name, “RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base”, will take effect on May 15.

ST understands that the Ministry of Defence will make more announcements in the coming months.

The renaming is believed to be one of the initiatives to commemorate the RSN’s 50th anniversary.

The RSS Singapura was one of three ships which the then Singapore Naval Volunteer Force (SNVF) – which was officially founded on May 5, 1967 – started with.

It was a former Japanese minelayer that was berthed at Telok Ayer Basin and was used by the SNVF as its headquarters from 1966 to 1968.

Two other ships, the RSS Panglima (Malay for “warrior”) patrol craft and RSS Bedok, a former police patrol craft, plied the waters.

The RSN has also previously named a land-based facility after a vessel. The title of “RSS Panglima” is now prefixed to Changi Naval Training Base, which is near Changi Naval Base. The RSS Panglima was decommissioned in 1991.

Dr Collin Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ maritime security programme, said: “Naming a shore-based installation after a ship is not unique, and is practised by other navies.”

Dr Koh said the name “RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base” will serve as a reminder of the RSN’s history and build esprit de corps.

“It is something to be proud of. The RSN has progressed from having rickety old gunboats to becoming a modern fleet comparable to some of the best in the world.”

Mr Adrian Villanueva, 77, a business consultant, got married on the ship in December 1965. He was a naval volunteer reserve officer from 1963 to 1966.

“The RSS Singapura was used as a headquarters and for training, and for functions to host dignitaries and naval officers. It is an excellent name for a naval base,” he said.

Changi Naval Base was officially opened in 2004. The RSN’s other naval base is in Tuas.

This article was first published on Feb 10, 2017.
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After months of practising a jaunty dance routine to the Malay folk tune Rasa Sayang, the catchy ditty is now stuck in Kazakhstani student Azamat Ainakulov’s head.

“This is a song I learnt in Singapore that will stay with me all my life,” says the 18-year-old with a laugh.

Mr Ainakulov, who is pursuing a diploma in engineering, is among 59 international students from the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) who have signed up for the Chingay parade this year.

Hailing from 11 countries, including Russia, Myanmar, China and South Korea, they will be wearing red-and-white cheerleader outfits and will end their Rasa Sayang performance with a bang in an upbeat cheerleading dance.

The annual Chinese New Year parade will take place tonight and tomorrow evening at the F1 Pit Building.

This is the third year MDIS is participating in Chingay, says Ms Jesline Wong, the institution’s director of corporate and student development, as it is one way for international students to “integrate into the local community and to encourage their participation in events and activities within and outside of MDIS”.

Indonesian student Evelyn Frances, 19, heard about the opportunity from her seniors and decided to seize the “once-in-a-lifetime experience”.

“This is my first time joining such a big event and it is a rare opportunity for me to be part of something in Singapore,” says the diploma in business management student.

Her coursemate, Russian student Anastasiia Butova, 18, says joining the parade is a good chance for her to make friends and learn about the local culture.

Mr Ainakulov concurs and adds that despite the language barrier at times, he is able to bond with his peers through the “language of dance”.

“And I get to be on TV in Singapore. That’s cool too,” he quips.

BOOK IT / CHINGAY

• WHERE: F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard
• WHEN: Tonight and tomorrow, 8pm
• ADMISSION: $28.50 to $60 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg)

gurveenk@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on February 10, 2017.
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