From food and cocktails to recliner seats, cinema owners have spared no efforts in chasing after high-income customers with a penchant for finer experiences in life.

Unfortunately for one cinema owner in Indonesia however, such efforts have drawn unwanted attention and resulted in the suspension of its best screening hall. The reason? It’s plush bed-like seats were so comfortable that authorities – ironically – started to become uncomfortable with them.

According to Coconuts Jakarta, the CGV cinema chain was ordered to temporarily shut its Velvet Class theatre in Palembang, after deputy mayor, Fitrianti Agustinda, said that the beds “could promote adultery and sexual misconduct”.

Fitrianti visited the cinema at Palembang’s Sosial Market shopping centre on Wednesday (Feb 3) after receiving complaints from members of the public.

She reportedly told Indonesian media that she was seeking an explanation. “If it’s like this, those that don’t want to watch the movie can still use it for something else.”

Read also: Kelantan plans to ban unmarried people from riding motorcycle together

Local media reported that she also rejected the cinema’s explanation that the beds were not just meant for couples, but also for families to watch movies together.

Despite having government permission and security cameras installed, CGV has been ordered to shut its luxury theatre until the seats are changed.

CGV has operated its Velvet Class service in other parts of Indonesia without issue.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

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TAIPEI – A Taiwanese law banning the killing of stray animals will finally be implemented, but critics wonder if the already crowded shelters will be able to cope.

The debate rages on a year after the director of a Taoyuan shelter for abandoned animals killed herself on May 5, using the same drug she used to put down animals. She was 32.

Ms Chien Chih-cheng, an animal lover and veterinarian, left a letter which indicated that her job consumed her, BBC reported.

“I hope my departure will let all of you know stray animals are also life. I hope the government knows the importance of controlling the source (of the problem)… Please value life”, were some of her last words.

A colleague at the shelter told BBC Ms Chien worked overtime, rarely took a lunch break and cared for the dogs on her days off.

Also read: Taiwanese vet commits suicide after criticisms by animal activists for euthanising 700 dogs in 2 years

A graduate from Taiwan’s top university, she could have chosen a more cushy job, but chose to be at the frontlines.

The media attention and criticism she came under after giving an interview to Taiwanese media could also have pushed her over the edge.

She was dubbed “the beautiful butcher”, said CTI in an interview with Ms Chien.

She said in the interview conducted in May 2015 that she saw 60 to 70 animals being put down on her first day at work.

“After my first day, I cried the whole night,” she said.

But that became one of her principal duties. In the interview, she describes how the dogs are taken for a walk and given a treat before they are euthanised.

“We also give it a little talk before taking it into the ‘humane room’,” she said. “When you put the dog on the table, it is scared, and shakes. But after injecting the medicine, it goes in three to five seconds.”

While she said in the interview that she felt it was the right thing to do, colleagues said she was deeply hurt by her work.

She had just got married to another animal control worker when she took her own life.

While authorities said the law is not linked to Ms Chien’s suicide, another debate about animal welfare broke out in Taiwan after her death, and officials re-affirmed that the no-kill policy will be implemented as planned. It takes effect on Saturday (Feb 4).

This action comes two years after the zero euthanasia policy was passed by Taiwanese lawmakers.

Outrage was initially stirred by a documentary Twelve Nights, about the plight of public shelter animals, according to the China Post.

Not everyone is convinced it will ease the lot of Taiwan’s strays.

Mr Tiger Tung, founder and chairman of the Taiwan Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organisation told China Post that animals could die from starvation, poor living conditions or attacks from other dogs due to overcrowding.

“Zero euthanasia is a false policy if there are no supportive measures to reduce pet abandonment rates to zero. Shelters have limited spaces, personnel and resources, but the number of admitted animals will keep increasing. The false policy – which the government created for better publicity regardless of an animal’s situation – will cause more pain to animals,” veterinarian Kung Chien-chia told Taipei Times.

Other improvements are planned: Budgets for the shelters have increased by 40 per cent, there will be more inspectors and now anybody who wishes to abandon their pet at a shelter will have to pay a fee as high as US$125.

Last year, around 70,000 animals ended up at the shelters and each year around 10,000 are put down when they’re not adopted, while several thousand more die from other causes, such as injuries and illnesses, China Post reported.

The situation has improved over the years as public awareness grew, reports said.

This article was first published on Feb 2, 2017.
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For former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the three turbulent weeks following his return home was enough to decide not to enter the upcoming presidential race, in which he was once considered a leading contender.

Read also: Ban Ki-moon says will not run for S Korea presidency

Some speculated that he may have made his surprise decision because he had stalled in the polls, while others pointed out to the massive cost of running as an independent figure with no party affiliation.

But the main reasons the former top diplomat gave were emotional — disappointment in partisan politics, anger with the reproachful media, and fatigue with campaign clashes.

“It is the people who suffer from the politicians’ divisions,” Ban told reporters Thursday, in front of his residence located in Sadang-dong, southern Seoul.”I hoped that I might (make a difference) if I held hands with those who shared my centrist and reformist visions, and this is why I have worked for during the past 20 days.”

His remarks came a day after he jolted the nation with his unheralded announcement that he would not run in the upcoming presidential election, an event which is likely to take place in the second quarter due to President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment.

Read also: 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy probed as S Korea impeachment hearing opens
Court battle for Park’s impeachment begins

“I have realised that politics has a particularly large influence on South Korea’s reality,” he said, describing politicians as having “underlying intentions.”

The former career diplomat’s tone carried his criticism of political circles, especially the conservative ones which have been competing to recruit him as their political standard bearer.

Ban’s implicit reproach of politicians gained further ground as his announcement to quit on the presidential race came just after he had met with leaders of the two conservative parties — the ruling Saenuri Party and the recently formed Bareun Party.

“I was perplexed at the way that In offhandedly asked me whether I was a conservative or a progressive,” he said in answer to questions from reporters.

This referred to the visit Ban had paid to the Saenuri Party’s emergency committee chief, In Myung-jin, on Wednesday morning. The event took place in a tense mood, with the Saenuri chief alluding that Ban should give up on the election and Ban stressing the need for political reform.

The black-and-white logic, classifying thoughts into conservative and progressive, will eventually divide the people,” Ban said, letting out his disapproval over the conservative politicians’ approach.

“One who aspires for presidency should be able to embrace the entire nation, regardless of region, generation, social class.”

He did not say much about the Bareun Party, which was considered his most likely affiliation, but had repeatedly distanced himself from it, gesturing to remain on his own for a while.

Ban also blasted upon the attitude of the local media and of the rival opposition camp for finding fault with details which are extrinsic to his qualification as potential state leader.

“I don’t see how my choice of Evian (instead of a local brand bottled water) or lack of skill in buying a subway ticket should matter in the presidential election,” he said. “Yet, all these things make front page headlines.”

It was apparently amid such mounting fatigue that he decided to renounce his much-anticipated candidacy, without even telling his closest aides.

Only Kim Sook, former ambassador to the UN and closest aide to the former top diplomat, who had been given a heads up prior to the press conference, according to officials of Ban’s headquarters. Even Ban’s official spokesperson Lee Do-woon was unaware of the announcement until Ban delivered it in front of the cameras.

“I shall continue my efforts to change Korea’s politics, as one of the nation’s citizens and as a former chief official of the UN, but I intend to refrain from political activities,” he said, adding that he will not lean towards any specific party or candidate in the forthcoming presidential race.