SINGAPORE –

On weekdays, the open space next to the Kallang subway station is free in the sun.

But on Sundays, this open space hosts hundreds of volleyball enthusiasts who make grassland their footsteps.

Sports colorful team jerseys, and in the cotton line marked the provisional court nail ball, players will field into entertainment area.

“My team is playing here because if we play somewhere else we need to book a court where we have no money and it’s free here,” says Marilyn Babas, a domestic helper.

The 39-year-old is Captain Braveheart, a volleyball team of Filipino domestic helpers.

Many of the people playing in Kallang on Sunday are part of a league called Sports @ Sg, an all-women’s volleyball league that encourages domestic helpers to work out on rest days. Today, the Union has more than 800 members, more than half of Filipinos.

“We played in the HDB area, but we were very noisy, and some complained that we could not play there, but in Khan, no one complained,” Babas said.

In this episode of “Living City”, exploring the neglected space and location of Singapore, the Straits Times video team worked with the Braveheart team on Sunday afternoons.

This article was first published on Dec 27, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – Another business that sold pre-paid services to customers has shut down, leaving many out of pocket, some with thousands of dollars left in unused treatments.

Hair salon Exchange Hair Plus, also known as Artist De Exchange, was still taking appointments days before it closed abruptly at shopping mall Plaza Singapura on Orchard Road.

Plaza Singapura’s centre manager said a few customers approached the mall after they went to the salon only to find a new business coming up in its place.

Ms June Ang said: “We tried to get in touch with the owner on their behalf, but to no avail.”

She said the salon had operated from July last year until last month.

Ms Christina Phua, 32, a banking executive, had bought packages at Artist De Exchange worth more than $10,000 over a period of three years.

They included services like hair hydration and scalp treatment. She said she found out the shop was gone only when she went there herself on Dec 15, after her calls went unanswered.

What she saw was another hair salon taking over the unit and having renovations done.

“I did not manage to finish any of my packages, because three to four sessions into each package, they would sell me something else, saying it’s better,” she said.

Ms Lim Lay Hong, who is listed as the director of Artist De Exchange Group in Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) records, could not be reached for a response.

She is also listed as the director of Rebornz Hair@Work, a salon in Boon Keng which closed in March.

A client of that salon, Ms Karen Foong, 30, had spent almost $7,000 on packages, and is due about $3,000 worth of services.

The customer service executive was told she could go to Artist De Exchange at Plaza Singapura branch to use her prepaid services. She went to Plaza Singapura once in July, and was even given an appointment for Dec 17, when the branch had already closed.

“I’m upset, I wanted to do my hair for Chinese New Year. Now I’ll have to go somewhere else, and spend more money, but it’s a lesson learnt,” she said.

Though it has no connection to the previous salon at Plaza Singapura, the one taking its place, Capella de Art, has offered its assistance to affected customers.

The general manager, who wanted to be known only as Yin, said she would absorb the remaining cost of a package or give 20 per cent to 50 per cent discounts to affected customers, on a case-by-case basis if they become Capella’s customers- out of goodwill.

She said many clients of the previous salon have come to her with outstanding amounts on their packages ranging from $100 to $20,000.

This is not the first time businesses have closed down abruptly after collecting prepayment. In November, a beauty salon in Jurong East closed down, leaving its customers with at least $20,000 worth of unused pre-paid services.

In August last year, The Scissorhands (Shizahanzu) hair salon chain closed its seven outlets, leading over 100 affected consumers to complain to the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).

Case’s executive director Seah Seng Choon said there were 27 complaints about Exchange Hair Plus this month alone. He said that prepayment protection for consumers is a cause for concern.

“Having seen an increase in the number of companies collecting prepayment and closing down abruptly in recent years, it is clear that there is a problem that needs to be addressed and we hope that the authorities will look into this matter,” he said.

Meanwhile, consumers should minimise their risk by negotiating as low a deposit as possible if prepayment is required. They can also look out for businesses that offer prepayment protection.

This article was first published on Dec 29, 2016.
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Indonesian officials said yesterday that Singapore and Malaysia were less likely to repeat the asphyxia haze surrounding Singapore and Malaysia, as the weather in Sumatra and Kalimantan is expected to return to the pattern of the past few years, thereby reducing the threat of fires in forests and land.

Last year the number of hot spots – triggered by a fire that covered forests and drylands on two Indonesian islands – was recorded at a surprisingly 78,164, resulting in haze, Singapore and Malaysia’s API levels at very unhealthy levels.

This year, 14,490 hot spots were recorded, with no large fumes.

“El Niño or La Niña will not be any stronger,” said Dr. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster management agency BNPB, in an annual briefing in Jakarta.

“This means that there will not be a dry season too dry, the same with the wet season.

El Niño is a weather phenomenon that has led to the region’s long hot and dry weather as it did last year, while La Niña gave the opposite effect.

He said Indonesia’s forests and land fires will also occur next year, but the number and coverage of hotspots will be small compared to last year.

difficult

“Why we can not count the hotspots as zero? It’s hard because it’s a habit and life for the people, and villagers are clearing their farms by burning,” he said.

Sutopo said the decline was due not only to better weather, but to tougher law enforcement by wrong companies and individuals, as well as better fire protection measures by both the government and the private sector.

wahyudis@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Dec 30, 2016.
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At a construction site near the Thomson subway station, a clogged drain line caused flooding and placed a dampener in a festive atmosphere at several restaurants on Christmas Eve.

This was found in the PUB survey of the National Water Board.

To address this problem, the LTA will have on-site contractors to further improve the flow of water in the temporary drainage pipeline, which is a rainwater pipeline while a drainage retrofit project is underway.

“As part of the construction of the Thomson metro station, PUB has partnered with LTA to upgrade the drainage on the Tomson Road to enhance flood control in the area,” the Straits Times reported.

The public squad also reminded the construction industry to carry out inspections at public drains near the construction sites to prepare for the season.

Lightning flooding occurred last Saturday, a row of shops between Jalan Keli and Jalan Todak near Thomson Square.

About eight businesses in the Upper Thomson Road are affected by the floods, and tenants say they have suffered thousands of dollars in losses.

The average rainfall in Singapore was 35.5 millimeters on that day, the highest daily rainfall on the day of production (86.0 millimeters), the Singapore Meteorological Services Company said.

50-year-old Jamal Mohamed, a cashier at Roti Prata House, an affected restaurant, estimated his loss at about $ 30,000, including the time the shop had to close when workers cleaned up.

Workers close at 5:30 pm on Saturday, managed to keep their normal business hours on Mondays only.

“We salvaged what we could do, but the flour, masala, rice and eggs were wasted,” the employee, who worked at the food joint for nine years.

Nearby is the construction of the Upper Thomson Station, which is part of a 22-stop Tom Health Line, starting in 2014. The station will be built on the upper section of Thomson Road between Thomson Square and the Holy Spirit Church.

Flash floods on Christmas Eve are just one of the 10 days when flooding took place Wednesday. This is the sixth time during the El Niño period last year, but the number of 17 flooding days recorded in 2014 is the same.

PUB has made efforts to reduce flooding in Singapore, including the expansion and deepening of sewers and canals, the construction of new drains and aging upgrades.

These efforts have helped to reduce flood-prone areas in Singapore to the current 30.5 hectares, down from 35 hectares last year.

jalmsab@sph.com.sg @sph.com.sg>

This article was first published on Dec 30, 2016.
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The sale by tender of a mixed commercial and residential land parcel in the upcoming Bidadari housing estate has been deferred, it was announced yesterday.

The site, which can yield 825 private homes and 15,000 sq m of commercial space, was due to be put on the market this month.

It will now go up for tender by the end of the first quarter next year, said the Housing Board, which added the deferment was to “allow the site requirements for comprehensive development to be finalised”.

Spanning 2.55 ha, the Upper Serangoon Road plot was on the confirmed list of the Government Land Sales programme for this half of the year.

It is next to Woodleigh MRT station and is the first sale site at Bidadari, a new public housing estate envisioned to be a “community in a garden” with greenery and car-lite features.

SLP International Property Consultants research head Nicholas Mak noted it is “very unusual” for the Government to defer the launch of a confirmed list site so near the scheduled tender time.

“The Government may require the developer to build certain facilities – perhaps a park or a public library – that would serve the residents,” said Mr Mak.

Details of requirements are scant, apart from what was announced in the Government Land Sales programme in June.

It was stated then that the developer would have to build about 8,200 sq m of gross floor area for “integrated community and institutional uses”.

There was also a cap on the gross floor area of retail space at 15,000 sq m.

Analysts expect the site to draw keen interest from developers, given its attractive location and potential demand from prospective homebuyers.

Read also: Retail offerings to come up near Bidadari

4-room BTO flats in Kallang, Bidadari a hit

wongsy@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Dec 30, 2016.
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Singapore’s economy is expected to have grown in the fourth quarter, averting a slip into recession, but the outlook is clouded by uncertainty over global trade under the incoming Trump administration.

Gross domestic product (GDP) in the October-December quarter was expected to grow 3.7 per cent from the previous quarter on an annualised basis, underpinned by a jump in factory output last month, according to the median forecast in a Reuters poll.

While that would be an improvement from the 2 per cent contraction seen in the third quarter, analysts are cautious in their outlook for Singapore’s trade-dependent economy.

The Government’s advance estimate of fourth-quarter GDP is due on Jan 3.

“Look at the number of global downside risks that we have. You’ve got Trump obviously, and what kind of protectionist measures he can impose,” said Nomura economist Brian Tan.

China’s economic slowdown, Brexit and European elections also pose risks, while domestically the labour market is showing signs of weakening, said Mr Tan, who expects GDP growth of 0.7 per cent in 2017.

In a recent central bank survey, the median forecast among economists was for 2017 GDP growth of 1.5 per cent.

The Government’s forecast for full-year growth this year is 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent, which puts the economy on track for its weakest performance since 2009.

The median forecast among 11 economists in the Reuters survey was for GDP to expand 0.6 per cent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, after growing 1.1 per cent in the third.

Read also: Singapore economy to grow at subdued pace: Report

UNLIKELY

Analysts say the Government’s budget, and recommendations from the Committee on the Future Economy, both expected in the first quarter, are unlikely to contain measures that will boost short-term growth to any great degree.

“That’s going to probably…offer some relief for the corporate sector. It won’t do much to shift the dial on headline GDP growth,” said Ms Selena Ling, head of treasury research and strategy for OCBC Bank.

The committee is charged with finding strategies to keep the Republic’s economy competitive and identify areas of growth.

Although most analysts see the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) keeping its exchange-rate based policy unchanged in April, some expect the central bank to ease, given the tepid growth outlook.

Fourth-quarter year-on-year growth of less than 1 per cent would bolster the case for monetary easing in April, Mr Vaninder Singh, Asia economist for NatWest Markets, said in a recent research note.

“If we get such a number, it would strengthen our conviction in calling for a 1 per cent lower re-centring,” Mr Singh said, referring to the policy band of the Singapore dollar’s nominal effective exchange rate (Neer), Singapore’s primary monetary mechanism.

Such a re-centring would provide more room for the Singapore dollar’s Neer to weaken than is allowed under current policy settings.

The MAS kept policy unchanged at its most recent meeting in October. It last eased policy in April last year, its third easing since January that year.

Read also: Singapore sees 2016 GDP growth 1-1.5%

Malaysia’s economy more stable than Singapore’s, says ruling BN party

This article was first published on Dec 30, 2016.
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A 71-year-old man fell three metres from an escalator at Tiong Bahru MRT last Friday.

The retiree, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chiang, was supporting his wife when she became unsteady on her feet.

Last month, a 64-year-old man tumbled down an escalator at Bishan MRT.

He has undergone two major brain surgeries, reported Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News yesterday.

These two incidents are not unusual.

Since Nov 1, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has received reports of 63 incidents relating to the use of escalators.

About 78 per cent, or 49 incidents, involved those aged above 60.

An overwhelming majority of the incidents – 95 per cent – was caused by user behaviour, BCA statistics showed.

Only three were due to mechanical faults, such as the handrail stopping while the escalator was still moving.

Based on BCA’s investigations, the most common causes of incidents involved users carrying heavy or bulky objects, and those who lose their balance while on the escalators.

There were also reports of users who fell due to inattentiveness, intoxication, being unwell, or from leaning against the sides of the escalator.

There are more than 6,000 escalators in Singapore.

BCA has introduced new regulations on escalator maintenance from Nov 1.

Escalator owners and registered escalator contractors are now required to notify BCA as soon as practicable when an incident involving any death or injuries to passengers, or if a malfunction of safety critical components, occurs.

For incidents related to mechanical fault, BCA will suspend the operation of the escalator, and it will only be allowed to resume operation with BCA’s consent.

In a statement yesterday, BCA said: “Even though escalators are equipped with safety devices… accidents may still happen if users do not take greater care when using the escalators.”

SAFE USE

The BCA urged the public to practise safe use of escalators, especially in crowded areas such as shopping malls and train stations.

In August, the Public Transport Council recommended reducing escalator speeds at train stations as senior citizens might be intimidated by fast-moving escalators.

The Straits Times reported in the same month that the Land Transport Authority and transport operator SMRT would lower the speeds of escalators at train stations during off-peak hours.

Mr Chiang, who suffered multiple injuries, told The New Paper yesterday that he is thankful to be alive and is worried about taking the escalator again.

“I’m still afraid just thinking about the incident and I will take the lift in the future,” he said.

tnp@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Dec 30, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – Even on holiday in wintry Japan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong found himself running into Singaporeans.

“It seems that anywhere I go, Singaporeans aren’t too far away!” he quipped in a Facebook post on Dec 24.

PM Lee, who is on leave till Dec 31, came across athletes from the Singapore Gymnastics team who were training in Tsubame-Sanjo, an area in Japan’s Niigata prefecture known for its metalwork and production of craftsmen’s tools.

The gymnasts’ Japanese coach had taken them to his hometown to train together with the local gymnasts, wrote PM Lee.

“Hope both sides are enjoying the experience, and making friends,” he added.

Mr Lee, who has been travelling around Japan to areas including Nagano and Niigata, has been posting photos from his trip on his Facebook page.

He said he enjoyed a “white Christmas weekend” in the snowy terrain, taking a hike in Bijin Bayashi Forest, and visiting the snow-flecked Jigokudani Monkey Park, where he watched wild Japanese macaques soaking in hot springs.

“They mostly ignore human visitors, but try Googling ‘snow monkey cellphone’ to see what can happen if you get too close,” he wrote.

Besides Japan’s landscapes, Mr Lee also captured photos of its people, such as one of children playing at a mall in Karuizawa, a resort town in the mountains near Nagano.

He wrote: “It was fun to do people watching and street photography without being noticed or recognised!”

This article was first published on Dec 29, 2016.
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