Squeezed into the pages of a thick, crumbling leather-bound death register from the Bidadari Cemetery are the names of the war dead.

They run into the thousands. These were Singapore civilians who died between March 1942 and April 1944, and their names were penned in neat, cursive script by cemetery administrators.

The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) has pulled out the rare war record for display at its Memories at Old Ford Factory museum in Upper Bukit Timah Road, which will reopen to the public on Feb 16 after a year-long revamp.

Curator Fiona Tan, an assistant archivist at NAS, said: “Behind the death register’s official entries are poignant and personal stories, many of which we perhaps will not know the full details of. The civilians’ experiences during the difficult period are something to ponder.”

Causes of death range from skull fractures to beriberi, while some entries detail the dead who were dug up from the civilian cemetery and re-interned at the Kranji War Memorial in recognition of their fight against the Japanese.

War records were largely destroyed by the Japanese administration prior to their surrender in 1945, so the Bidadari register is rare, said Ms Tan.

The NAS has been the custodian, with its mandate to care for and conserve public records. The register is undergoing conservation such as the repair of its half-bound leather cover and binding, among other things. It will be ready for the gallery’s re-opening in February.

Earlier this year, the NAS, an institution under the National Library Board, decided to revamp its museum to make it more dynamic and exciting, moving away from a cluttered display of photographs and text-heavy explanations.

Ms Tan said that the revamped gallery aims to show the “diverse experiences and perspectives” of the war and occupation – through the use of more artefacts and newly conserved records.

The gallery highlights the lives of ordinary citizens and also takes in the perspectives of the Japanese and British forces.

For instance, to home in on the individual’s experience, the NAS held a public collection drive in March seeking artefacts from 1937 to 1954. It received more than 400 items. Among them was a Malaya ration card and a 1940 graduation yearbook of the Chinese Military Academy. The yearbook is from Mr Lim Kheng Jun, 96, who has lent it to NAS.

Raised in Malaya, Mr Lim enlisted in the military academy in 1939 in response to a call for the Chinese in South-east Asia to fight in the Sino- Japanese War, which went on from 1937 to 1945. His photograph is in the yearbook.

Private collector Lim Shao Bin shared a 1939 Japanese map of “Singapore Town”, which marks out 83 key areas such as municipal buildings and Japanese shipping lines.

Ms Tan said: “The map helped the Japanese to identify key government and commercial buildings such as the Japanese Embassy and the Supreme Court. It showed how prepared the Japanese were to invade Singapore.”

Other artefacts that will go on display include export receipts of goods to Malaya from China which were issued during the pre-war period. These were clearly labelled as “national goods” to show they were not of Japanese origin, reflecting the sentiment on the ground.

Oral history records on the war which NAS has been collecting since 1981, two years after it was established, will also feature heavily.

Ms Tan said: “We’re happy to continuously make our history more accessible. We’re eager to showcase our records and community contributions that were made over the years.”

melodyz@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on December 20, 2016.
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Something grew more slowly than Singapore’s economy in the last decade, and it was good news for the environment.

From 2000 to 2012, the economy grew 5.7 per cent a year on average, while greenhouse gas emissions rose just 2 per cent a year, the National Climate Change Secretariat and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources said in a joint statement yesterday.

This means a 35 per cent reduction in “emission intensity”, which measures a country’s emissions relative to its economic activity.

This was one of the key points in a biennial report submitted to the United Nations last Friday in fulfilment of Singapore’s obligations to the UN Framework Convention On Climate Change.

The switch from fuel oil to mostly natural gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuel for power generation, helped Singapore achieve the reduction.

The report also stated that most of the country’s emissions in 2012 were from power generation – about 83 per cent – either for the grid or by large industrial companies generating their own power.

Transport, excluding aviation and international shipping, contributed about 15 per cent.

The warming effect of these emissions was equivalent to that of about 48 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – termed “carbon dioxide equivalent” – and carbon dioxide itself constituted about 97 per cent of it.

Singapore has also refined the procedure for calculating emissions. It now factors in land-use categories that absorb carbon dioxide, such as forests.

Such land categories absorbed 0.239 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2012, which offset 0.5 per cent of Singapore’s emissions.

More refinements are in store. Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced that the Government would be finding ways to enhance emission monitoring and reporting by big industrial energy users, just as the Paris Climate accord came into force.

The Government will work to reduce Singapore’s emission intensity even further. By 2030, emission intensity should be 36 per cent less than it was in 2005, with a peak in emissions around 2030, said yesterday’s statement.

Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, executive director of the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University, said although renewable energy will play a bigger role in the future, its scope in reducing emissions is limited.

“We only have solar, and solar energy is limited because of humidity and rain and cloud… Renewables can only do so much.

“The biggest improvement that Singapore can hope for would be from energy efficiency,” he added – whether in buildings, industrial processes or electric vehicles.

For example, NTU is working with government agencies like the Building And Construction Authority and JTC Corporation to design more efficient buildings that not only feature insulating materials but also consider human behaviour in the design, and use sensors and data analytics to optimise energy consumption.

Ms Nur Adibah A. Majeed, an environmental engineer at the Singapore Environment Council, urged the public to join the cause through actions such as taking public transport and reducing electricity consumption.

“We urge our nation to come together and contribute collectively by leading greener lifestyles… Every bit of action adds up.”

This article was first published on December 20, 2016.
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He was 70 and suffered from several chronic ailments, but he believed in working hard.

Since 2008, cleaner Lai Seow Wah had worked at Singapore Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, a columbarium in Bishan Lane.

On July 1, he climbed a ladder to clean some glass panels and refused to step down even when told to do so.

The next time his supervisor saw him, he was sprawled on the ground, injured. He died the next day, a coroner’s court heard.

The inquest into Mr Lai’s death heard that he was standing on a 1.8m A-frame ladder, cleaning the glass panels covering rows of ancestral tablets, when his supervisor told him to step down.

Some 5½ hours later, cleaning supervisor Lee Thim Tat was disposing of rubbish when he found Mr Lai lying face up on top of the fallen ladder.

The cleaner was conscious but could not speak and tried to sit up. He vomited once before the ambulance arrived and died the next day from a head injury.

Yesterday, State Coroner Marvin Bay said Mr Lai had not been specifically instructed to clean the glass panels as he was “old and walks with a limp”. But he had insisted many times on doing it despite being advised otherwise.

The temple’s operations manager, Mr Liu Khee Fang, had been especially concerned because Mr Lai would anchor one leg against the glass surface and stand with only one leg on the ladder.

The coroner said although no one witnessed the fall, it appeared to be inadvertent.

He said Mr Lai had suffered from multiple chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and had undergone cataract and knee replacement operations. He also had an ankle fracture in 2010.

“Given this, Mr Lai’s demise is a truly unfortunate misadventure.

“His sad demise underscores the importance of adopting safe work practices when working from height,” he said.

A person who fails to keep at least three points of support on an A-frame ladder risks losing stability during movement and falling off. At least three points – two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand – should be on the ladder at all times.

The coroner advised persons with compromised balance or infirmities not to undertake such work unsupervised or without help.

elena@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on December 20, 2016.
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Changkat Changi Secondary School student Kevin Cheong went from being a self-proclaimed failure at Secondary 3 to scoring nine points for his N-level exams this year.

It is a huge change for the Normal (Academic) student who so hated school that he played truant and even blocked the school’s number on his mother’s phone to prevent his teachers from reaching her.

But a meeting with the school counsellor changed him, mended the mother-son relationship and set him on a course to clock 10 hours a day as he prepared for the N levels.

Kevin had to repeat Secondary 3 in 2014 after failing most of the subjects the previous year.

Feeling like an outcast, he lied to his mother, a single parent, and skipped school, spending most of his time playing console games.

“I kept asking myself, why am I waking up so early to go to school every day, when I’m not even doing well?”

Things did not improve when he took the N-level exams last year. He scored 18 points for the five papers he sat.

Because he had failed Principles of Accounts, his options were limited to a Nitec course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Read Also: Crest scores with combo approach

Read Also: He discovers ‘natural talent’ thanks to school’s approach

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The 18-year-old decided to give the N levels another shot, studying for 10 hours every day. This time, he scored nine points.

It qualifies him for the Polytechnic Foundation Programme for Normal (Academic) students, a one-year course conducted by polytechnic lecturers which lets eligible students skip the O levels before entering a related diploma course.

The programme offers about 1,200 places.

Kevin intends to apply to Temasek Polytechnic to study law and management.

Of the 12,305 students from the Normal (Academic) course who collected their results yesterday, 75.2 per cent did well enough to be promoted to Secondary 5 and go on to take the O-level exams.

This is an increase from the 74.9 per cent who did so last year.

Of those who took the exam from the Normal (Academic) stream, 99.6 per cent passed, compared with last year’s 99.5 per cent. In the Normal (Technical) stream, 97.1 per cent of the 5,470 students who took the exams this year passed, compared with 96.6 per cent last year.

These Normal (Technical) students can apply to the ITE, or laterally transfer to the Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) course if they got an A for English and mathematics, and at least a B for one other subject.

They can then go on to Secondary 5 to take the O-level exams.

The first batch of students to graduate from Crest Secondary School, the first specialised school catering to Normal (Technical) students, also collected their results yesterday.

Students at the school take a four-year academic programme leading to the N levels, similar to their peers.

But they also learn vocational skills, and most graduate with an ITE Skills Certification in facility services, mechanical servicing, retail services or hospitality services.

At Crest, 98 per cent of its 198 graduating students passed the N-level exams, while 34 of them have accepted offers from the ITE via a scheme that considers their abilities related to courses and skills in leadership, sports or the arts.

SEE HOME:

Crest scores with combo approach

He discovers ‘natural talent’ thanks to school’s approach

Bone cancer survivor scores four distinctions

This article was first published on December 20, 2016.
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Parents are keen to see their pre-schooler succeed in school but they may not know how to create the environment for success. They may have misconcep- tions about their child’s readiness for school, said Ms Zhang Gui Yue, a psychologist at the child development unit of the National University Hospital.

MISTAKE 1

Parents often equate school readiness with academic preparedness

Academic skills like reading and counting are crucial to school readiness but being good at schoolwork does not mean that your child can cope well with the transition and learning in school, she said.

Basic skills, such as the ability to work independently and follow classroom rules and routines, are more important. The lack of communication and self-help skills can lead to stress and anxiety, she said.

Ms Zhang advises parents to be positive and encouraging. “Rather than chasing academic excellence, it is more important to make learning and the school experience an enjoyable process,” she said. “A happy and well-adjusted kid is more likely to learn better and achieve success in school.”

MISTAKE 2

Some parents think their child will be ready for primary school, no matter what, just like his elder brother or sister

Every child is unique, said Ms Zhang. “Each child has his own temperament, learning style and abilities.”

Some children develop certain skills earlier or later than others, while others need more time to adjust to a new routine and environment, she added.

She gives some suggestions on what parents can do to prepare their child for primary school:

1 COMMUNICATION

• Talk to your child about what to expect in school. He will feel more at ease if he is aware, ahead of time, of the environment and routines, and the need to buy his own food during recess time.

• Encourage him to talk about his perceptions, feelings and concerns about going to school.

•Get books and videos about school life, and go through them with your child.

•Most schools will hold an orientation session before the new school term begins. After the visit, ask your child if he has any questions and discuss possible solutions to problems.

2 SKILLS TRAINING

•Go through the various challenging situations that your child may face at school. Tell him when, where and how to seek help, if needed.

•Tell him about the changes in social relationships. For instance, he will be separated from his old friends and meeting new ones. Set up play dates with his pre-school classmates so that he can maintain the friendships.

• Teach him basic social skills, such as asking for permission and taking turns to do something.

•Get him to pack his school bag.

• Practise buying food at recess time with your child.

3 ADJUST TO A NEW ROUTINE

•Try to get your child adjusted to the new routine three to four weeks before the start of school. Get him to go to bed early and wake up early. Ample sleep and adequate nutrition are essential.

•Set up an after-school timetable with your child so that he can learn how to organise his time in a better way.

•Allocate time for homework, rest and play, and decide if there will be any restrictions on TV time in the evenings.

This article was first published on Dec 20, 2016.
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The driver of the Mercedes-Benz that left a trail of carnage yesterday was seen mumbling and talking to himself when motorists rushed to him.

At about 8am, the 53-year-old had driven against the flow of traffic on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) before slamming his car into several vehicles, killing one driver and injuring three other people in the process.

The Mercedes driver himself was also taken to hospital.

Procurement officer Rozaidy Mokhtar, who had been driving along the same stretch and had barely avoided the Mercedes, said he approached the driver and his front- seat passenger after the accident.

Mr Rozaidy, 31, said the driver was “sitting down, mumbling and talking to himself”.

The front-seat passenger, a male adult who identified himself as the driver’s son, said his father was “depressed”, and he apologised.

“(The driver) didn’t look shaken, just angry. When his son… tried to calm him down, he shouted at him,” said Mr Rozaidy.

He added that the driver’s wife and daughter, who arrived at the scene around 20 minutes later, were in tears.

Mr Rozaidy said he was driving to his office in Tuas South Street 5 when he saw the silver car driving against the flow of traffic.

He was in the middle lane of the AYE before the Tuas West Road exit.

He swerved to the leftmost lane of the three-lane road to avoid the car and it zoomed past in the right lane.

As he slowed down and checked his right side mirror, he saw a black Mazda swerve sharply to the left to avoid the same car but it crashed into the side of a tour bus.

“But the car behind the Mazda, a Toyota Vios, couldn’t avoid it and collided head-on with the Mercedes,” said Mr Rozaidy, who spoke to other eyewitnesses when he went to help.

The Toyota skidded across two lanes and hit a wall to the left. “The car flipped,” he said.

But the Mercedes did not stop even then.

Hitting the wall on the right side of the expressway, it swerved into the middle lane and rammed into a motorcycle, sending its rider and pillion rider flying.

The motorcycle then crashed into another black car.

After pulling up on the road shoulder, Mr Rozaidy called the police.

He then rushed back to help the victims.

He found the Toyota driver, Mr Jackie Liong Kuo Hwa, 37, bloodied and trapped in his car.

Mr Liong was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

His passenger, a 37-year-old woman, along with the motorcyclist and his female pillion rider, both 34, were taken to National University Hospital.

Grab driver Lim Wee Teck, 51, was driving a passenger to Tuas when he realised there was an accident up ahead.

“There was a loud bang and then smoke and debris flew into the air on the road ahead,” said Mr Lim, who stopped to help.

“The Mercedes engine was on fire and we were worried it might explode. As there were buses behind my car, I took fire extinguishers from them to put out the flames. It took four extinguishers before the flames were put out.”

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1 dead, 3 injured in AYE accident

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Lim Wee Teck

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Mr Lim said the driver of the Mercedes seemed out of sorts.

The driver was later arrested for causing death by a rash act.

No one on the tour bus was injured and its passengers, who were headed to Selangor, were said to have boarded another bus that arrived later.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Read also: 1 dead, 3 injured after car goes against flow of traffic on AYE

The maximum penalty for causing death by a rash act is five years’ jail and a fine.

  seow@sph.com.sg

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fabkoh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Dec 20, 2016.
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