Joseph Schooling’s second homecoming after winning Singapore’s historic first Olympic gold was a quiet affair yesterday morning – a private arrival greeted only by his personal entourage, away from his adoring fans and autograph seekers.

It was a far cry from the swim star’s first trip home in August, days after winning the 100m butterfly gold in Rio de Janeiro. Then, more than 500 fans welcomed him at Changi Airport in a rousing reception.

Not that the 21-year-old is complaining. The University of Texas student, who brought his good friend and swim teammate Tripp Cooper along, said: “It is a nice change, especially after a long flight. I love to meet new people, but this (low-key arrival) gives me time with my loved ones.”

Schooling is in town until next Friday for a series of public appearances, chiefly a Singapore Swimming Association golf fund-raiser at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC) on Tuesday.

While his arrival was inconspicuous, he was unsurprisingly the centre of attention at various stopovers with his entourage – which included his parents, Colin and May – at TMCC, Ngee Ann City and Millenia Walk yesterday, being approached by a constant stream of wefie-hunters and well-wishers.

Cooper said: “I saw his photos from his August homecoming, so I had a good idea what to expect.

“Back in the States, the attention (on Joseph) has gone down a bit, but it is still quite amazing and nice to see so many people approach him, especially the children, who looked really excited.”

Schooling now has a dedicated four-man security team accompanying him everywhere – even during toilet breaks.

Crowds gather to catch glimpse of Joseph Schooling on victory parade

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His day ended with dinner with his extended family at Roland Restaurant.

Singaporeans who missed the Olympic champion during his victory parade in August will have more chances to catch him in the flesh over the next few days.

His series of public appearances will start today at Ngee Ann City, where he will headline an event organised by Make-A-Wish Foundation and Watsons.

That is followed by a trip to the Istana, where President Tony Tan Keng Yam will host a tea reception for Team Singapore’s 2016 Olympians and Paralympians.

Schooling will also hold public book-signing sessions, including one at the Singapore Press Holdings News Centre on Monday, where he will sign two books published by Straits Times Press for the first 50 buyers in queue.

Hundreds give Joseph Schooling triumphant homecoming at Changi Airport

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The Straits Times, AFP, Reuters, The New Paper, Hannah Alkaff, Lianhe Zaobao, AsiaOne

The two volumes, titled Schooling Joseph and From Kid To King, are written by current and former Straits Times sports journalists.

Another highlight will be the Singapore National Olympic Council’s Multimillion-dollar Awards Programme awards presentation and appreciation dinner on Thursday, where Schooling is set to receive a $1 million cheque for his Olympic gold.

Public appearances

1. Today, 2pm: Make-A-Wish foundation event at Ngee Ann City with Watsons.

2. Tomorrow, 2pm: Book- signing at Kinokuniya, Ngee Ann City

3. Monday, 1pm: Book-signing at Singapore Press Holdings News Centre

4. Wednesday, 3.30pm: Singapore Swimming Association Legacy Council Exhibition at National Museum

5. Thursday, 4pm: Make-A-Wish foundation event at Kallang Wave Mall

This article was first published on Nov 19, 2016.
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Ms Linda Koh’s six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter had been asking their grandparents for her.

When they were told on Thursday night that their mother had died, they at first refused to believe it.

But when they finally realised their mother was gone, at her wake yesterday, they were inconsolable.

Ms Koh, 36, was found unconscious in her hotel room while on a business trip to Hong Kong last Saturday.

She was taken to the Queen Mary Hospital there but died soon after, reported Shin Min Daily News.

Ms Koh was the managing director of family-run local business KSP Marketing, which specialises in processing pork and other frozen meat products.

The divorcee, who was a successful and respected businesswoman, was a third-generation boss of the family business.

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Singapore businesswoman found dead in Hong Kong hotel room

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On the night of her death, Ms Koh’s younger brother and her ex-husband flew to Hong Kong.

They returned to Singapore on Thursday night with her body.

A preliminary autopsy report said Ms Koh had suffered a stroke.

Her father, Mr Alan Koh, 74, had earlier told Shin Min that his eldest daughter had a history of hypertension but had seen a doctor and was taking medication.

The family is now waiting for the full findings of the report to be out, which may take months or up to a year.

Speaking to The New Paper yesterday at Woodlands Street 11, Block 169, where the three-day wake is held, Ms Koh’s mother, Madam Ng Ah Moi, said: “The little ones still can’t believe she is gone. I don’t know if they fully understand what is happening.”

“Every time I talk about my daughter, my heart breaks.

“We’re all so tired,” she added, before declining to comment further.

Ms Koh’s wake spanned three void decks and the corridors were lined with numerous wreaths and blankets from her friends, family and work associates.

Her paternal uncle, Mr Henry Koh, 69, said: “It’s a testament to how well-loved she was.

“She was a good daughter, mother, and businesswoman.

“Her parents expect many friends and business associates to turn up.”

He added, teary-eyed: “She will always be remembered fondly. She was too young to die.”

Shin Min reported that Ms Koh had flown to Hong Kong last Wednesday for work and was due to return home on Saturday night.

However, that morning, she was found unconscious in her hotel room after having breakfast with friends.

Her ex-husband Louis Ang, 38, an architect, was at the wake, but declined to speak to media.

Exhausted

His childhood friend, Ms Irenea Khoo, 38, said he was exhausted after having spent the past few days settling funeral affairs.

“The family is in a vulnerable place right now. Her (Ms Koh’s) mother collapsed this morning, and he (Mr Ang) is very emotional,” she said.

Ms Khoo, a sales executive at food supplier Angliss, also said Ms Koh was respected and well-known in the food and beverage industry as she always went the extra mile to serve customers, clients and colleagues.

“She was a wonderful woman, very sincere and hands-on. The industry has lost a wonderful person,” she said.

Ms Khoo also said Mr Ang will take over the responsibility of caring for the two children with the help of Ms Koh’s parents.

This article was first published on Nov 19, 2016.
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The historic cluster of five houses on the fringe of the Botanic Gardens could soon be home to a research and education hub for the Unesco World Heritage site when the leases for academic, dining and entertainment facilities there expire next year.

The National University of Singapore Society’s (NUSS) Bukit Timah Guild House, whose lease expires in March, is among those affected.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Singapore Botanic Gardens’ director Nigel Taylor said the Gardens will take over the Cluny Road buildings in phases, and use them for “research and educational outreach purposes”.

Heritage experts said this could mean a new avenue for the public to learn more about the 156-year-old Gardens, which is home to more than 10,000 plant species.

The Gardens was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site last year, joining a league of more than 1,000 global treasures.

The National Parks Board (NParks) will not be renewing the leases of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), restaurant Blue Bali, and the Bukit Timah Guild House. NParks took over management of the houses, which fall under the Gardens’ 49ha Unesco boundary, in 2005.

The Gardens’ Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology presently occupies Houses 1 and 3. Restaurant Blue Bali is in House 4, and the Guild House in House 2.

IPS has been renting House 5 and an annexe building in 1C Cluny Road since 2008, following its merger with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy nearby in 469C Bukit Timah Road.

An IPS spokesman said the institution has not made any plans to move.

Managing director Robin Greatbatch of Blue Bali, which has been at the cluster for five years, said:

“We expected that NParks would re-tender the house to us, and haven’t heard anything officially.

“We spent $2 million putting the place together and building an extensive outdoor restaurant with greenery. We’re seeking dialogue as we feel we can contribute educationally while providing a unique outdoor dining space.”

NParks said Blue Bali’s tenancy will expire towards the end of next year. “We will therefore be contacting them early next year on their lease matters,” added Dr Taylor.

Some older members of NUSS had lamented the loss of the Bukit Timah location where they had studied at the then University of Singapore.

Responding to queries, the Guild House said it set up a task force in July to explore other options.

The Cluny Road cluster was built in the 1920s to house academics of Raffles College, Singapore’s first tertiary college. It then housed the Economics Department of the University of Malaya, later renamed the University of Singapore, and then NUS.

Dr Kevin Tan, president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, said the Gardens’ move towards developing a research-focused cluster is strategic, and “makes sense” since it is sited within an education and research hub.

Dr Taylor said plans for the cluster are in line with the Gardens’ responsibility as a Unesco World Heritage site “to be a leader in botanical research, and to inform and educate the general public in respect of its rich historical, cultural and scientific significance and outstanding universal values”. He added that more details will be shared when ready.

The Gardens currently houses a heritage museum at Holttum Hall in the Tanglin Core of the Gardens, and by 2018 will also have a new forest conservation interpretive centre and natural art history gallery at two restored bungalows in Gallop Road.

This article was first published on Nov 19, 2016.
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A group of Singaporean tourists in Iceland saved a driver who was trapped in her car after an accident, in a dramatic rescue filmed and uploaded on Facebook.

The video, posted by Mr Muhammad Syahidin, shows a red Toyota that had overturned on an icy road.

He and three friends had just reached Iceland at midnight on Nov 15. Half a day later, as they were driving out from capital Reykjavik to visit the Gullfoss waterfall, they saw the red car hit a curb and flip over several times.

They immediately stopped to help.

Friend Muhammad Nasir filmed the rescue, and Mr Muhammad Syahidin later posted the 1 min 34 sec clip on his Facebook profile, where he is known as Denda Maradona.

The video shows Mr Muhammad Syahidin, 27, running towards the car, and as he draws close, a woman’s screams are heard.

He tries to open her door, but it is stuck. He opens the rear car door and tries to reach her from the back passenger seat instead.

“Get your seatbelt!” Mr Muhammad Nasir, also 27, can be heard saying urgently in the video.

“Need to switch off the engine,” he is also heard saying later, as he gives his friends instructions in a mixture of English and Malay.

They are seen circling the car and trying all the doors to find a way to get her out.

Mr Salihin Idderos, 27, unbuckled her seatbelt. Another friend, Mr Muhammad Faishal helped to direct traffic.

Soon, others, apparently Icelanders, also stopped to help.

They eventually got the driver’s car door open after a few tries and Mr Muhammad Syahidin pulled her out, he said.

The video ends with the reassuring scene of the rescuers carrying the woman, who was already out of the car.

She was very traumatised, “not really aware of her surroundings” he said.

The four Singaporeans left after making sure she was safe and the Icelanders called the police.

On Facebook, the video of the incident was watched about 4,000 times. A friend also sent the clip to Stomp, and it was uploaded on YouTube, where the video got more than 29,000 views.

An Icelandic website, Stundin, also picked up the video and interviewed the victim, Ms Audur Gisladottir. Ms Gisladottir, who is recovering in hospital, was alerted to the video of the rescue by the reporter from Stundin.

She posted a thank you message on her Facebook in Icelandic late on Tuesday, and said she could not remember what happened as she had lost consciousness.

The four Singaporeans are still in Iceland, hoping to catch the northern lights on their 11-day trip.

This article was first published on Nov 18, 2016.
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