Work hard, play hard.

That is why postal officer Tony Ling mooted the idea to sign up for The New Paper Courts Big Walk.

The 41-year-old said: “The walk is a good way for us to relax and talk about something other than work.”

Four colleagues from Singapore Post will join him at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari on Nov 26.

And it is a rare occasion where you get to walk through the Night Safari instead of taking the tram.

CONCRETE JUNGLE

His good friend, 30-year-old postman Mohd Syazwan Shahron, said: “Singapore is like a concrete jungle. If the Big Walk this year were on the roads (like past years), I would not have signed up.”

Miss Noraini Othman, 31, a postal officer, said: “It’s good because we get to exercise and see the animals.”

Mr Justin Wan, 33, took part in The Big Walk in 2011, which took participants from VivoCity to Sentosa Boardwalk, Universal Studios Singapore and ended with a carnival at Siloso Beach.

The postal officer said: “The theme for the walk is always changing, but the environment is always very relaxing.

“The last Big Walk I went to was very enjoyable and laid-back.

“The walk is really just for the experience and for us to get together outside of the office and think of something else other than work.”

The five of them became friends almost immediately after they started working at Singapore Post.

Mr Wan said: “We just clicked. All of us came in around the same time and we became friends. Now, we share everything with one another.”

The group’s regular activities include having meals together, going to the cinema and company outings on top of spending time together during their regular working hours.

Mr Wan said: “I am looking forward to the zoo because I have not been there in a long time.

“I know the zoo has gone through many changes, so I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

He turned violent after a cabby confronted him over an unpaid fare, and it eventually took several policemen to subdue him.

The cabby had approached the passenger for the payment, but he turned around and threw some notes and coins on the ground.

When the cabby, who appeared to be in his 60s, tried to pass him the change and receipt for the ride, the 25-year-old replied: “You said I want to run away, right? I give you, lah, all I have. You want to aggravate me right?”

Then he launched into a profanity-laden tirade.

A video of the ruckus, which happened on Sunday morning, was uploaded on Facebook page Connextaxi.

It was taken by a resident living near Block 868, Woodlands Street 83, where the incident took place.

The passenger became so agitated that he eventually had to be pinned down by five policemen.

A police spokesman confirmed that the man was arrested for disorderly behaviour, and investigations are ongoing.

Yesterday, Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament that every month, there are 150 taxi fare evasion cases out of 700,000 taxi trips.

And these are only the cases that are reported to taxi operators.

Cases that involve unidentified fare evaders – which are harder to resolve – make up 65 per cent, he said, in reply to Nominated Member of Parliament Randolph Tan.

Mr Khaw said: “LTA (Land Transport Authority) was able to recover fares for about half of all cases referred to it for investigation. To further deter fare evasion, we introduced higher penalties for fare evaders in May this year.

“If found guilty, fare evaders are liable to a fine of up to $1,000 for first-timers, while subsequent offenders may be fined up to $2,000, or jailed up to six months, or both.

“It is also mandatory for offenders to make restitution payment to taxi drivers.”

RESPONSIBILITY

When asked if the authorities could help the cabbies directly, he said that though the Government sympathised with the drivers, the taxi operator should bear the primary responsibility.

Fare evasion is something Mr Joseph Ho, 56, who has been a cabby for over a decade, is familiar with.

One passenger gave Mr Ho his wallet as “insurance” to wait for him while he went into his home to get money to pay for the ride, Mr Hotold The New Paper.

“But when I opened the wallet, there was only paper inside, nothing else. I shouted at him. Luckily there were people walking around and they heard me. The passenger was very embarrassed.

“I told him, ‘Boy, come and see your wallet. Why did you give me this kind of wallet?’ Only then did he pull out another wallet from his other pocket,” said Mr Ho.

In another incident, an inebriated young man said he left his wallet with his friend. Then he said he would withdraw money from an ATM.

Finally, he said he would go home to get the money, but the passenger never returned. After 15 minutes, Mr Ho went to look for him.

“I saw him on a balcony on the third storey (of his block), so I went up and knocked on all the doors on that floor…

“One of them was the right one and the door was answered by the passenger’s mother. The passenger then ran out, saying he forgot to grab the money. His mother tried to tip me (for the trouble caused), but I just took the actual fare from her. I told her to tell her son not to cheat next time,” said Mr Ho.

He added with a chuckle: “When you have driven for more than 10 years, this is what you get.”

When such incidents occur, another cabby, Mr Jason See Toh, said he feels a mix of anger and helplessness.

Mr See Toh, 54, said: “We feel cheated, definitely, and upset. But it’s part and parcel of driving. What can we do? It’s easier to just let it go and move on.

“We can choose to report it to the police but it takes very long, especially if we don’t know who the fare evader is. It’s not worth it.”

“LTA was able to recover fares for about half of all cases (of taxi fare evasion) referred to it for investigation. To further deter fare evasion, we introduced higher penalties for fare evaders in May this year.”

– Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan

Workload is not commonly cited as a reason for teachers leaving the service, said Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary in Parliament yesterday.

“The main reasons for resignations range from family considerations such as childcare, to a desire for a change of job,” said Dr Puthucheary.

He also gave figures on the resignation rate of teachers, in response to questions posed by Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh and Aljunied GRC MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap.

The overall resignation rate for the entire teacher population is 2 to 3 per cent a year over the past decade.

But for teachers with five or less years of experience, MOE sees a slightly higher overall resignation rate – at about 3 to 4 per cent a year.

There would be an uptick in the resignation rate to about 5 per cent when the teacher’s bond ends.

Dr Puthucheary added that MOE is mindful of the high expectations of teachers, and has put in place measures to support and guide schools in work allocation.

He said: “Schools also regularly review work areas that can be stopped if they are no longer relevant or meaningful, simplified to reduce duplication and optimise efforts, as well as share good practices to improve work management.”

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim had to pause in his speech for a few seconds yesterday as he recalled how his eldest brother was the first Malay President’s Scholar.

In a voice choking with emotion, the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs told Parliament: “When we sent my brother off at the airport, and this was Paya Lebar airport, my entire clan turned up, and some had even camped overnight at our place…

“The airport was swamped by Malays. It was a moment of celebration.”

His brother, Mr Mohd Ismail Ibrahim, a Raffles Institution student, won the country’s most prestigious scholarship in 1968.

It would take 44 years before another Malay – Mr Adil Hakeem Mohamad Rafee – would be awarded the President’s Scholarship again, in 2012.

PERSONAL STORY

Speaking during the debate on the proposed constitutional amendments to the elected presidency, Dr Yaacob used his personal story to illustrate how the Malay community treasures seeing one of its own being recognised for excellence and leadership.

Having a Malay as president is a long-held desire among the community, which has not seen a Malay president for 46 years, he said.

Singapore’s first president, Mr Yusof Ishak, died in office on Nov 23, 1970.

“An entire generation of Malays have grown up without ever having a Malay president,” Dr Yaacob said.

“Some would argue that the race of the candidate should not matter. That the most important thing is whether that person can do the job, and do it well.

“But to have a qualified Malay to do the job speaks to a long-held desire among the community to see one of us serving in the highest office in the land. It is about our place in this nation that we call home.”

If the Bill is passed, a reserved election would be made for a community that has not held the office of president for five or more consecutive terms.

WORRIED AT FIRST

Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister for Communications and Information, said he was initially worried that such a move would be seen as the Government going out of its way to help a minority community that has lagged behind.

But noting that the Malay candidate must meet the same exacting standards demanded of candidates from other communities, he said: “We do not want, and we cannot accept, tokenism.”

For a candidate to be respected by all Singaporeans, he must be held to the same high standards of character and values, regardless of race, he added.

Other MPs also spoke in favour of having reserved elections.

MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling noted that Singapore is seen by some groups of Chinese nationals as a Chinese society or a distant county of a larger China.

She added that perceiving Singapore as a “Chinese county” undermines our independence and standing as a sovereign nation.

Ms Tin also argued that the reserved election was not discriminatory.

“The Chinese form the majority of our population, but if for some reason, there is no Chinese president for five terms, the sixth term will be reserved for the Chinese,” she said.

Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai said the reserved election was “a signal and a safeguard”.

“Should there be a situation where 30 years have elapsed without having a president from the minority community, then, for the sake of ensuring we always remain an inclusive society, the inclusion provision will kick in,” he said.

Some would argue that the race of the candidate should not matter. That the most important thing is whether that person can do the job, and do it well. But to have a qualified Malay to do the job speaks to a long-held desire among the community to see one of us serving in the highest office in the land. It is about our place in this nation that we call home.

– Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (above) spoke in detail about the changes in the elected presidency in Parliament yesterday.

Here are some excerpts:

COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISERS (CPA)

As an independent expert body, CPA provides a stabilising effect so that the president’s custodial function does not depend solely on the judgment of a single person acting alone, Mr Teo said.

The CPA, to be increased by two members, also plays a role in resolving disagreements between the president and the Government, and is an important part of the framework of the president’s custodial powers, he added.

“Overall, we want the framework to facilitate wise and prompt decisions, with suitable mechanisms to resolve impasses,” he said in a speech setting out the proposed changes to the elected presidency.

As part of the constitutional amendments, the president will need to consult the CPA before exercising most of his discretionary powers, including over all fiscal matters and appointments.

Currently, some of these matters are excluded from this requirement.

MULTIRACIALISM AND MERITOCRATIC IDEALS

The president’s office must continue having direct elections, and the need for multiracialism must be balanced with the country’s meritocratic ideals, Mr Teo said.

In this regard, the Government found the five-term hiatus model, which the Constitutional Commission recommended, to be an ideal model as it balances the above factors.

Some critics have argued that the minority safeguards detract from meritocracy, saying that a president must be elected on the basis of merit, and that race should be irrelevant to this determination, he noted.

But Mr Teo said meritocracy will not be compromised if the eligibility criteria apply equally to candidates of all ethnic groups, which is the case with the changes.

RESERVES

Mr Teo noted that some have argued that Parliament provides the best safeguard for our reserves, but countered that there is little or no incentive for lawmakers to resist appeals from a government should it decide to indulge in populist spending.

He cited the examples of Greece and Australia as “cautionary tales of elections descending into auctions, with political parties competing with each other to promise greater largesse from the nation’s coffers”.

“The elected presidency plays an important custodial role in safeguarding our key assets, in a way a purely parliamentary process cannot,” he said.

“It also deters political parties from making wild promises at parliamentary elections.”

What the President says

The president is a symbol of unity and he must be able to work with the government of the day so that Singapore can function effectively, said President Tony Tan Keng Yam yesterday in his first public comments on the proposed changes to the office.

His comments were read out in Parliament by Speaker Halimah Yacob at the beginning of a three-day debate on amendments to the Constitution following a landmark review of the 25-year-old elected presidency.

“The objectives of the review are clear – to ensure that the institution of the elected presidency stays relevant with time and our local context, and that the Singapore Constitution as a living document is aptly refreshed,” he said.

He noted that there is a difference between the president acting as a custodian and the president acting in opposition to the Government.

He cautioned that the elected presidency cannot be a second centre of power, but must act in accordance with the roles prescribed in the Constitution, and not hold back the elected government of the day from performing its executive role.

Dr Tan also said: “We must rely upon the wisdom of our electorate to elect a president who is able to work with the government of the day for the proper and effective governance of Singapore.”

National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduates supported the intention of its Orientation Review Committee (ORC) to strengthen safeguards and weed out bad practices during orientation.

But they also asked that the ORC be mindful not to put forward recommendations that would “diminish the spirit, dynamism and diversity of orientation programmes and activities”.

The undergraduates’ views were part of the ORC report, whose recommendations were accepted in full yesterday.

Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS’ deputy president (academic affairs) and provost,had e-mailed students yesterday with a link to the report and announced the acceptance of all recommendations.

The ORC, whose 13 members comprised faculty members, student leaders and alumni, had earlier submitted the report with recommendations on how to improve the NUS freshman orientations.

The review was called after The New Paper reported on sexualised orientation activities which included students being forced to re-enact a rape scene between siblings.

BONDS FORGED

On orientation, the report said: “This was the period when students felt that they were made to feel welcomed and cared for, and where strong bonds of friendships were forged.

“Many of them cherish the experience so much that they feel strongly about wanting to impart these positive experiences to their juniors.”

The students’ views were in the annex of the ORC report.

To freshmen, the orientation also serves as a transition point into the NUS community.

“I was terribly afraid I would be all alone in law school. I met some of my best friends though camp, who support me daily through school,” said a freshman from the Faculty of Law.

For the seniors, orientation means an opportunity to take on leadership and planning roles.

A senior from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences said the planning experience has equipped him with “the skills to navigate inter-personal relationships in a work setting more comfortably”.

The students also said that orientation makes the school culture more vibrant.

Another senior said that in orientation, “new friendships are forged and energy and life” are injected into the school’s environment, adding that such camps are “a key stepping stone to making university life enriching and meaningful”.

The students also spoke out against inappropriate orientation practices.

A Faculty of Law undergrad said: “Inducing fear or inappropriateness during such an event is unbecoming and I believe that we, as a society, as students, as adults, are better than that.”

Inducing fear or inappropriateness during such an event is unbecoming and I believe that we, as a society, as students, as adults, are better than that.

– A Faculty of Law undergrad

It appears that terror networks will exploit any way they can find to fund their activities, even in unexpected areas like sports and betting.

Last year, a man with possible terror links was detained after placing unusual bets at a betting shop in Belgium.

While the full facts have yet to be established, it got the attention of the Belgian authorities who are investigating the matter, a few experts told The New Paper recently.

Mr Christian Kalb, a speaker at the World Lottery Summit at the Marina Bay Sands yesterday, had told TNP earlier that the alarm was raised when a betting operator called other betting shops in Belgium to flag one of its customers.

Mr Kalb, a sports governance expert at The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, said: “The person, a Kurd, went to place bets in a shop owned by a Turk. The Belgian gaming regulator was contacted and the police interrogated the man, who confessed.”

The nature of his confession is not known but the incident was confirmed by Mr Peter Naessens, adviser to the Belgian Gaming Commission.

He told TNP in July: “The Kurd connection is not related to match fixing but to illegal gambling machines. The investigation continues.”

He said there were “indications that there might be a connection with terrorist activities”.

Given the deadly March bombings at an airport and metro station in Brussels in which 32 people were killed, the Belgian authorities are exploring all leads, said Professor Laurent Vidal from University Paris 1.

In May, he told TNP: “I can confirm that the Belgian authorities have looked into the allegation of ties between match fixing and terrorism, but I cannot tell you if it does concern the Kurdish channel.”

But Mr Eric Bisschop, vice-federal prosecutor at Belgium’s head of organised crime unit, told TNP in May that initial investigations into the Kurd had not turned up any clear links to terrorism activities.

While terror groups have traditionally engaged in human and drug trafficking, counterfeiting operations, kidnapping and the sale of contraband cigarettes, it is nonetheless a concern that they could be involved in the betting and sporting industries.

Former Fifa security head Chris Eaton told TNP that he would not be surprised if terror groups are also tapping on the expertise of Singapore match-fixing syndicates.

Prof Vidal, who is also the chairman of the Sorbonne-ICSS Research Program on Ethics and Sports Integrity, said: “Terror cells are using sports like any other channels to collect money. Today, it’s much easier to fix a match than to develop drug businesses. If it’s not stopped, it’s a big threat.”

In the past, D Company, an organised-crime and terror network headed by Dawood Ibrahim, a fugitive of Indian origin, who remains on Interpol’s Wanted List, had used sports to fund terror activities.

D Company has been linked to cricket match fixing.

In 2013, The Times of India reported that Dawood had personally set illegal betting rates for Indian Premier League cricket matches. He is accused of being involved in the 1993 Mumbai bombings and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks by Pakistan-trained militants.

Dr Tom Heenan of Monash University in Australia said a percentage of D Company’s revenues went to outfits like Lashkar e-Tayyiba, one of the largest and most active terrorist groups in South Asia.

Dr Heenan, who presented his research on Dawood at a symposium in Australia last year, told TNP: “I read a recent academic article in which the decline in the drug market internationally meant that terror groups had shifted their interests to the sports betting markets, particularly the illegal market which draws on hawala networks.”

Hawala is a traditional system of transferring money used in Middle-East and South Asian countries – the money is paid to an agent who then instructs an associate in the relevant country or area to pay the final recipient.

Both Dr Heenan and Mr Kalb believe terror groups target match fixing and gambling because of the slim chance of getting caught and the difficulty in tracking the international movement of money.

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES

Dr Heenan said: “It is inevitable that as with other black-market criminal activities with high returns, sports betting would be targeted by terror groups. For starters, it’s the perfect means of ‘washing’ money.”

Locally, Singapore Pools has a “multi-layered” monitoring system to spot unusual betting patterns that could suggest possible match fixing, money laundering or any other illegal activity.

It is part of a network called the Global Lottery Monitoring System, an initiative by 27 member operators in 25 countries.

A Singapore Pools spokesman told TNP: “Launched in June last year, the global surveillance system uses a fraud-detection system to monitor sports betting to detect any unusual or suspicious betting patterns, providing 24/7 coverage of the various betting markets worldwide.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Singapore takes a very serious view of any support for terrorism-related activities including terrorism financing.

Its spokesman told TNP: “The authorities will take firm and decisive action against any person who provides, collects or possesses property for terrorist purposes.”

It appears that terror networks will exploit any way they can find to fund their activities, even in unexpected areas like sports and betting.

Last year, a man with possible terror links was detained after placing unusual bets at a betting shop in Belgium.

While the full facts have yet to be established, it got the attention of the Belgian authorities who are investigating the matter, a few experts told The New Paper recently.

Mr Christian Kalb, a speaker at the World Lottery Summit at the Marina Bay Sands yesterday, had told TNP earlier that the alarm was raised when a betting operator called other betting shops in Belgium to flag one of its customers.

Mr Kalb, a sports governance expert at The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, said: “The person, a Kurd, went to place bets in a shop owned by a Turk. The Belgian gaming regulator was contacted and the police interrogated the man, who confessed.”

The nature of his confession is not known but the incident was confirmed by Mr Peter Naessens, adviser to the Belgian Gaming Commission.

He told TNP in July: “The Kurd connection is not related to match fixing but to illegal gambling machines. The investigation continues.”

He said there were “indications that there might be a connection with terrorist activities”.

Given the deadly March bombings at an airport and metro station in Brussels in which 32 people were killed, the Belgian authorities are exploring all leads, said Professor Laurent Vidal from University Paris 1.

In May, he told TNP: “I can confirm that the Belgian authorities have looked into the allegation of ties between match fixing and terrorism, but I cannot tell you if it does concern the Kurdish channel.”

But Mr Eric Bisschop, vice-federal prosecutor at Belgium’s head of organised crime unit, told TNP in May that initial investigations into the Kurd had not turned up any clear links to terrorism activities.

While terror groups have traditionally engaged in human and drug trafficking, counterfeiting operations, kidnapping and the sale of contraband cigarettes, it is nonetheless a concern that they could be involved in the betting and sporting industries.

Former Fifa security head Chris Eaton told TNP that he would not be surprised if terror groups are also tapping on the expertise of Singapore match-fixing syndicates.

Prof Vidal, who is also the chairman of the Sorbonne-ICSS Research Program on Ethics and Sports Integrity, said: “Terror cells are using sports like any other channels to collect money. Today, it’s much easier to fix a match than to develop drug businesses. If it’s not stopped, it’s a big threat.”

In the past, D Company, an organised-crime and terror network headed by Dawood Ibrahim, a fugitive of Indian origin, who remains on Interpol’s Wanted List, had used sports to fund terror activities.

D Company has been linked to cricket match fixing.

In 2013, The Times of India reported that Dawood had personally set illegal betting rates for Indian Premier League cricket matches. He is accused of being involved in the 1993 Mumbai bombings and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks by Pakistan-trained militants.

Dr Tom Heenan of Monash University in Australia said a percentage of D Company’s revenues went to outfits like Lashkar e-Tayyiba, one of the largest and most active terrorist groups in South Asia.

Dr Heenan, who presented his research on Dawood at a symposium in Australia last year, told TNP: “I read a recent academic article in which the decline in the drug market internationally meant that terror groups had shifted their interests to the sports betting markets, particularly the illegal market which draws on hawala networks.”

Hawala is a traditional system of transferring money used in Middle-East and South Asian countries – the money is paid to an agent who then instructs an associate in the relevant country or area to pay the final recipient.

Both Dr Heenan and Mr Kalb believe terror groups target match fixing and gambling because of the slim chance of getting caught and the difficulty in tracking the international movement of money.

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES

Dr Heenan said: “It is inevitable that as with other black-market criminal activities with high returns, sports betting would be targeted by terror groups. For starters, it’s the perfect means of ‘washing’ money.”

Locally, Singapore Pools has a “multi-layered” monitoring system to spot unusual betting patterns that could suggest possible match fixing, money laundering or any other illegal activity.

It is part of a network called the Global Lottery Monitoring System, an initiative by 27 member operators in 25 countries.

A Singapore Pools spokesman told TNP: “Launched in June last year, the global surveillance system uses a fraud-detection system to monitor sports betting to detect any unusual or suspicious betting patterns, providing 24/7 coverage of the various betting markets worldwide.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Singapore takes a very serious view of any support for terrorism-related activities including terrorism financing.

Its spokesman told TNP: “The authorities will take firm and decisive action against any person who provides, collects or possesses property for terrorist purposes.”

National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduates supported the intention of its Orientation Review Committee (ORC) to strengthen safeguards and weed out bad practices during orientation.

But they also asked that the ORC be mindful not to put forward recommendations that would “diminish the spirit, dynamism and diversity of orientation programmes and activities”.

The undergraduates’ views were part of the ORC report, whose recommendations were accepted in full yesterday.

Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS’ deputy president (academic affairs) and provost,had e-mailed students yesterday with a link to the report and announced the acceptance of all recommendations.

The ORC, whose 13 members comprised faculty members, student leaders and alumni, had earlier submitted the report with recommendations on how to improve the NUS freshman orientations.

The review was called after The New Paper reported on sexualised orientation activities which included students being forced to re-enact a rape scene between siblings.

BONDS FORGED

On orientation, the report said: “This was the period when students felt that they were made to feel welcomed and cared for, and where strong bonds of friendships were forged.

“Many of them cherish the experience so much that they feel strongly about wanting to impart these positive experiences to their juniors.”

The students’ views were in the annex of the ORC report.

To freshmen, the orientation also serves as a transition point into the NUS community.

“I was terribly afraid I would be all alone in law school. I met some of my best friends though camp, who support me daily through school,” said a freshman from the Faculty of Law.

For the seniors, orientation means an opportunity to take on leadership and planning roles.

A senior from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences said the planning experience has equipped him with “the skills to navigate inter-personal relationships in a work setting more comfortably”.

The students also said that orientation makes the school culture more vibrant.

Another senior said that in orientation, “new friendships are forged and energy and life” are injected into the school’s environment, adding that such camps are “a key stepping stone to making university life enriching and meaningful”.

The students also spoke out against inappropriate orientation practices.

A Faculty of Law undergrad said: “Inducing fear or inappropriateness during such an event is unbecoming and I believe that we, as a society, as students, as adults, are better than that.”

Inducing fear or inappropriateness during such an event is unbecoming and I believe that we, as a society, as students, as adults, are better than that.

– A Faculty of Law undergrad