Cookie-cutter, confined and sterile – this was the impression Singapore permanent residents Eitaro Ogawa and Tamae Iwasaki had of Housing Board flats a few years ago.

After the husband and wife documented more than 100 HDB homes for their upcoming book, however, they now regard these abodes as vital spaces where Singapore culture is lived and breathed in rich and diverse ways.

Their book, HDB: Homes Of Singapore, hopes to present the country’s public housing flats in this light.

Planned for release next year, the book is a joint effort with Mr Tomohisa Miyauchi, a senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore’s department of architecture.

It features in chronological order the flats that the trio have visited and photographed since 2013, to capture a portrait of life and culture in Singapore.

Mr Ogawa, 42, who has been living and working here since 2001 as a fine art printer, says: “The book is not about presenting nice home interiors. It is about how culture happens in our homes through the way we live.”

The couple came up with the idea for the book in 2008, when they were considering buying an HDB flat.

The semi-detached house they were renting near Seletar Airbase was going to be redeveloped and they needed to find a new home. However, they had reservations about public housing.

Ms Iwasaki, 43, an art educator, says: “We shared our concerns with friends and they invited us into their homes. The flats look the same from the outside, but inside, the difference was dramatic.”

HDB: Homes of Singapore

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YouTube screengrabs, Tomohisa Miyauchi

The couple found their friends’ homes to be authentic representations of their distinct personalities and style, and it turned their view of HDB flats on its head.

Inspired, they bought a four- room flat in Bukit Panjang and decided to share their experience in a photo book that subverts stereotypes about HDB flats.

The idea, however, languished because of their inexperience in publishing. It took a fortuitous meeting with Mr Miyauchi in 2013, shortly after he arrived in Singapore to teach, to get the project on its feet.

The three of them were guests at an exhibition and were chatting casually when the couple’s idea came up in conversation.

Mr Miyauchi, 39, who has published books and periodicals on architecture and urban planning, says: “I thought the idea of visiting HDB flats and talking to people is a good way of understanding more about the country, which is important to me as an architect and educator.”

Their aim was to photograph 50 HDB homes and they relied on the help of friends to find willing participants. Occasionally, they knocked on the doors of strangers.

Photographer Deanna Ng, 40, who lives in a three-room flat in Potong Pasir, was introduced to the trio through a mutual friend.

She says: “I have always photographed things that are Singaporean – the markets, Singapore as a Garden City, but nobody was doing what they were. For them to be Japanese and so interested in the subject, I was happy to invite them into my flat.”

At each flat they visited, Mr Miyauchi, who studied film in school, would take the photographs while Mr Ogawa and Ms Iwasaki would chat with the occupants to find out more about them.

Mr Miyauchi says the project is not voyeuristic – the occupants are often not pictured – but rather, a celebration of how people here live.

He says: “What was interesting to see, for example, was how every home had its sacred area, whether it was a shrine for worshipping gods, or a shelf to show off a collection of toys, or a place above a grandfather’s desk that has pictures of his children and grandchildren.”

When they neared their goal of 50 homes, they were inspired to keep going and upped the target to 100. They have since surpassed that number, photographing flats of all types and ages around the island.

They had planned to publish the book last year, in time for Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, but they were unable to meet the deadline. Earlier this year, however, a selection of their pictures was included in an installation at the Singapore Pavilion at the prestigious 15th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice.

They plan to release the book by next year and are in the midst of raising US$38,000 (S$51,737) through crowdfunding website Indiegogo to print 2,000 copies of the book. They have so far raised about 40 per cent of the sum, with a little more than a week left.

Mr Ogawa says they are committed to publishing the book, even if the total sum is not raised, although there is “good reason to be optimistic”.

He says: “This project had always been beyond us. But what we prayed for has worked out. This book would not have been possible if people did not open their homes to us and that is the beautiful part of involving so many people.”

– To donate, go to www.indiegogo.com/projects/book- project-hdb-homes-of-singapore

This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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Seven in 10 students from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have secured jobs even before they graduate this week, according to a preliminary survey conducted last month.

About 5,000 graduates took part in the survey and 70 per cent said they would be employed.

About 18 per cent of the graduates were offered jobs with their internship companies, so the majority were accepted by companies they had sought independently.

The proportion is similar to a preliminary survey last year for the class of 2015, where more than half of the graduates had secured jobs.

More than 9,000 students will graduate from NTU this year in 18 convocation ceremonies that started yesterday.

They make up the 25th class of NTU graduates since the university was inaugurated in 1991 with the merger of Nanyang Technological Institute and the National Institute of Education.

In the silver jubilee convocation address yesterday, NTU president Bertil Andersson said as a university that started out with just three disciplines, NTU sought to be interdisciplinary, adding subjects other than engineering and applied science, to cater to the diverse aspirations of Singaporeans.

Said Professor Andersson: “The institution guides students towards professional success with new programmes to prepare our students for work.”

Three of these programmes, the Renaissance Engineering Programme, the University Scholars Programme and the History programme, saw their pioneer groups graduate yesterday.

Presiding over the convocation ceremony was Mr Wee Cho Yaw, UOB chairman emeritus, who is Pro-Chancellor of NTU. Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung also attended the ceremony.

Two luminaries were also conferred honorary degrees by the university for their contributions to science and art.

Master potter and Cultural Medallion recipient Iskandar Jalil, 77, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters for his art and teaching.

Professor Sir David Payne was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering for his pioneering work in optical fibre communications, essential in modern telecommunications.

This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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The parents of murdered engineer Cui Yajie, who are believed to have arrived in Singapore from China yesterday, are alarmed by reports that a man had impersonated the father to get donations, said a lawyer representing the family.

Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported on Sunday that a man claiming to be Ms Cui’s father solicited donations at a Chinatown food centre on Saturday.

Lawyer Chung Ting Fai said the family was troubled by this impostor, and want to get their side of the story out. They are expected to issue a statement or speak to reporters soon.

Ms Cui, 31, a Chinese national from Tianjin, was reported missing two weeks ago and her decomposed remains were found in Lim Chu Kang last Wednesday.

She graduated from the University of Southampton in Britain and worked at semiconductor firm MediaTek. She was last seen in Fusionopolis Walk in Buona Vista at about 9.15pm on July 11, close to where her firm is located.

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The New Paper, The Straits Times, Shin Min Daily News, Facebook screengrabs

Leslie Khoo Kwee Hock, 48, who works in a laundry business, has been charged with her murder.

The Singaporean is accused of killing her between 8am and 10.11am at Gardens by the Bay East in Marina Bay on July 12.

Yesterday morning, Khoo was seen by reporters taking part in a crime scene re-enactment at the park, accompanied by two plainclothes police officers. His feet and hands bound with black restraints, Khoo was seen talking to the officers but quickly hid behind them once he spotted the media, Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday.

This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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One was asked whose bodily fluids she would like to drink, while another watched her peers re-enact an incestuous rape scene.

These were just two examples of the sexualised activities that hundreds of freshmen were made to participate in some of the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) orientation camps in the past two months.

Some students said they attended the camps to make friends, but they were instead pressured to take part in increasingly sexualised activities.

A 19-year-old freshman whom we shall name Chloe told The New Paper that she left the room after she became uncomfortable during an activity called “burning bridges” that required her to answer inappropriate questions.

The questions touched on taboo subjects such as which man’s bodily fluid she would want to drink, who among them is the sluttiest, and who would never get married and die alone, she said.

“Every time I didn’t take part, I was so scared that the orientation group would write me off as a prude and ostracise me,” said Chloe, who requested not to be named for this reason.

She added that the camp’s cheering and chanting was also sexualised, with references to the male anatomy, that made her blush.

“(The cheers) were so senseless. I hated them, but apparently it’s tradition that has been passed down from previous batches,” she said.

This perhaps explains why there have been complaints over the past decade, mostly from women who feel sexualised or harassed by the chants and games, some of which involve close contact.

That they are still happening today despite the complaints, and the universities promising to investigate and take action against offenders, imply that nothing much has changed.

Another 19-year-old freshman, Kim (not her real name), told TNP that she was grabbed from multiple directions by different students during a game that involved soap and water.

“I didn’t even know where they were touching. It was so physical. I ended up in pain, and it was a scary experience,” she said.

UNCOMFORTABLE

One of the forfeits for a game required a male and female freshman to re-enact a rape scene between a young man and his younger sister, which was even uncomfortable to watch.

“The girl had to lie on the floor, then the guy pretended to kick open a door and say, ‘Kor kor (big brother) coming.’ The girl had to respond, ‘Mei mei (little sister) don’t want’,” Kim said.

“He then kicked open her legs and did push-ups while lying on top of her.

“The girl looked very uncomfortable and covered her face throughout the whole thing.”

The incident traumatised Kim, who said that she wanted to cry during many of the activities.

“Why in the world would they have such ideas? I wanted to get out so badly.

“A group of us girls wanted to leave, but the orientation group leader stopped us and told us to finish playing the game.”

The orientation group leaders are seniors in NUS, and the camp attended by Kim was organised by the NUS Students’ Union two weeks ago.

On its website, the union says that it “strives to work towards upholding its vision of being a representative, inclusive and credible institution to promote, safeguard and uphold students’ interest and welfare in NUS”.

TNP was alerted to the activities by a reader, who said in an e-mail that there were “incidents of sexual harassment” during the camps, as well as the “trivialisation of rape”.

The reader also cited the NUSWhispers Facebook page, which had posts about a cheer that “simulated a group of guys ejaculating on a girl’s face”.

Other participants of the camp that TNP spoke to confirmed this.

A spokesman for the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) labelled such activities “alienating rather than bonding”, and criminal lawyers said police reports should have been made.

TNP asked NUS why it had been unable to tackle the problem of inappropriate activities during such camps despite numerous complaints over the past decade.

An NUS spokesman did not address the question, but instead said that it is currently looking into the issue.

“At NUS, orientation activities serve to welcome freshmen and integrate them into the university community and campus life,” said the spokesman.

“Participation in orientation camps and activities is voluntary. Our student leaders are constantly reminded to develop meaningful orientation activities that will help forge new friendships among our freshmen.

“Student organisers of orientation camps are also thoroughly briefed on the guidelines for orientation activities.

“The NUS Office of Student Affairs (OSA) has recently received feedback in relation to some inappropriate orientation activities.

“It is currently looking into the feedback and working with the faculty concerned. Freshmen are also advised to report inappropriate orientation activities to OSA, so that the office could look into their concerns.

“The University takes violations of the Student Code of Conduct very seriously. Disciplinary action will be taken against students who breach these guidelines.”

But the students TNP spoke to said the damage had been done.

Kim said: “All I wanted was to make new friends. I wonder why we even have such activities?

“But the camp is over, and we cannot do anything about it.”

Lawyers: Such activities could be against the law

Instead of building a culture of respect and consent, such sexualised activities will promote a culture of rape and bullying.

Ms Jolene Tan, 33, programmes and communications senior manager for the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware), said such activities are uncalled for, and that more should be done to protect the students.

“Such activities are very inappropriate, and promote bullying, the objectification of women, and is an unhealthy trivialisation of sexual violence,” she told The New Paper.

“They are alienating rather than bonding, and potentially traumatising to anyone there who has experienced sexual assault previously.”

PRESSURED

She added that new students feel pressured to take part or be left out, resulting in many choosing not to voice their discomfort.

“Even if they are uncomfortable, they won’t say it because they don’t want to be a spoilsport.

“The whole culture needs to change. There needs to be a policy in institutions that is explicit about harassment.”

A survey of 500 young people aged 17 to 25 conducted by Aware in 2014 found that one in three had experienced sexual assault or harassment, said Ms Tan.

The reported behaviours included unwanted sexual remarks, receiving of unsolicited pornography, and rape and other physical sexual assaults.

Lawyers told TNP that such activities outrage the modesty of women, and police reports should be made by individuals who feel violated.

Criminal lawyer Ravinderpal Singh of Kalco Law said such activities could easily be considered to be a violation of the Penal Code, which criminalises any word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

“If the woman takes offence and feels outraged, she can make a police report,” he said.

“The school can also be liable if it is negligent, and fails to provide a safe environment.”

He added that the school has a duty to ensure the well-being of all students.

“You cannot evade liability even (if students sign) a form,” he said.

“There definitely should be checks done by the school to ensure that such things do not happen.”

Another criminal lawyer, Mr T.M. Sinnadurai of Regent Law, said: “The words they used are gross and could be considered offensive. In my opinion, it is wrong.

“Even if there is no physical touching, it is still a violation.”

The father of a 20-year-old girl said that if his daughter were placed in a similar situation, he would immediately make a police report.

“I would be outraged if someone did something like that to my daughter,” he said.

“No one should be forced or pressured into such activities, and a police report should be made.

“A school is a place where you have to learn to get your morals right. If the school teaches these things, then it is the wrong place to start your learning.”

Controversies go way back

Orientation games at local universities have courted controversy for a decade, but the replies to the media have been similar each time.

The activities have also become raunchier, with this year’s games at the National University of Singapore (NUS) being the most lewd and explicit.

In 2006, The Straits Times (ST) reported that activities involving lip contact and the washing of armpits at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the NUS orientation games left students flustered.

This was followed by a similar report in 2008, in which ST quoted an NUS student who sat out an activity where male students did push-ups on top of female students.

In 2011, The New Paper reported that a girl cried after orientation games at the Singapore Institute of Management-University of London became too close for comfort.

The activities were similar to those at NUS in 2008, with male students leaning over female students on the ground.

In 2014, NUS was again in the spotlight after complaints that a male student was stripped to his shorts before being blindfolded and bound with tape, as female students licked whipped cream off his neck.

Each time, the replies from the universities to queries follow a similar pattern.

The universities would highlight the guidelines in place and that they do not condone such behaviour. They would then promise to investigate and take action against anyone who breaches the rules.

They also mention that participation in the camps is voluntary. But freshmen say they feel pressured to take part for fear of being ostracised.

In recent years, the institutions have implemented channels for feedback.

Yet, a decade on, nothing has changed.

This article was first published on July 26, 2016.
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