The splashes at Big Splash have been missing for a decade now. Come October, the 40-year-old East Coast Park landmark and its name will also go the way of the multi-coloured water slides into history.

When its lease expires, the site will be returned to the Government for redevelopment, thus bringing the curtain down on one of Singapore’s first water theme parks.

Housewife Toh Sew Lay, 52, who once visited the water theme park with her secondary school classmates, says: “Going there was a real treat because it was the biggest water park at the time. I had so much fun playing in the pool.

“I could not swim, so I found the slides a little daunting at first. Nonetheless, I still went on them in the end and had a splashing good time.”

The attraction was developed in 1977 at a cost of $6 million by Goldhill Properties, a private developer, and opened in the same year as a water theme park with four pools, including a 50m-long pool capable of creating 1m-high waves, a 230m-long flowpool, where water was kept in constant flow, and a children’s pool. All the pools were filled with seawater.

The water slides had five lanes. The tallest slides were more than six storeys high and were reportedly the highest water slides in the world at the time.

During Big Splash’s heyday in the 1980s, it had big-name tenants such as KFC and many corporate events were held there.

Mr Morgan Chow, 64, public relations manager of current anchor tenant, The Seafood International Market & Restaurant, has been working at the restaurant since 1983. He recalls the numerous celebrities who visited the place, including Hong Kong actors Chow Yun Fat and Stephen Chow, Taiwanese star Chiling Lin and Chinese actress Gong Li.

He says: “For me to meet so many famous people and be able to talk to them, I felt very honoured.”

But in the 1990s, the 300,000 sq ft Big Splash complex fell into disrepair. The slides grew filmy with algae and word of the dubious sanitation of the pools spread and became an urban myth.

Between 1997 and 2000, it reportedly suffered losses.

Then in 2006, Seafood International tendered for the site from National Parks Board and did away with the water slides. It has since become a lifestyle and dining enclave.

Its last day of operation is Oct 21, although some businesses will cease operations earlier.

Some tenants, including Seafood International, will have to stop operations temporarily while they look for new locations.

But until its closure on Sept 16, the 500-seat restaurant – which has been operating at the location since 1983 – will run a Thai-themed a la carte lunch buffet promotion, featuring many dishes on its original menu, such as Thai prawn cakes, fishcakes and basil prawn and chicken.

Says its director Justin Tan, 43: “We want to bring back the favourites for old times’ sake, so those who supported us can come back for one last visit.”

This article was first published on July 24, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

In the wake of a spate of terror attacks in Europe, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean yesterday urged Singaporeans to strengthen their resolve to maintain peace and racial harmony here.

Speaking on the sidelines of a community sports event, he said: “By having good racial harmony, it helps us to prevent, it helps us to respond, and it helps us to recover if ever an attack were to take place.”

He highlighted the recent arrests in neighbouring countries, including that of 14 Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants by the Malaysian authorities who were caught with a 1kg improvised explosive device.

These “reflect the level of activity that is going on in the countries around us”, he said, adding that Singapore has also had to deal with people who encourage extremism and violence. “We should stop these people, we should take them in and make sure that we guide them along the right path, if we do find such people in Singapore.”

Singaporeans who notice someone “who may be going down the wrong way”, should bring the matter up to friends, religious figures or the authorities. “We can guide him on the right path, save him, save his family, save the community from harm,” said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security.

“No country in the world today is immune from terrorism. That’s why we have to prepare for all three phases: To prevent as much as possible, to respond if there’s an attack, and most importantly, to maintain social harmony and unity should an attack happen.”

Yesterday, more than 40,000 residents took part in Community Sports Day events across 76 locations in Singapore. The inaugural sports day, organised by the People’s Association, is meant to promote racial harmony.

At Pasir Ris Elias Community Club yesterday, 500 people took part in a fun race and games with a kampong theme – such as sepak takraw and skipping – flavoured with an ethnic twist. For example, the sepak takraw teams of three had to be made up of different races. Similarly, participants had to skip 20 times while wearing a traditional Indian sarong called a lungi.

Games, Mr Teo said, are a “wonderful way to bring people together” since it is a common language everyone can enjoy.

Engineer Gopa Kumar, 48, taught his teammates to wear the lungi. “The games really help build bonds with your neighbours,” he said.

This article was first published on July 24, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Audiences at this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) will be treated to an indoor fireworks display for the first time, as the event returns to the National Stadium after a decade.

This will be the largest indoor fireworks display staged inside the National Stadium, with roughly five times more fireworks than that used at last year’s SEA Games.

Yesterday, the first of two NDP preview shows kicked off with spectators streaming into the Sports Hub as early as 4pm. Among them was trade manager Chia Pei Fang, 28, who was watching the NDP “live” for the first time.

“It’s definitely different from joining in the celebrations along Marina Bay in previous years,” said Ms Chia, who went with her mother, sister and friend.

The audience at the preview enjoyed a closer look at the revelry and colours of the indoor fireworks display segment.

“From the ground up, there will be the comets and mines,” said Military Expert 4 (ME4) Joel Li, chief safety officer of the Fireworks Committee, referring to the different types of fireworks.

“And for the fireworks flying downwards, we will have the falling stars for a longer burning effect.”

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

AsiaOne, The Straits Times, The New Paper

The parade will feature 16 flame projectors, 36 high-powered lasers and 1,000 units of lights, all synchronised to upbeat remixes of popular NDP songs.

Preparations for the indoor fireworks typically begin four days in advance.

A team of 50 Singapore Armed Forces personnel is roped in for the massive task, which includes packing the fireworks into 98 pyrotechnic boxes.

At the stadium, the boxes are connected to wires at 36 locations lining the sides of the stage and 26 along the sides of the four ramps.

There are also 36 boxes on the ground in front of the stage, linked wirelessly to the firing system.

Overhead, six fireworks structures are hoisted 45m high and secured to the roof of the stadium.

For safety, the fireworks are installed 5m away from performers and 15m from spectators. Fans help to improve air quality and flow.

Besides the indoor fireworks, fireworks will also be set off outdoors over Kallang Basin during the NDP.

The people behind NDP 2016’s futuristic theme song

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper

This article was first published on July 24, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

If the recent posts about racism encountered in Singapore has brought you down, this will lift your spirits again.

A Facebook post by Khairul Farhan recounted a heartwarming incident on Jul 21, at about 7.30pm near Pasir Ris Elias Community Club.

He wrote, “What happened last night reaffirmed my beliefs that RACIAL HARMONY is still strong in Singapore!”

Khairul and his wife saw an old man fell off his bike, and he was bleeding.

He said:

“I yelled to my wife to call the ambulance while I dug my bag for a shirt. I immediately applied pressure on his head where he was bleeding from.

“He was shivering and muttering. I continued applying pressure and carried him up to sit at the ledge. At that point of time all I could think of is to stop his bleeding as it has already went down to his shirt.”

What happened next warmed his heart.

“Out of nowhere, a few passers-by came by to help.

“1) A Chinese woman shielded the old man with an umbrella while asking the old man for his family member’s contact.

“2) A Malay man came to us and took the old man’s bicycle aside (it was still in front of me)

“3) An Indian man rushed to the nearest clinic and called the doctor to help

“4) A Bangladeshi man stood behind me to shield me and the old man from the rain while I was still applying pressure”

He continued:

“I don’t even know the names of the people who helped me last night but I was truly touched and moved by the unconditional help by our fellow Singaporeans (and Foreign help!!)

“What gave me hope that the uncle can make it was that he was even asking for his bicycle when he was being put on the ambulance.”

Visit STOMP for more stories.

Mr Wilson Lim has presided over 700 marriages, but one especially sticks in his mind. It took place in a hospital, between a dying man and his girlfriend.

Mr Lim was given just two days’ notice, but he could not say no.

“They both were very brave. I’ll remember it for life,” the 49-year- old told The Sunday Times.

Mr Lim is not a religious leader or a Justice of the Peace. Instead, the real estate consultant is a Citizens Consultative Committee secretary in the Punggol East constituency and one of nearly 200 grassroots leaders who, since 1992, have been authorised to solemnise marriages.

Marriage numbers released by the Department of Statistics recently show that nearly 7,000 solemnisations last year, or about a third of the 22,540 non-Muslim marriages in the same year, were conducted by grassroots leaders.

This is about as many as the number of marriages conducted at the Registry of Marriages (ROM).

A spokesman for the Ministry of Social and Family Development, which oversees the ROM, said grassroots leaders have to be recommended by, for example, heads of religious orders or the People’s Association before they can become licensed solemnisers.

The nominee must also meet strict criteria, he said, including having a track record as a community or religious leader, or other positions of influence or leadership.

Couples said grassroots leaders are a good alternative for solemnising marriages on weekends as the ROM is closed then, as well as on popular dates or if they are planning something “different”.

Solemnisers said they have been called to conduct solemnisations on yachts, the beach and even at Jurong Bird Park, where the wedding ring was flown in by a bird.

For solemniser Tan Yan Boon, 46, who runs a vending solutions company, it can mean working his overseas business trips around dates requested by couples as early as one year in advance.

He has been married for 18 years and has three children, aged 17, 14 and 11.

While solemnisers can be officially booked only three months in advance, Mr Tan, who is a community club management committee chairman in Sembawang GRC, takes note of the dates and tries his best not to disappoint couples.

In nine years, he has conducted about 3,000 solemnisations. Almost all his weekends for the past five years have been spent marrying people.

He schedules up to two solemnisations a day, but tries to ensure that both are in the evening or in the afternoon so that he can have lunch or dinner with his family.

“The couples do keep me updated about their lives, inviting me to their baby functions,” he said.

The solemnisers whom The Sunday Times spoke to all shared similar stories of friendship and giving love advice.

Ms Joanna Portilla, 45, who has been married for 14 years and has a nine-year-old son, has been a grassroots leader and solemniser for 10 years and has married about 1,000 couples.

“They are strangers first. Then we become friends on Facebook. Sometimes, it becomes a family thing and I marry the siblings too,” she said.

She vividly remembers solemnising the marriage of a 76-year-old man and a 78-year-old woman who had been living together for 40 years.

“If you saw them together, you wouldn’t have realised they didn’t have any papers.”

Mr Lim, who has been married for 20 years and has two daughters aged 13 and 15, said he advises couples not to tie the knot simply to get a Housing Board flat. He also tries to bring out their romance.

“I make sure they draft their own vows. When it is from their own heart, it’s more meaningful,” he said.

This article was first published on July 24, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

No money, no marriage. That seems to be the view of people here who have pushed marriage to the back of their minds to focus on building their careers and earning more pay.

Those who spoke to The Sunday Times said they felt they had to save up before committing to marriage because of the costs involved. These include the wedding reception, which can cost tens of thousands, and the costs of getting a home, renovation, and children.

They also said they are marrying later as they wanted to have attained some success at work to appeal to potential partners.

Mr Kiat Ng, 37, who married three years ago, said he was broke after finishing his diploma at 26. He did have an interest in settling down at that age, but his financial situation made it hard for him to think about it seriously.

“The thought of getting married would cross my mind. I would remember that I had no money, and then I’d forget it,” said Mr Ng, who did not have a girlfriend then.

He also wanted to build a career. He later found a passion in repairing pianos and became a piano technician.

After years of saving up and looking for “the right one”, he married Ms Catherine Tan, 33, a product manager, and they now have a one-year-old son.

Like the Ngs, more people are marrying later, the most recent marriage statistics show.

A report by the Department of Statistics Singapore released about two weeks ago said the median age at first marriage for grooms rose from 29.8 years in 2005 to 30.3 years in 2015. For brides, it rose faster from 26.9 years to 28.2 years over the same period.

Some said they delayed marriage to save as much money as possible to keep up with the high cost of living.

Mr Hariharaan Malikaffure, a sales engineer who married at 34 in 2014, said: “When you are single, it’s different. When you are married, you have to save up for your future together with your spouse.”

Now 36, he had spent most of his 20s finding the right career, after a failed business.

His teenage sweetheart and now wife, Ms Shamini Thilarajah-Hariharaan, 34, was also not prepared to marry 10 years ago, when Mr Hariharaan first proposed.

“I was at the peak of my career when he asked. I wanted to study further, get my bachelor’s, then my master’s,” said the instructional designer.

Professor Wei-Jun Jean Yeung of the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore said the increase in people here marrying at an older age reflects a global trend – the lengthening of the transition to adulthood. This is as young adults now take longer to finish their education and they invest heavily in their careers.

But she said this trend is more pronounced in countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea.

On the trend of women marrying at an older age, Associate Professor of Psychology at the Singapore Management University Norman Li said: “Women are now becoming more and more educated and earning increasingly more income. So, there are increasingly fewer men who meet their standards.”

With women marrying later or not marrying, birth rates here have been hit, said Prof Yeung, who is also director of the Centre for Family and Population Research at NUS.

A General Household Survey released in March this year found that the proportion of single females aged between 25 and 29 rose from 54 per cent in 2010 to 63 per cent last year.

“These high late or non-marriage rates are the main reasons why the overall fertility rates in Singapore are low, so this trend warrants serious attention,” he added.

For some, like founder of restaurant chain Eighteen Chefs Benny Se Teo, 56, it was not a matter of money, but a lack of time. He spent his 20s in and out of jail because of drug addiction, then spent years building his business.

He got married in 2014 to Ms Chan Mei Kam, a higher engineering officer who is now 60.

“I have no regrets. It’s the nicest thing that I feel I missed out in my younger days,” he said.

This article was first published on July 24, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Anna (not her real name), a 34-year-old sales manager and single mother, is done with men and marriage, having gone through two failed marriages.

“Before, I always felt it was good to have someone to grow old with and talk to every day. But now, it’s no, thank you,” she said.

“I realised I don’t need a man and I can raise my daughter alone.”

Anna has a daughter, eight, with her first husband.

She decided to end the marriage of over a year as her husband, a restaurant manager, was “financially irresponsible” and in debt.

Because of his credit card debts, she took over payment of the household bills. She also gave him a few thousand dollars to help him pay off some of his debts. But he failed to do so and the amount owed grew to about $20,000.

She said: “I don’t know why he owed money. But I don’t want to be married to or stuck with a man who is financially irresponsible.”

Anna saw how her mother suffered going through life with a gambler. Her mother slogged in various jobs to help her father, a taxi driver, pay off his gambling debts.

Anna said: “I don’t want my daughter to suffer like I did when I was young.”

After her divorce, Anna met her second husband, who is also divorced, but with no children. The businessman in his 40s got along well with her daughter and the couple dated for about two years before taking the plunge into matrimony again.

But after their wedding, Anna said, he became increasingly short-tempered, “was very mean with his words” and often came home drunk. He also accused Anna of fooling around with other men, when she did not.

But what really hurt was that he kept calling her daughter fat and greedy. This affected the girl so much that she started to starve herself and was miserable.

“It was impossible to talk to him. He would just insist he is right,” she said. “My daughter asked me if I could leave him. I saw the hurt in her eyes and I decided to leave him.”

Earlier this year, she filed for divorce after eight months of marriage.

He asked for a second chance, but Anna decided she had had enough.

“When he’s drunk, the devil comes out,” she said. “I’m not going to put my daughter through another marriage again.”

This article was first published on July 24, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

They had all come to say goodbye to a girl with “a small body but a big heart”.

About 100 family members and friends filed in line, awaiting their turn to place a stalk of flower into the coffin of Teo Pei Shan, the teenager trapped in a toddler’s body.

There were brave smiles and tears among those who had turned up at her home in Pasir Ris for the final send-off.

Pei Shan died on Tuesday, just two weeks shy of her 18th birthday on Aug 5.

The teenager was born with a rare disease that robbed her of the ability to walk or breathe on her own, and it had severely stunted her growth since she was four months old.

After a short service in Mandarin, she was lifted into a hearse that had been decorated with bright and cheery balloon sculptures of her favourite cartoon character, My Melody.

At Mandai Crematorium, those who knew Pei Shan gave touching eulogies.

Her positive demeanour despite her condition had clearly made a difference to people, said her piano teacher of more than two years, Ms Mary Yoon.

Ms Yoon, 55, spoke of how Pei Shan enjoyed playing the piano and always looked forward to her next concert or event.

“She lived her life to make people smile. She was a blessing to me too, I believe she is in heaven now,” she said.

Teen trapped in baby’s body dies just before 18th birthday

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper, The Straits Times, FACEBOOK/FLORENCE CHEW

The loss is especially hard for the teen’s parents, who had struggled financially to take care of Pei Shan for the past 17 years.

Pei Shan’s father, Mr Teo Qi Kuang, 57, told The New Paper on Sunday: “I don’t know what to say. I am still at a loss. We will keep her room the way it is, of course, to remember her by.”

Her mother, Madam Chew Siew Cheng, 47, wished to thank the people who turned up at the wake and had showered the family with support over the years.

“She is everyone’s child,” she said.

Over the past five days, hundreds of people – including strangers, celebrities and politicians – turned up to offer their respects.

SYMBOL OF HOPE

Funeral director Alvin Goh of An Lok Funeral Services, who helped put together the entire event pro bono for the family, said five days is a long time in the funeral business.

But Mr Goh, 40, warmed to the idea when he was reminded again that Pei Shan was a symbol of hope to many people.

He said: “There were many well-wishers and donors who wanted to pay their final respects.

“It is never easy for parents to have to grieve for their child. As a parent myself, I feel for them. I hope Pei Shan’s positive outlook in life will inspire them to move forward.”

This article was first published on July 24, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.