He was a troubled man.

A recent break-up seemed to weigh on him, and a failed business haunted him.

Boatman Ong Hock Long, 33, had gone missing on Tuesday evening while operating bumboat No. 36, which was engulfed in flames in the waters off the Esplanade.

His body was found late last night. (See report, above.)

Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that family members said Mr Ong had broken up with his girlfriend about two months ago, and it still affected him.

Boat catches fire near Esplanade

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Stomp, SCDF Facebook, The Straits Times

FAILED STALL

His 63-year-old father was also quoted as saying that his son had a failed duck rice stall five years ago, and required help from the family to repay the debt.

Ong, who worked for Singapore River Cruise, was seen jumping into the waters of Marina Bay on Tuesday evening, as No. 36 was consumed in a fiery inferno.

He was the only one aboard the battery-operated vessel at the time.

Witnesses had previously told The New Paper there was initially just smoke from the boat, which they dismissed as mist from machines used to cool people off.

But the boat soon erupted into flames. It was later engulfed by the fire as it drifted in front of the Esplanade river bank.

Thick smoke could be seen clouding the Singapore skyline from parts of the Central Business District, even as the inferno was contained on the bumboat.

Pictures of the incident later showed Mr Ong, in a yellow top, jumping overboard.

But he did not resurface.

Divers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) Disaster and Rescue Team (Dart) were later sent out to look for Mr Ong.

But the underwater search was called off, and a surface search operation resumed.

Mr Ong’s family was seen in the area while the search was carried out on Tuesday evening.

When TNP contacted Singapore River Cruise yesterday, the phone operator declined comment, only saying that the company’s management were having meetings, and they were working closely with the police.

Well-wishes flooded social media after the news broke, with many hoping for Mr Ong’s safe return.

Those hopes were dashed last night.

This article was first published on July 14, 2016.
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A schoolboy was hit by a car and sent hurtling through the air after he ran across the road, without looking right or left.

The accident, caught by an in-car camera, has gone viral.

Thankfully, the boy survived without any serious injuries, a spokesman for his school told The New Paper last night.

The incident happened near Block 827, Jurong West Street 81, last Thursday.

Boy lucky to be alive after dashing onto road, getting hit by car

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Facebook screengrabs

But the video was only shared on Tuesday and immediately caught on, fuelling a discussion online on road safety for children.

The school spokesman told TNP: “The pupil has received treatment in hospital and is resting well at home. The school’s primary concern is the well-being of the pupil, and we are working with his parents to ensure that the necessary support and assistance are given.”

The dramatic minute-long video was shared by Facebook user Suzy Adorabella Lyliana.

TNP understands that she obtained the original video from Instagram, but her relationship with the car driver is unclear.

In the video, the boy is seen looking straight ahead, apparently unaware of an oncoming car as he suddenly dashes onto the road.

The impact sends him hurtling about a metre through the air, along with his schoolbag and spectacles, into the path of a bus.

Luckily, the bus driver manages to stop in time.

After a pause, the boy tries to get up, but appears unable to.

He crawls towards his bag and is quickly attended to by concerned onlookers.

The bus driver also runs to the boy’s aid.

The car driver does not appear to get out of the car.

At the end of the clip, a woman and an elderly man are seen escorting the boy off the road.

The boy left the scene of the crash without getting any immediate medical assistance, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Its spokesman said they received a call for ambulance assistance at about 5pm.

An ambulance was sent, but the paramedic was informed by the caller that the boy had left.

Like many parents who watched the video, Ms Marie Johnson, a mother of two, was shocked.

Ms Johnson, 55, whose boys are now in their 20s, said: “When (my children) were in kindergarten, I took both of them to school. I always taught them to use the pedestrian crossing. No matter what, they had to use the pedestrian crossing even if it meant they would be late for school.

“Parents play an important role in teaching their children from young how to use proper pedestrian guidelines. Read them the news of road accidents and point out to them the mistakes that caused the accident.”

The school spokesman added: “The school organises assembly talks to raise our pupils’ road safety awareness. We will continue to emphasise road safety education as part of the school’s effort in ensuring safety of pupils.”

SHOW CHILDREN THE DANGERS

Don’t just tell children about road safety, show them, said the chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council.

Mr Bernard Tay said: “Practise putting (children) in the driver’s seat, so they can see (what pedestrians look like) from the driver’s point of view.”

This will encourage children not to take for granted that drivers can see them clearly and stop in time for them to cross.

He also advised parents to work with schools to ensure their children learn safe road practices.

Mr Tay said: “Basically, it all comes down to education. If students are not exposed to education, they will be vulnerable.”

BE ALERT, DRIVERS

Mr Gerard Pereira, operations manager of the Singapore Safety Driving Centre, believes that drivers bear the responsibility in ensuring that roads are safe for pedestrians and motorists alike.

He said: “I don’t blame parents who send young children out alone… But as motorists, we must slow down and not rush, especially when larger vehicles like buses are around.”

“Hitting somebody is very traumatic…

“It will be on the driver’s mind for the rest of his life,” he said, adding that drivers should prepare for the unexpected.

This article was first published on July 14, 2016.
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A maid, who slapped, kicked and shoved a 93-year-old woman she was meant to be caring for, was jailed for two years yesterday.

Sulikah, 27, an Indonesian who goes by one name, pleaded guilty last month to 10 of 29 charges of causing hurt to Madam Ng Yian Yeo, who suffers from advanced dementia, between Jan 17 and Feb 10 this year.

Sulikah began working for Madam Ng in February 2014 and they lived together at the latter’s Ang Mo Kio flat. She admitted that she began physically abusing the victim sometime early last year, often out of frustration.

She also said she was previously told off by Madam Ng’s children for treating their mother roughly.

On Jan 17, after Madam Ng had changed into a fresh nappy, Sulikah grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up to a sitting position on the bed. She then hit the woman’s head several times, lifted her off the bed and dropped her roughly on a chair beside the bed. She then proceeded to change the sheets during which she shoved Madam Ng’s head.

On Jan 29, Sulikah was trying to get Madam Ng onto a rolling shower chair when she grabbed her hair and pulled her up to a sitting position, kicked her legs before lifting her and dropping her roughly on the chair. She then slapped her. On Feb 4, when the helper saw that Madam Ng’s leg was not on the footrest of the chair, she kicked her legs repeatedly and hit her on the head.

Three days later, when Madam Ng touched the domestic helper’s hand and later gestured with her left palm, Sulikah responded by shoving her face and grabbing the back of her neck,before pushing her backwards into the chair .

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kong Kuek Foo said Madam Ng’s two daughters had spotted bruises on her left eye and hand when visiting her on Feb 10. They also reviewed footage from the closed-circuit television camera installed in the living room and found several occasions of physical abuse. Their brother lodged a police report the next day.

District Judge Jasvender Kaur said: “The repeated acts of abuse were something of a pattern which shows a contemptible and callous disregard for the welfare of the victim.”

Sulikah could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 on each charge of causing hurt.

elena@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on July 14, 2016.
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Was the alleged robber behind the Standard Chartered heist last Thursday so confident that he found time to pop into an upmarket eatery for a drink and a bite mere minutes after fleeing with his loot of $30,000?

It would seem to be the case, gauging from closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage shown to The New Paper that captured a man who remarkably resembles suspect David James Roach in Baker & Cook, a cafe-bakery in 44, Jalan Merah Saga, in Chip Bee Gardens, about 160m from the bank.

He was in there for about six minutes, during which he spent about four minutes walking around the cafe and ordering a slice of cake and a bottle of water.

He then sat down at a table and finished his snack in just two minutes before hastily leaving the eatery.

Yesterday, the directors of Baker & Cook showed TNP the CCTV footage, which started from 11.25am, based on its timestamp.

This was around the time the police were alerted to the robbery.

Roach, 26, a Canadian, is alleged to have passed a piece of paper to the bank teller during the robbery. The note read: “This is a robbery, I have a weapon, give me money, don’t call the police.”

The teller handed over $30,000 and then activated the secret alarm to alert the police once everyone’s safety was ensured.

Roach later took an AirAsia flight to Bangkok, arriving there at 6pm Singapore time.

Thai police arrested him at a hostel in Bangkok on Sunday.

It was Roach’s first visit to Singapore, and he reportedly stayed in a Chinatown hostel for three days before the robbery.

Yesterday, a Baker & Cook director, who declined to be named, told TNP that he reviewed the security footage on Tuesday night after seeing the picture of the suspect released by Thai media earlier that day.

“As our cafe is just nearby, we felt we had a responsibility to check our security footage for this guy in the event we could turn up some evidence,” he said.

To his amazement, he saw a man who looked very similar to descriptions matching Roach entering the cafe around the time of the robbery.

“His eyebrows, body shape as well as his T-shirt and even the white earpiece he was wearing looked similar.

“The resemblance was uncanny,” he said.

A picture provided by Thai media after Roach’s arrest shows him wearing a grey T-shirt and an earpiece.

The robber was described as wearing a hoodie and mustard pants. So if the man in the footage is indeed the robber, he must have dumped them before he entered the cafe.

The cafe director said the man in the video was behaving oddly.

TNP watched the footage last night. It shows the man entering the eatery at 11.25am.

After wandering around a while, he makes his way to the counter, but is told to queue up by the cafe staff.

He walks around looking at the pastries on display before cutting to the front of the queue.

Bank robbery at Holland Village Standard Chartered Bank

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, Twitter, Shin Min Daily News, Reuters

GOBBLED FOOD

He orders a $5 strawberry lamington – a square spongecake popular in Australia – and a 500ml San Pellegrino bottle of water costing $4.80.

The man, who is carrying a large, bulging, yellow envelope, takes out his wallet and pays in cash. After getting his food, he goes to the front of the cafe, where he sits at a table.

He finishes the bottle of water in two to three gulps and eats the lamington in about two minutes.

He leaves at exactly 11.31am.

Said the cafe director: “That’s really strange. Our customers usually take a while to sit down and enjoy their food. But this guy seemed to be in a rush.

“His behaviour seemed to indicate that something was not quite right.”

He added that he would be submitting the footage to the police today.

Mr Marvin Zhang, the sales manager of Huntaway Security, which specialises in CCTV security, told TNP that as the timestamp on the CCTV footage is based on the time of the recorder, it is possible that it may not reflect the actual time.

A check against Apple’s time server showed that the CCTV’s clock was slower by about 30 seconds.

TNP also checked out the route between the Standard Chartered Bank and Baker & Cook.

It took us just under three minutes at a normal walking pace to get from one place to the other using the MRT underpass.

It would have been faster if we had crossed the road.

The cafe director said he decided to come forward in the hope that the evidence would aid the Singapore authorities in their case against Roach.

“We understand every possible lead is important. We have already contacted the police and arranged to hand over the footage. We hope to be doing our part to help,” he said.

This article was first published on July 14, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) is investigating “restrictive industry practices” in the supply of lift spare parts in HDB estates.

This follows a complaint that CCS received, alleging that several companies were refusing to supply lift spare parts to third-party contractors for the maintenance of lifts. 

Town councils are required to carry out regular maintenance for lifts installed in HDB estates.

Typically, multiple brands of lifts are installed in each HDB estate. Town councils can choose to either appoint the original lift installers or appoint third-party lift maintenance contractors to provide lift maintenance services for all brands of lifts within the estate.

In a statement today (July 14), CCS said it understands that there could potentially be cost savings in engaging a third-party lift maintenance contractor for multiple brands as compared to having to procure lift maintenance services from each original lift installer.

Lift contractors that wish to tender for lift maintenance projects, which include multiple lift brands, would require brand-specific lift spare parts.

Town councils select their lift maintenance contractors based on many factors such as price, technical competency, availability of genuine spare parts, response time, relevant experience of service personnel and track record of the company.

If the third-party lift maintenance contractors cannot obtain the lift spare parts for each lift brand, town councils would be reluctant to choose third-party lift maintenance contractors.

While a supplier has the freedom to decide with whom it wants to do business, a refusal by a dominant supplier to supply certain essential products or services could be illegal, the watchdog said. 

One supplier E M Services has come forward to supply BLT lift spare parts to third-party lift maintenance contractors here. 

CCS considers the commitment by E M Services as fully addressing the competition concerns.

“CCS will continue its other investigations to ensure access to essential lift spare parts for third-party lift maintenance contractors and to effectively compete for lift maintenance of these other brands of lifts,” the watchdog said. 

maryanns@sph.com.sg

It has been a long wait, but the Ministry of Education (MOE) finally revealed the details of the new Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system yesterday.

Many parents with pre-schoolers were relieved about the phasing out of the PSLE T-score, where each pupil is compared with his peers.

Under the new system from 2021, the score given to each pupil will be based on how well he has done in the subject, independent of how others fare.

Many parents agreed that the T-score, which ranks a pupil’s performance in relation to his peers, ratchets up the competition.

PSLE 2015 results released

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper

They hope the new system will create some space for pupils to pursue other activities that arm them with the skills needed to thrive in a volatile, uncertain future.

But will the new system effect change?

Will parents stop pushing their children to chase that last mark and, instead of sending them for tuition, encourage them to pursue sports or the arts, nurturing in them creativity and people skills that are becoming essential for work?

Unfortunately, this does not seem likely – at least in the initial years.

Several parents with children in Primary 1 and kindergarten already admit that their target now will be a PSLE score of 4.

This means the child will have to score at least 90 marks – in all four subjects.

Those hoping to enrol their children in Raffles Institution or Hwa Chong feel that the new system affects their chances.

Since a wider pool of pupils will be able to meet the entry score, they may be reduced to keeping their fingers crossed at computerised balloting.

Said one parent who did not want to be named: “So, for me and my son, the stress and competition will not be reduced. And to think that now we have to take our chance at a lottery – that just increases my anxiety.”

A few parents voiced concerns over the fact that, under the new system, it will not be possible for a pupil to “make up” for a weak subject by doing very well in the other three subjects.

Under the current T-score system, a pupil can still get a good T-score with three very high A stars and one B.

On the flip side were several parents who felt MOE has not been bold enough with the changes.

They think the Grade 1 band is pitched at too high a level at 90 marks.

A typical comment came from mother-of-two Desiree Teo. “Surely, if you want to reduce the stress and want pupils to pay attention to developing other skills, an 80 or 85 will do. Why set the bar so high at 90?” she asked.

Several parents also voiced concerns over the move to make choice count for more.

When two pupils are tied for a place in a school, the one who listed the school as his first choice will have priority over the other who listed it as his second choice.

Parents are worried that it will be difficult to choose, given that schools do not publicise their distinctive strengths well.

But it is important to keep in mind that the changes in the PSLE scoring system are just one part.

Another big piece of the change, which is still a work in progress, is helping every secondary school to build distinctive strengths.

With several good schools to choose from, in the years to come, pupils will hopefully pick the best school to nurture their interests and talents, and not just the top-performing school in the O or A levels.

MOE should show parents how it is committed to making every school a good school.

It should be transparent about its spending on the lesser-known neighbourhood schools and ensure they are given the resources, including talented principals and teachers, to build distinctive programmes.

This will go some way towards correcting the perception that it spends more on “elite” schools and allocates better teachers to them.

The move to send some well-regarded principals to neighbourhood schools is a good one.

This should be publicised more.

But fixing the education system is a long-haul process.

Hopefully, with time, parents will come to realise that they need to have a broader view of education.

As then Education Minister Heng Swee Keat warned last year, to continue on a path with a narrow focus on grades and examinations could lead the country into “a spiralling paper chase and expanding tuition industry”.

It would churn out students who excel in exams, but are ill-equipped to take on jobs of the future.

Neither will they find fulfilment in what they do.

The alternative requires parents to give up their obsession with grades, recognise their children’s strengths and build on them.

Teachers and employers have to make a shift too.

Teachers should strive for all-round development of their students, and employers – including the Government – have to hire or promote based on skills and not paper qualifications.

Hopefully, Singaporean parents, being a practical lot, will see the wisdom in taking the second path.

sandra@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on July 14, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.