SINGAPORE – Singaporean conductor Wong Kah Chun beat 13 competitors from around the world to win the first prize at the prestigious Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition held in Bamberg, Germany on Thursday (May 12).

The 29-year-old took the top prize of €20,000 (S$31,096) after several rounds of competing in the fifth edition of the event, which seeks out the best young conductor. Winners typically go on to have engagements with other orchestras as part of their prize.

The competition began on May 6, and Wong was the only remaining Asian conductor from the semi-finals onwards, going up against the likes of conductors from Russia, Ukraine and Romania.

Speaking to The Straits Times via e-mail from Bamberg, he says: “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities from Singapore, all of which have been instrumental to my experience in the competition. I would like to thank my family for their support, and of course my teachers, as well as my alma mater – Yong Siew Toh Conservatory.”

He also says that after the results were announced, offers for projects and management came all at once.

While he admits that conducting the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra for the first time was “nerve racking”, he says they are a “very special orchestra, truly interested in music and supporting young conductors”.

“Every round got easier as we got to know each other better through the music we played,” he adds.

The first of his post-win commitments involves a concert with the Bamberg Symphony on Friday evening (German time) that will also be broadcast by Bavarian Radio.

However he does not have time to celebrate the win until July, with other commitments including conducting at the opening gala concert of the Musical Olympus Festival in St Petersburg, Singapore Lyric Opera’s Opera in the Park, as well as a fellowship with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Wong is one of Singapore’s most prolific conductors, having led orchestras in more than 20 cities in four continents. Having debuted with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in March last year, he has since performed with the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra, the St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra among others.

This article was first published on May 13, 2016.
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People who visit countries where the Zika virus has been detected should protect themselves from mosquito bites, said the authorities in a health advisory yesterday.

For example, they can wear clothing that covers as much of their skin as possible, apply insect repellent and use wire mesh screens or mosquito nets.

In yesterday’s joint statement, the Health Ministry and National Environment Agency also advised people who return from affected countries to monitor their health for 14 days.

If they show symptoms of Zika, such as fever, rashes or joint and muscle pains, they should see a doctor and let them know their travel history. Other common Zika symptoms are headaches and red eyes.

The authorities said a 48-year-old man tested positive for Zika yesterday after returning from Brazil, in the first case of a Zika infection here.

Infectious diseases expert Leong Hoe Nam said people should not worry unduly, as Zika infections tend not to be serious compared with dengue. Both have similar symptoms.

“The current understanding of Zika is that it is very mild,” he said. “The main people who are at risk are pregnant women.”

However, Dr Leong said those who live near Watten Estate in Bukit Timah – where the man lives – should see a doctor immediately if they show symptoms of Zika. It is transmitted when an Aedes mosquito bites an infected person and later bites someone else.

The Zika virus can cause a child to be born with microcephaly – a condition where babies have unusually small heads – if the mother is infected while she is pregnant.

In the advisory, the agencies suggested that pregnant women reconsider travel plans to areas where the Zika virus has been detected, especially if an outbreak is ongoing.

A place is considered to have an outbreak if there is a relatively large number of cases, and where transmission is widespread or has gone on for more than eight weeks.

More than 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries have ongoing Zika outbreaks, including Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica.

If a pregnant woman finds herself developing Zika symptoms after visiting such places, she should see a doctor to get tested. Those without such symptoms but who are still worried about infection should also consult a doctor, the authorities said.

Men who have returned from Zika-affected areas should also make sure they practise safe sex – or abstain from sex – for at least four weeks. This is because the virus can also be transmitted sexually. If their partners are pregnant women, they should adopt the precautions for the duration of the woman’s pregnancy.

Those who wish to know the latest Zika updates can refer to www.moh.gov.sg/zika

This article was first published on May 14, 2016.
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Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat was in a stable condition yesterday, the day after he had emergency brain surgery following a stroke.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who visited him at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), said: “He was sedated. His condition is stable, but he will remain in the ICU for some time.

“He is in very good hands, like all patients at the National Neuroscience Institute.”

PM Lee added that he had spoken to Mr Heng’s family.

“It is a tough time for them. They are touched by the sympathy and support from so many Singaporeans, and asked me to thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes. We all hope Swee Keat will have a full and smooth recovery,” he said on Facebook.

Mr Heng, 54, collapsed on Thursday during a Cabinet meeting after suffering a sudden stroke.

He was taken to the hospital where doctors successfully closed a ruptured aneurysm that had caused bleeding in his brain.

Heng Swee Keat in ICU after having a stroke

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper, Facebook screengrabs

MPs and grassroots leaders were told yesterday to put off their visits until a later date.

Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah said: “The family needs some space and privacy because it must obviously have been a great shock to them.”

Many Singaporeans showed up at the hospital to ask after Mr Heng’s condition. A table at the hospital’s Heritage Museum was overflowing with flowers, cards and gifts, and had to be expanded.

Yesterday, leaders of nine faiths from the Inter-Religious Organisation came together to pray for a smooth recovery for Mr Heng.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was at the session, said: “Life has its ups and downs for all of us but when things are down, we come together – hope, pray, support, and that’s how we come up again.

“And Swee Keat, with the love of his family – his wife and two children – and with prayers of the nation, will recover and we look forward to him being back with us.”

This article was first published on May 14, 2016.
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A 48-year-old man who returned from Brazil tested positive for Zika yesterday, making him the first confirmed case of the mosquito-borne virus in Singapore.

The permanent resident, who lives in Watten Estate, in Bukit Timah, travelled to Sao Paulo between March 27 and May 7 and developed fever and rash three days after his return, on Tuesday.

He was admitted to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital on Thursday and isolated, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement on the imported infection. He will be transferred to the Communicable Diseases Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) for treatment. They said he is currently well and recovering but will be discharged only after he is clear of the virus.

Though he is the first patient to be confirmed, they noted it is possible some transmission may have occurred before now, as the majority of people infected with the virus do not show symptoms. Passed through the Aedes mosquito’s bite, Zika causes mostly mild symptoms, but is allegedly linked to microcephaly in newborn infants, a rare condition characterised by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains.

MOH and NEA said residents of Watten Estate, Casa Perla, Hillcrest Arcadia, The Arcadia and Watten Hill Condominium have been advised to monitor their health and seek medical help if they develop symptoms such as fever and rash.

Though Watten Estate is not an active dengue cluster, NEA will step up vector control operations in the areas around the patient’s home. This includes inspection of premises, measures to kill adult mosquitoes through misting and fogging, and outreach to the public through the distribution of information leaflets and insect repellents. MOH is also screening his household members.

The Zika virus has swept the Latin American and Caribbean region – with Brazil being the most affected so far, and Singapore has anticipated it would receive imported cases.

In February, an infectious disease expert said it was unlikely Zika would spread in the same way in Singapore, as anyone with a confirmed infection would be isolated until he no longer has the virus. Dr Lim Poh Lian of TTSH said then that Zika is likely to be similar to chikungunya, another mosquito-borne illness first seen here in 2008, but whose numbers have remained low.

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Sim Ann said on Facebook: “I hope he recovers fully and quickly. In the meantime, our grassroots will give NEA full support in conducting house visits and engaging our residents.”

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

SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has given an update on Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, saying that his condition is currently stable.

“His condition is stable, but he will remain in the intensive care unit (ICU) for some time,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Friday evening (May 13).

PM Lee revealed he had visited Mr Heng at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, who suffered a sudden stroke on Thursday.

He said Mr Heng was sedated during the visited, and assured Singporeans that Mr Heng “is in very good hands, like all patients at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI)”.

Mr Heng, 54, collapsed at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. He was immediately attended to by three doctors in Cabinet, namely Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister of State Janil Puthucheary.

He was subsequently conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement that Mr Heng had suffered an aneurysm, which is a localised weakening of a blood vessel. He then underwent initial neurosurgery to relieve pressure in his brain due to the bleeding, which successfully closed the aneurysm.

Heng Swee Keat in ICU after having a stroke

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper, Facebook screengrabs

PM Lee added that he had spoken to Mr Heng’s family during his visit.

“It is a tough time for them. They are touched by the sympathy and support from so many Sinagaporeans, and asked me to thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes,” he wrote.

According to The Straits Times, many Singaporeans also visited the hospital to ask about Mr Heng, and filled a table at its Heritage Museum with flowers, cards and gifts.

Mr Heng was appointed Finance Minister after last year’s General Election, and had recently delivered his maiden budget in Parliament on March 24.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said that Mr Heng was carrying an “incredible load“, and was visibly tired.

“I have been telling him that he was overworking so much that it will affect his health,” Mr Shanmugam said.

Besides helming the Finance Ministry, he is also the chair of the Committee of the Future Economy, a high-level panel convened to develop strategies to keep Singapore’s economy competitive.

On Thursday, PMO said that Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is also Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, will be covering Mr Heng’s duties as Finance Minister while he recovers.

seanyap@sph.com.sg