The Singapore Democratic Party will hold its second rally for the Bukit Batok by-election on Sunday night (May 1).
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Live updates: SDP rally for Bukit Batok by-election, May 1
‘Astounding’ for SDP to say a person is not defined by actions or words: Heng Swee Keat
SINGAPORE – The Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) statement that a person is not defined by his or her actions or words has to be “one of the most astounding statements ever made in the history of Singapore politics” and brings into question their…
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Batam police go to war against online prostitution
A recent operation by the Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) Police have highlighted the extent of an issue afflicting those areas, namely online prostitution.
The Barelang Police arrested 10 women allegedly involved in online prostitution activity, which offered commercial sex services via the Internet. The police also named three people suspects in the case.
The Barelang Police’s head of crime and investigations unit, Comr. Memo Ardian said the online prostitution was discovered following their investigation into the growing problem of sex services offered on the internet, one of which was on the Cewek Panggilan Batam ( Batam Call Girls ) site. A number of suggestive pictures of women, which contained pornographic elements, were displayed on the site.
“The police’s information and technology team then tracked down the whereabouts of the site and it was found that it operated in Batam,” said Memo. The police carried out the arrests on April 25, he added.
Memo said the 10 young women arrested were commercial sex workers operating online while the three other people named suspects allegedly played roles as cashier, procuress and broker in the business.
“We will investigate consumers of their sex services. We have got phone numbers from their books,” said Memo.
Read also: S’pore boys also visit Batam, Bangkok and Batam for sex
The police chief further revealed the online prostitution operators received orders from their customers, who were mostly Singaporean and Malaysian residents and other visitors, by phone. Most of the customers knew what services were offered on the site, he said.
It was further revealed that after reaching an agreement with the procuress on the type of prostitute they wanted and their prices, the customers would arrange a meeting venue to which the prostitutes would be brought.
The online prostitutes were offered at various prices, starting from Rp 500,000 ( US$37.89 ) for short time and Rp 1.5 million for a whole-day booking.
“Most of their customers are residents of our neighbouring countries and other outsiders. We are still investigating the case,” said Memo.
He said the suspects would be charged with violating the Criminal Code on prostitution and Law No.11/2008 on electronic information and transactions ( ITE ).
An NGO activist concerned with women and children’s protection, Retno Permatasari, welcomed the police’s actions against online prostitution in Batam.
“We hope the measures can be taken against not only one site but also against all online prostitution businesses currently operating. We’ve seen it [online prostitution] take place in more than one place,” said Retno.
She said the majority of customers using the online prostitution services were men from Singapore and Malaysia, who spent their weekend in Batam.
“The commercial sexual workers are organised by prostitution groups but some of them offer themselves individually via social media,” said Retno.
Read also:
Huge sex district in Surabaya closed down
Jakarta tears down largest red-light district
S’pore man who died from sex drug overdose first met woman in Batam
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'Astounding' that SDP believes character does not matter: Heng Swee Keat
“This means a person can lie, cheat or betray someone with impunity … How are voters to believe what such politicians say or hold them accountable for their actions if they were running a town council?” says the Finance Minister.
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Quan Yifeng's ex-husband Peter Yu in TV comeback after 19 years
Former TV actor Peter Yu is making a comeback after 19 years in an upcoming drama series, Hero.
Toggle entertainment website reported the actor, who was once married to well-known TV host Quan Yi Fong, left showbiz to start a business, which eventually failed.
After his divorce, Yu, 48, fell into depression and “hid at home to avoid interacting with anyone”, reported Toggle. He was reported to have chalked up debts from gambling.
What is interesting about the upcoming drama on MediaCorp’s Mandarin Channel 8 is that the producer has drawn the life experiences of Yu to add to his screen character’s life story.
Last July, the actor played a stage character in a musical, which mirrored his own life.
Driving a taxi then to service his gambling debts, he told The New Paper that he had also stopped other bad habits like drinking, smoking and partying after going back to church in 2011.
Yu and Quan went through a high-profile divorce in 2008 after an eventful 10-year marriage. After they parted ways, Quan declared that Peter “will always be my friend”.
The actor has yet to share with Quan the news about his return to the TV screen when he was interviewed by Toggle last Thursday (Apr 28). But he revealed that he still keeps in touch with his former wife and their daughter, Eleanor, through Quan’s assistant.
chenj@sph.com.sg
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Tens of thousands join May Day rally in S Korea
SEOUL – Tens of thousands of South Koreans on Sunday joined May Day protests against labour reforms pushed by the government, and called for a higher minimum wage.
Labour activists say a bill being pushed by President Park Geun-Hye and her conservative Saenuri Party will make it easier for companies to sack workers.
“Let’s fight together against the evil bill!” activists and unionised workers chanted in unison during a protest in Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall.
About 30,000 unionised workers took part, according to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions.
Elections last month saw Park’s party lose its parliamentary majority for the first time in 16 years, as voters registered their dissatisfaction with the president’s economic record and soaring youth unemployment.
The crushing defeat means Park, who has less than two years left of her single five-year term, will increasingly struggle to push through her conservative economic agenda including labour reforms.
Messages on banners waved at Sunday’s rally included “Down with easy layoff!” and “Protect our rights to work!”.
Protesters chanted: “Fight against Park’s administration that suppresses labour rights!” Many also waved giant flags reading “Minimum wage of 10,000 won (S$11.70)!” South Korea’s current minimum wage is 6,030 won per hour.
Another protest involving thousands of workers was held elsewhere in central Seoul, demanding the scrapping of the labour reform bill and shorter working hours.
South Korea has some of the world’s longest working hours at 2,124 a year, far higher than the OECD average of 1,770 hours.
Police said more than 10,000 officers were deployed for the protests but no clashes were reported.
Last year’s May Day rallies ended with violent clashes between protesters and police, who used water cannon and pepper spray on the crowd. Dozens of people were injured.
Park’s administration argues the reform plan would introduce flexibility to a rigid labour market, by making it easier for businesses to hire as well as to fire.
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Singapore swim coach one of world's best: American university
It is official – outgoing Singapore swimming coach Sergio Lopez will join Auburn University as its associate head coach.
The university released a statement yesterday morning (Singapore time) confirming the appointment.
“It is an honour for me to be part of such committed student-athletes, coaches and staff,” said the 47-year-old American, in the statement.
“I have no doubts that working alongside coach Hawke and his staff, we will be able to make the Auburn tradition even stronger.”
Lopez (left) was referring to Auburn head coach Brett Hawke, who said: “We’re extremely excited to have a coach of Sergio’s calibre join the Auburn family.
“I’ve always admired his work from a distance. He has a way of getting the best out of his athletes and has always done a masterful job of building a team.
“Young men and women really love swimming for Sergio. I truly believe we have gained one of the world’s leading coaches.
“The future of Auburn swimming and diving looks really bright.”
Auburn have an impressive swimming tradition – the women won five NCAA titles from 2002 to 2007, while the men won eight titles from 1997 to 2009 – but have not done well in recent years.
They finished sixth this season, while Texas, aided by Singapore’s Joseph Schooling, topped the standings.
Lopez, the 1988 Olympic men’s 200m breaststroke bronze medallist, shocked many in the local swimming fraternity with his resignation on Friday, with many swimmers in the National Training Centre (NTC) squad reportedly in tears when he broke the news to them.
His recruitment in November 2014 was seen as a coup for Singapore swimming, given his previous success in developing talents like Schooling, Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy at The Bolles School in Florida.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Lopez started work at the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) in January last year and just completed 16 months of a five-year contract.
In that time, he guided Singapore swimmers to win a record 23 golds at the South-east Asia Games last year and coached Quah Zheng Wen to achieve Olympic ‘A’ marks in the men’s 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly and 200m butterfly.
Despite his resignation, the American, whose wife and two children are here in Singapore with him, has pledged to do his best in his final assignment here – getting the Republic’s swim team in shape and taking charge of them at the Rio Olympics in August.
The team will leave at the end of this month for the US for their final preparations for the Rio Olympics in August.
Meanwhile, national assistant coach Gary Tan will be acting head coach and take charge of the NTC squad, while the SSA searches for a successor for Lopez.
sayheng@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on May 1, 2016.
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No by-election rallies on May 2
There will be no rallies tomorrow (May 2).
The Police Elections Permits Office (PEPO) said in a statement today that it “did not receive applications for any election meetings to be held on 2 May 2016.”
The Singapore Democratic party (SDP) will be holding its rally tonight from 7pm at Bukit Gombak Stadium.
It will be their second rally for the opposition partying running in the by-election for Bukit Batok SMC.
Their first was on Friday night (April 29), at the same time as the People’s Action Party (PAP).
SDP party chief Dr Chee Soon Juan is contesting for the single-seat against People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Mr Murali Pillai.
spanaech@sph.com.sg
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Guess this football player, stand to win COURTS prizes
HIS EARLY YEARS
His rise to stardom was the stuff of fantasies.
A product of his boyhood club’s youth academy, he made his full Bundesliga debut in 2008 as an 18-year-old.
By the end of the following season, he was picked by fellow footballers as the best newcomer of the 2009/10 campaign.
Some thought the 2010 World Cup in South Africa came slightly too early for the budding talent, until he took the stage by storm.
He won the Golden Boot with five goals and three assists, and even then he refused to get carried away.
“I basically got lucky, I hit form at just the right time,” he said.
HIS STRENGTHS
His talent often escapes the naked eye.
He doesn’t necessarily stand out on the pitch.
He isn’t terribly fast like Gareth Bale, he can’t run rings around opponents like Lionel Messi does and he certainly doesn’t whip in a wicked shot of the Cristiano Ronaldo varietal.
But he is devastatingly effective.
His most lethal skill is an innate quality that no amount of work on the training ground can perfect.
His uncanny knack of finding space in tight areas has destroyed many an opponent.
He lurks in the shadows, then strikes when least expected.
His ability to play as a winger, centre forward or attacking midfielder also makes him a coach’s dream.
Yet, perhaps the one ingredient that has sustained his success at the highest level is his humility that keeps him grounded.
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he said: “I’m slowly but surely getting the feeling I can do more with my left foot than just get up and fetch a beer.”
HIS WEAKNESSES
Despite his image as the consummate professional, he is also prone to the occasional outburst.
He once gesticulated at a teammate who took a poor free-kick during a match, leading to an argument between the pair after the final whistle.
Said the teammate afterwards: “I hate it when teammates constantly raise their hands and complain.
“It is disrespectful. We are a team.”
He has also clashed with his club coach at least twice before, once during a game after being substituted, and another in a training session.
WHY HE’S FAMOUS
In just two World Cups he has played in, he has already scored 10 goals.
At the 2010 edition, he registered five goals and three assists to claim the Golden Boot award.
Four years later, he finished second on the top-scorers’ chart, his goals proving crucial as Germany claimed their first World Cup title since 1990.
His only European Championship to date came in Euro 2012, where Germany lost in the semi-finals to Italy.
Age: 26
Height: 1.86m
Position: Attacking midfielder/ forward
Country: Germany
International debut: March 3, 2010 (v Argentina)
International games: 70 International goals: 31
garylim@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on May 1, 2016.
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Local Star Wars fans out in force for annual celebration
It was a family affair as fans of all ages came together for the Star Wars Day (SWD) weekend festivities.
SWD is celebrated all over the world on May 4 (“May the fourth be with you” is the tagline).
This is the third Singapore instalment of the fan-driven, fan-organised celebration that will continue today from 11am to 8pm.
The inaugural event was held at the Jurong Regional Library in 2014 and has continued to grow in scale, with this year’s SWD taking place at OCBC Square, Singapore Sports Hub.
Mr Hansen Khoo, 42, a professional event planner and SWD’s main organiser over the three years, prepared a year in advance for this year’s edition.
He told The New Paper on Sunday: “At the first event, we expected 500 people to show up but 2,000 came instead.
“And last year’s turnout ranged from 5,000 to 6,000. We expect this year’s to surpass that.”
Kicking things off was a walk-in from the Singapore chapters of the worldwide Star Wars costuming organisations, the 501st Legion Singapore Garrison and Rebel Legion, for the opening ceremony.
Mr Herve Cotton, 42, who was the first registered member of the volunteer-based Rebel Legion in Singapore two years ago, dressed up as Luke Skywalker while his two sons Alex, 13, and Olivier, 12, cosplayed as Anakin Skywalker and a Padawan respectively.
The French national, who relocated to Singapore with his family from the Philippines in 2008, said: “There came a point in my life where I looked around and realised that I had food on the table and healthy kids, and it was time for me to give back.
“So I wanted to do it in the funniest and most fun way possible.
“Since I was a Star Wars fan, I knew about the 501st Legion, but I had always to be a Jedi. So I looked for the Rebel Legion in Singapore, but they did not exist.
“We started with three members and now we have 25.”
Mr Cotton added: “(Being part of the Rebel Legion) is nice bonding time for my family.
“Not only going for the event but also preparing for it, as we make some of our costumes on our own so we sit down and discuss how we want it done.”
Another highlight of SWD was the FightSaber stunt workshop, where children were brought on stage to learn how to fight with lightsabers.
Benjamin Scollon, nine, was one of the lucky few who got to learn some moves.
He said: “I’ve been a fan since watching (the 2015 movie) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (last) December and when a friend told us about the event, I knew I had to come.
“The fighting on stage was pretty cool.”
Perhaps the biggest attraction, however, was the largest public display of Star Wars toys and collectibles in South-east Asia put up by fans.
One such fan and toy collector, Mr Paul Armory, a 43-year-old American who will be based in Singapore for the next few years, brought his entire collection from the US to keep him company during his stay here.
The display featured both a vast vintage collection between the years of 1977 and 1985, and a modern collection.
VARIANTS
He said: “We have variants of toys all the way from Mexico, the US, France and the UK.
“It is amazing because these haven’t been shipped in or anything, they belong to locals who keep them in their homes.”
Fellow toy collector Dan Ho, a 35-year-old IT professional, added: “It gives people who may not collect or are new collectors a chance to learn more about Star Wars, like ‘Oh look, I’ve never noticed this thing or this person and there’s a name to it, now I know.'”
Another toy collector, Mr Mohd Redwan, has attended all three SWDs and arrived this year with his wife and two young kids in tow.
All were decked out in Star Wars T-shirts, with his four-year-old son even donning a Darth Vader mask.
The 34-year-old chemist said: “I keep coming back because of my love of Star Wars and seeing the toy collection today is amazing – I’d like to own all of this one day.
“I love events like this because it is not just a chance for Star Wars fans to get our dose, but for others to get interested too.”
natmeah@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on May 1, 2016.
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