A top Jelutong Tower, in the middle of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR), we took a deep breath and gazed upon the stunning view.

There were acres of green all around. Birds darted in and out of our view.

In the distance, vestiges of the concrete jungle that is Singapore, like the office buildings along Thomson Road and Housing Board flats in Toa Payoh, can still be seen – a stark reminder of how we were in a pocket of green surrounded by grey.

Biologists worry for this patch with 413 species of plants, 218 species of birds, 30 species of mammals, 24 species of freshwater fish and 17 species of amphibians – some of which are endangered.

They say the work to construct the Cross Island Line (CRL) could lead to water pollution, soil compaction and plant damage – all of which would be irreversible.

Even before the actual excavation happens, the boreholes that have to be drilled to investigate the soil will already damage the environment, they maintain. Of the 37 boreholes, 16 are within the nature reserve.

But in a report published in February, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said these soil investigations will have a “moderate impact” on the nature reserve.

Plant expert Lahiru Wijedasa, a former senior botanist at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, is not convinced.

He says the boreholes – which are vertical shafts in the ground – will need to be dug by heavy machinery.

“The weight of the 2.5 tonne machines would not only damage tree roots and kill them, it could also cause compaction of soil, preventing anything from growing after.”

He says this is alarming because a portion of the nature reserve is primary rainforests – untouched parts of nature which are home to endangered species like the Greater Slow Loris and the Sunda Pangolin.

Biologist David Tan from the National University of Singapore, who has been studying the forest for more than four years, says the loud noise from the digging would also scare away animals, leading to territorial conflicts.

But the biggest concern is water pollution.

Each borehole, says Mr Wijedasa, is going to need at least 1,000 litres of water, which goes into the soil when digging.

“When you pump in water underground like that, based on the method proposed, sludge will be pumped out. If this sludge gets into streams, it will pollute the water which the animals and plants all need to survive,” he stresses.

MEASURES

In its report, the LTA has detailed mitigation measures, which include having 30m buffer zones around streams and marshes, and using enclosures to minimise noise and tanks to hold discharge, such as drilling fluid.

Nature lovers like Mr Tan and Mr Wijedasa are urging authorities to consider alternative routes.

LTA has said a route which skirts around the CCNR will cost an additional $2 billion, and require the construction of longer tunnels and more underground ventilation facilities.

Mr Tan feels there is no price too big for conservation.

He, Mr Wijedasa and other volunteers have been leading tours around the CCNR under the Love Our MacRitchie Forest campaign, which hopes to raise awareness about how special the CCNR is.

They hope that through public education, more people will speak up for the CCNR and an alternative route will be chosen.

Mr Tan says: “We should really think about what we value because conservation is something that benefits everyone.

“MacRitchie is not only the biggest forest we have, it is one of the few forests we have left.”

What Animals Are There

The Central Catchment Nature Reserve is home to 413 species of plants, 218 species of birds, 30 species of mammals, 24 species of freshwater fish and 17 species of amphibians. They include:

LONG-TAILED MACAQUE

They are a common sight along the trails of MacRitchie and have a diet of fruits, leaves and small animals.

GREATER SLOW LORIS

Their numbers have been dropping due to illegal pet trade and habitat destruction. The species is classified as “vulnerable”, which means it is likely to become endangered.

BLACK-BEARDED FLYING DRAGON

This lizard is capable of expanding its ribs out to form “wings” to glide between trees.

GIANT FOREST ANT

Despite being one of the largest ants in the world, this insect is completely harmless.

SUNDA PANGOLIN

This animal is critically endangered and is one of the most heavily poached animals in the world. In February, a baby pangolin was found in Upper Thomson Road. It is now thriving under the care of vets at the Night Safari.

LESSER MOUSEDEER

This shy mammal moves through the forest quickly due to its small stature. They feed on fallen fruits, shoots, young leaves and fungi.

Additional reporting by Ng Jun Sen and Ariffin Jamar

This article was first published on April 10, 2016.
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The number of teenage boys who have visited prostitutes is on the rise, a trend that has researchers worried as some do not use condoms consistently, may catch sexually transmitted diseases and go on to infect their girlfriends.

In the first-ever study of Singapore youth who have had sex with prostitutes, it was found that about two in five of the teens surveyed had paid for sex. The interviews were conducted with some 300 heterosexual boys aged between 16 and 19 who went to a government specialist clinic that treats sexually transmitted infections (STIs), between 2009 and 2014.

In earlier cohorts of boys who went to the Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control (DSC) Clinic between 2006 and 2009 and were interviewed, only 15 per cent said they had intercourse with prostitutes.

Associate Professor Wong Mee Lian – working with Adjunct Professor Roy Chan and Dr Martin Chio at the clinic – invited new teenage patients at the clinic each year since 2006 to be part of their research.

The doctors wanted to understand their background and behaviour which could put them at risk of contracting an STI, and find ways to reduce infection rates among the young.

Prof Wong, who is with the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, said the jump in the proportion of teens who visited prostitutes is significant.

While the findings cannot be generalised to represent the population of teens who are sexually active, she said they do suggest that it has become more common recently for teenage boys to pay for sex.

This is a public health concern as sex workers are a major source of infection – and 30 per cent of the boys she polled between 2009 and 2014 who visited prostitutes said they did not use a condom each time they had paid sex.

The worry is that they could infect their girlfriends or others they sleep with, she said, as they had a median of 4.5 sexual partners, including their girlfriends, by the time they were polled. “Many of those infected with an STI show no symptoms and they could have sex with others without knowing they are infected,” she said.

Her study was published in the science and medical journal PLOS One in January. PhD student Junice Ng was the co-author.

Another worrying finding is that of those who had paid for sex, their median age was only 16 and 38 per cent had their first sexual encounter with a sex worker.

Doctors and social workers say two main factors account for why more teens visit prostitutes. The first is the easy access to pornography online. There has also been a proliferation of vice websites advertising sexual services here.

Dr Lin Kai Wei of Nuffield Medical Siglap clinic said his young patients go online to seek sexual services as they find it less daunting than going to the red light districts where others can see what they are up to. “There are all these websites where there are pictures of the girls and their vital statistics. So the boys are tempted,” he said.

Singapore Children’s Society chief executive Alfred Tan, a father of two, including a 21-year-old son, said the study’s findings are worrying, especially as youth are more exposed now to all sorts of vice online.

“We have to start talking about sexuality issues with our children, to let them know what’s right and what’s wrong, when they are as young as possible,” he said.

Hundreds of local men fell for sex scams and lost thousands

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper, Internet screengrabs, Lianhe Wanbao, Stomp

This article was first published on April 10, 2016.
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Her back used to look like a “sticker book” with the hastily decided tattoos littered all over.

“It was bad. I had a fairy on my left shoulder and something that was tribal-like,” says Miss Melody Chan, 29, a marketing manager.

But she has since found a solution.

Where the fairy used to sit now lies a patch of black. And it is the same for her right shoulder, with more artistic shapes of solid black trailing down her back.

They are known as blackout tattoos – a trend that is taking the online world by storm – and they involve covering parts of the body with solid areas, shapes and patterns of black ink.

Says Miss Chan: “They don’t just cover up. The black areas complement my other tattoos, and they make my whole back piece special.”

Blackout tattoos were first thrust into the spotlight after the works of local tattoo artist Chester Lee, also 29, started making rounds online two weeks ago. (See other report.)

Mr Lee, who works for Oracle Tattoo,did the blackout tattoos for Miss Chan. He catapulted to fame after he posted photos of his works on his Instagram account @oddtattooer.

International media outlets such as the New York Post, BuzzFeed and Distractify started featuring the blackout tattoos, with some even calling him a pioneer of the craft.

COVER UP

The most common reason people get blackout tattoos is to cover up old ones, says Mr Lee, who has been doing them for more than five years.

“Tattoos can sometimes be irrational decisions, and people end up regretting them. Blackout tattoos are a convenient way to cover them up.”

But there are also those who simply like the uniqueness of the look.

According to Mr Lee, blacking out the skin highlights certain contours of the body and presents an opportunity to use the negative space as a form of expression.

In Miss Chan’s case, the blackout tattoos can also be combined with traditional tribal patterns to produce more complex designs.

But the process is more time-consuming than regular tattooing.

Mr Lee says: “There is nothing different about the process – the same equipment and inks are used. But everything is applied on a larger scale. It is not like I can just paint over the skin with a brush.”

The New Paper on Sunday understands that tattoo parlours and artists charge between $150 and $300 an hour. Customers end up paying more since it takes more time to work on a blackout tattoo, as compared to a normal tattoo.

Miss Chan expects to spend about $10,000 on the whole process.

Typically, a blackout tattoo that covers a person’s arm from the wrist to the shoulder, known as a full sleeve, can take four sessions, with each session lasting five hours.

Getting inked for such a long time can be painful, so Mr Lee says he always explains the process thoroughly to his customers before starting work on them. He adds: “It is not like they can change their mind. They have to be prepared.”

GLOBAL TREND

The blackout tattoo trend has picked up abroad.

American tattoo artist Nathan Mould, whose works have been featured alongside Mr Lee’s, says customers have sought him out to get these “heavy black work tattoos”.

Mr Mould says: “Some cover old tattoos, and some are just done for the pure love of large areas of black.”

Another tattoo artist whose works were featured, Mr Bryce Graham from Rough Diamond Tattoo in England, says blackout tattoos are a “growing phenomenon”.

“They have been gaining a lot of popularity here, and artists are doing a lot with them nowadays.

“There is definitely an increased following of fans,” says Mr Graham.

Miss Chan can attest to that.

The picture of her back, uploaded by Mr Lee to his Instagram account, has amassed more than 7,500 likes since it was posted on March 28.

But it is not even complete, she says. Even after four sessions of eight hours each, Miss Chan says she still has two more sessions to go as she needs to fill in some portions of her tattoos. The process might be long, but she believes they are worth it.

“It has taken a while, but I am glad that with Chester’s help and the blackout tattoos, I can get the back piece that I really want,” she says.

What a Skin Expert Says:

Getting a tattoo, be it blackout or otherwise, carries an amount of risk, says dermatologist Gavin Ong.

“There’s always a risk of infection and bleeding,” he explains.

Dr Ong, of skin clinic The Skin Specialist in Orchard Road, says: “It all depends on the skill of the tattoo artist as well as how clean the equipment used is.”

Those keen on getting inked should always make sure the needles are sterilised.

Even then, allergic reactions, which Dr Ong says are dangerous, can still happen.

“Depending on the tattoo, some people may be allergic to the dyes or inks used. It can cause allergic contact dermatitis, ranging from just redness of the skin to an itchy scaly rash that can develop into blisters,” he says.

When this happens, the trigger, which is the ink in the skin, cannot be removed easily and dermatologists must find ways to break down the inks using pigment lasers.

There is also the possibility of keloids, which Dr Ong refers to as “abnormal scarring of the skin”.

He says: “In some patients, their skin gets too traumatised by the act of tattooing so it starts scarring. When these scars heal, they take up the shape of the tattoo.

“These scars are permanent, and even if people decide to remove the inks in their skin, the keloids will still remain.”

In the case of blackout tattoos, the risks of infection, bleeding, allergies and keloids are even greater due to the larger surface area of the tattoos.

“Before getting a tattoo, one should assess the potential risks before making the decision that could stay with them for life,” says Dr Ong.

Sudden fame for local tattooist

Before he knew it, tattoo artist Chester Lee, 29, was a celebrity.

“All of a sudden, I had so many followers (on Instagram),” he says with a laugh.

“So many” is an understatement.

Two weeks ago, Mr Lee, who works for Oracle Tattoo, says his Instagram account @oddtattooer barely had 7,000 followers. Now, he has nearly 29,000.

The first article about his work was published on the website of British tabloid The Daily Mail on March 28.

Mr Lee says: “I’ve no idea why they picked it up, but it came hard and fast after that.”

The articles continued, with features on blackout tattoos and his name getting published on various news and magazine outlets online like the New York Post, Esquire and Cosmopolitan.

Even celebrities like Akon and Lil Wayne shared articles about Mr Lee’s work on their Facebook accounts.

The newfound attention is a strange experience to Mr Lee, who says: “I was just doing my job and suddenly, there was so much focus on the work I do.”

OWN TATTOO

While he has been doing blackout tattoos for the past five years, it was only three years ago that Mr Lee decided to get his own.

He says: “I wanted to get one not just for cosmetic reasons, but I thought it was also cool to understand what my customers go through when I work on them.”

Mr Lee enlisted the help of his fellow tattoo artist friends.

His blackout tattoo covers a portion of his face and his entire left arm, from the knuckles all the way up to the shoulder.

More than 10 hours were spent on getting it done. The result? A better understanding of the blackout tattooing process.

“It can actually get very painful, and it made me put in extra effort to be gentle to my customers,” he says.

The newfound fame has been good for business and he says his list of potential customers has “soared”.

But Mr Lee says he makes sure to only take up two or three appointments each day, so that he is not overwhelmed.

“I’ve definitely received more requests, but at the end of the day, I have to make sure I give myself enough time to do the best job for my customers,” he says.

“Tattoos are permanent, so there’s no room for mistakes. People trust me with their bodies and I don’t want to let them down.”

This article was first published on April 10, 2016.
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Her electricity bills used to be $25 a month but last month, it went up to $45.

For Madam Siti Buang, 72, that amount is more than enough for her to feel the pinch.

The retired factory worker says in a mix of English and Malay: “I feel so guilty for using my fan every night.”

The resident of a one-room rental flat at Block 4, North Bridge Road, says she used to sleep without her fan on.

But in the eight years she has lived there, this year feels the hottest to her.

She says: “Usually, I try to save money by not switching on the fans. But these few months have been far too warm not to use them.” Madam Siti says her two sons, a technician and a medical logistics worker, give her an allowance of $50 per month each, so the jump in her electricity bill makes a lot of difference to her.

“I will be looking for a job soon to help pay for my electricity bills,” she adds.

Madam Siti, who has colon cancer, hopes to get a packing or an office cleaning job.

She has had the disease for seven years and has undergone two operations – in 2009 and 2013. She estimates the operations have cost her sons $1,000 from their Medisave accounts.

When The New Paper visited her last week, she shuffled around in her oppressively stuffy flat.

Although there were three fans in her home, she uses only one – when she has to.

She says: “The only time I switch on all three fans is when my older son visits me.”

When he visits her, he would complain about the heat in her flat, even when her windows are open.

“It is too stuffy in here,” he would say.

ASSISTANCE

Madam Siti received financial aid from Ministry of Social and Family Development’s ComCare from January to March 2014.

She is not on the financial assistance scheme at the moment, confirmed the Ministry.

To escape the heat in the day, Madam Siti hangs out at the Seniors’ Activity Centre (SAC) a few blocks away. It is operated by voluntary welfare organisation Peace Connect.

Its group manager, Mr Richard Chua, explains that the area has a fair number of elderly folk in rental flats and they are not well off.

Peace Connect also provides free access to cold water and cooling herbal teas. Lunch is provided for a nominal fee of 50 cents.

Mr Chua said: “A lot of them have been complaining of the heat in their homes. Some say they cannot sleep at night.”

This year, Peace Connect spent $2,000 on two big air coolers which are placed at the SAC. Mr Chua says it was a worthwhile investment.

Mr Leow Ah Eng, 77, a retiree, was seen at the activity centre. He says elderly residents in the area turn up when the centre opens at 9am and they stay till the centre closes at 5.30pm.

He says: “It is too hot to do anything outside. It is breezier at the centre because there are many fans here.”

But on Sundays, when the centre is closed, Mr Leow is left with no option to escape the heat.

He says: “I will just walk around the void deck and chat with my friends. It is cooler than staying at home.”

This article was first published on April 10, 2016.
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