There are fishermen’s tales with an ugly twist – and many are surfacing after a wild otter pup was spotted last Saturday at the Kallang River with a fish hook near its eye.

The otter is the latest victim of irresponsible, and sometimes illegal, fishing activity that has left legitimate anglers fuming.

To start with, whoever injured the otter was not supposed to be fishing in that part of the river. The person also used a baited hook, which is not allowed in inland fishing as it could affect water quality.

Irresponsible anglers also litter and leave fishing lines and hooks in places where they pose a danger to humans and wildlife alike, fishing enthusiasts and environmental groups told The Straits Times.

“Irresponsible fishing habits still persist and, overall, the situation hasn’t improved since Marina Barrage was built,” said Mr Eugene Heng, founder and chairman of the Waterways Watch Society.

Volunteers from the environmental group patrol Singapore’s reservoirs and canals, often finding evidence of irresponsible behaviour.

When anglers cut away entangled fishing lines with hooks and leave them in the water, kayakers and dragon boaters can be hurt. There is also a risk of harming wildlife and the latest case of the injured otter was the third since last October.

Last year, national water agency PUB issued about 400 summonses for illegal fishing.

An average of 500 were issued in 2014 and also in 2013 – double the 250 yearly average in 2011 and 2012. Fishing is allowed at designated spots in 10 out of the 17 local reservoirs, namely Bedok, Jurong Lake, Kranji, Lower Peirce, Lower Seletar, MacRitchie, Marina, Pandan, Serangoon and Upper Seletar.

“Fishing is not allowed in all waterways except at Pang Sua Canal, where there is a designated fishing deck,” added a PUB spokesman.

Those caught fishing in no-fishing areas can be fined up to $3,000.

Undergraduate and avid angler Toh Kiat Sheng, 22, said there are several influential fishing communities, such as FishingKaki.com and Eat Sleep Fish. They all frown upon irresponsible anglers who give the community a bad name.

“We even have ‘policemen’ in the group who photograph irresponsible anglers who leave their trash behind, and post them (the photos) online to deter others from doing the same.

“The otter-hooking incident is unfortunate, but we should keep in mind that such instances are caused by black sheep who give all of us a bad reputation.”

Mr Luke Gino Cunico, owner of the Fishing Kaki online forum which has 450,000 members, said the otter in last Saturday’s case was injured by a baited hook, which is not allowed when fishing inland.

“The community is not happy. We are very strict about fishing etiquette and the type of hooks we use, we use artificial lures and barbless hooks,” he said.

Veterinary surgeon and angler Jean-Paul Ly said those who fish should not leave lines and hooks lying around as they could be picked up by animals.

“Although hooks are small and could be passed out by the animal, there is a risk they could get lodged in their internal organs,” said Dr Ly, a consultant at the Animal Recovery Centre in Serangoon Road.

He also cautioned against pulling on the line if an animal is hooked as this may cause the hook to set.

Rescue efforts may distress otters, which are social animals, said Mr N Sivasothi, senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore’s department of biological sciences. “A family group of otters will not tolerate capture, and trying to rescue one individual may cause them a lot of distress and disruption.”

Meanwhile, the injured otter pup was seen with its family near the Kallang Wave Mall yesterday morning. It is not known if the hook is still lodged near its eye.

Last October, a man was caught on video hooking an otter while fishing illegally. In response to queries, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) yesterday said there was “insufficient evidence to prove that the angler had intentionally hooked the otter”.

A spokesman said: “AVA did not take any enforcement action against the angler. PUB has issued a fine to the angler… as he was fishing in a no-fishing area.”

COMMON IRRESPONSIBLE FISHING PRACTICES

DISCARDING UNWANTED FISH ON WATERSIDE PAVEMENTS: Instead of throwing unwanted fish back into the water, irresponsible anglers sometimes leave the fish – usually smaller ones – on waterside pavements. The carcasses decompose, giving off a foul smell and attracting rodents. Anglers often give the excuse that the fish will feed stray cats. “But this is wrong and should not be done,” says Mr Eugene Heng, founder and chairman of environmental group Waterways Watch Society.

LITTERING: This is a problem not just among anglers, but also other park users. When trash such as plastic bags enter water bodies, they endanger marine life which may consume the rubbish.

LEAVING FISHING LINES AND HOOKS LYING AROUND: These pose a danger to humans and animals alike. Lead hooks left in the water may also result in poisoning, says wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai.

audreyt@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on April 7, 2016.
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They started a Facebook page to petition against new Member of Parliament (MP) Tin Pei Ling after the 2011 General Election.

The page allegedly went on to garner 60,000 likes, inspiring Yang Kaiheng and his then-girlfriend, Ai Takagi, to start an online business.

Yesterday, Yang, who is on trial for sedition, testified that he and Takagi were buoyed by the large following and decided that online space was a useful venue to make money.

“We thought a website without censorship and more freedom of speech (would be) a good business venture for us,” he said.

From there, the idea for socio-political website The Real Singapore (TRS) was born.

The couple, who got married last October, were charged last April with posting seven seditious articles on the TRS website and its Facebook page. (See report above.)

Deputy Public Prosecutor G. Kannan said the couple had exploited racist and xenophobic fault lines through their seditious articles, some of which were allegedly fabricated, to drive traffic to the site and cash in on advertising revenue.

Takagi, 23, an Australian national of Japanese descent believed to be 10 weeks pregnant, was jailed for 10 months on March 23 after pleading guilty to four counts of sedition.

Yang, 27, a Singaporean, claimed trial. He took the stand for the first time yesterday and told the court that the idea for TRS did not come “naturally”.

He added they first came up with a Facebook page, titled “Petition to remove Tin Pei Ling as a MP”, in 2011.

At that time, they were students at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

Yang said the Tin Pei Ling Facebook page had 60,000 likes at one point. It was still active yesterday, and a check revealed its first post was on May 8, 2011, a day after polling day in which Ms Tin’s People’s Action Party team won the Marine Parade group representation constituency.

Inspired by the page’s large following, they went on to create the TRS Facebook page and website.

Yang earlier told the authorities that his involvement was “fleeting” – just a month in 2012, said DPP Kannan.

He also told the police his involvement in TRS was only in the advertising aspects.

Yesterday, Yang testified he was initially involved in designing the website, its headers and its logo.

The Real Singapore duo arrested for sedition

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The New Paper, The Straits Times

REVENUE

Yang also said he learnt from his friends on how to earn advertising revenue through Google Adsense, which later paid TRS almost half a million dollars between December 2013 and April 2015.

He suggested using Google Adsense to Takagi, who he claimed was involved in the publishing of content, liaising with advertisers, engaging the editorial team and running the day-to-day business of TRS.

He added that Google even sent its staff members to meet Takagi and invited her to a meeting in Sydney.

The TRS Facebook page was eventually created in June 2012, but Yang said he stopped being active with TRS soon after that, claiming he was busy with schoolwork and his university’s gaming club that he set up.

He helped Takagi out on an ad hoc basis – occasionally assisting her with the TRS mobile app and giving feedback. He denied having any role in the writing or editing of the articles.

Earlier yesterday, DPP Kannan closed the prosecution’s case by saying there was prima facie proof that Yang had published the seditious publications, as evidenced by the chat logs tendered to the court.

He also pointed out Yang was one of two directors of the company who received significant advertising revenue for TRS and had a case to answer.

District Judge Ng Peng Hong said the evidence tendered so far was “not inherently incredible” and called for Yang to give evidence in his defence.

Yesterday’s hearing was adjourned after just 20 minutes as the court allowed Yang to take time off to accompany his wife following Tuesday’s “medical emergency” linked to her pregnancy.

The trial continues today.

If found guilty, Yang can be jailed up to three years and fined up to $5,000 for each sedition charge.

rloh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on April 7, 2016.
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Barely two months ago, Mr Chiok Tiong Kwee suffered burns on 95 per cent of his face.

Today, he is almost fully healed.

The 66-year-old’s face may still be pinkish and his neck has a recovering wound, but you can hardly tell that he once suffered second-degree burns extensively on his face, neck and arms.

On Chinese New Year’s Eve morning, a fire broke out at Mr Chiok’s Fo Shou Vegetarian Food stall in Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre.

The elderly stall owner tried to put out the fire at his stove with a fire extinguisher, but was unable to break the extinguisher out of its locked case. Panicking, he used a wet gunny sack to try and smother the fire instead.

But the flames got bigger and ended up burning his face, neck and arms. He was taken to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where he stayed for four days.

For the first two weeks after being discharged, Mr Chiok stayed home recuperating, sleeping and watching television.

Mr Chiok, who has four grown-up children and lives in a three-room HDB flat with a couple he rents a room to, said in Mandarin: “I didn’t want to leave the house because I wanted to avoid the stares that I was going to get.

“It took me more than a month to be able to go (to Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre) and have my meals there again.”

RECOVERY

On his miraculous recovery with barely any scarring on his face, Mr Chiok said that he simply followed his doctor’s prescription and applied his medicine on time, along with an occasional facial treatment.

But he added: “I’m already so old, whether it scars or not, doesn’t matter to me.”

He said his burns had not been that painful after the initial few days but were itchy.

Mr Chiok re-opened his stall five days ago.

“Staying home, it’s difficult to pass time. It’s very boring,” he said.

Working at his stall gives him something to do and people to talk to. The stall has been running for close to 26 years.

Mr Chiok said that on the first day of his return, many asked how he was doing and told him to be more careful. Even during his recovery at home over the Chinese New Year period, he received hongbao from different people, including his tenants.

He even received a handwritten letter from Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam wishing him a “quick recovery”.

He said: “I am very grateful to everyone. One auntie even gave me two pears and wished me a speedy recovery!”

The hawker manages the stall by himself. He said: “When I’m cooking and the heat rises from the wok, I can feel it on my face and I can’t help but feel a little fear.”

But Mr Chiok remains carefree and said he does not take any special precautions after the accident.

He even joked: “My skin is more tender than a baby’s now.”

danchim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on April 7, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – Two loud explosions were heard in a fire that broke out at a Eunos Crescent unit on Thursday (April 7).

A 57-second-long video clip shared by Facebook user Asik Ali shows a few residents gathered at the corridor outside the burning unit.

They shouted to an elderly man who was standing outside the flat to step away as they heard a series of explosions.

A man can also be seen attempting to douse the flames with a bucket of water while thick fumes billowed out from the unit.

According to the SCDF spokesman, the fire involved discarded items located outside the unit.

About 10 residents self-evacuated from the scene and no injuries were reported.

He added that the cause of fire is under investigation.

Explosions heard in Eunos Crescent flat fire

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Lianhe Wanbao, Internet screengrabs

minlee@sph.com.sg