She calls herself Lucille and says she is a 33-year-old model from Britain who is here on holiday.

He calls himself Dave and says he is a Singaporean photographer friend helping to expand her work portfolio.

They were at Tanjong Beach on Sentosa yesterday morning, taking nude shots.

Both claimed they did not know they were flouting the law.

“We were here early to catch the light. We picked a more isolated part of the beach,” Dave, 30, said.

“Unfortunately, the skies were slightly overcast, and the light was not right. As we waited, more and more people came to the beach,” he told The New Paper.

Time was not on their side so the two decided to carry on with the shoot with Lucille totally naked, save for a fishing net draped over her body.

Western tourists fined for flashing their breasts in Phuket joyride

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UNBOTHERED

There were about a dozen beach users at the part of the beach where the duo were, but they did not appear to be bothered by the nude photo shoot. Most were there sunning or walking their dogs.

Only a couple of men stopped to stare for a while before moving off. The popular Tanjong Beach Club was also not opened yet.

Lawyer Chia Boon Teck said that under the law, “any person, who appears nude or clad in such a manner as to offend against public decency in a public place, is guilty of an offence which carries a fine not exceeding $2,000 and/or a jail term not exceeding three months”.

He said the photographer may also be accused of violating section 11 of the Undesirable Publications Act, under which anyone who makes or produces any obscene publication, including photographs, “knowing or having reasonable cause to believe the publication to be obscene”, can be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed up to two years.

Two Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) rangers who were patrolling the island turned up to stop the session at 11.50am.

They also asked for personal details from Dave.

“They warned that I should not be taking nude photos, especially with Sentosa as the backdrop. I explained that the photos were closely cropped,” he said, adding that one of the officers said legal action could be brought against him should Sentosa appear with the nude shots in any publication.

When contacted, a spokesman for SDC confirmed in an e-mail reply that Sentosa rangers, who were on regular patrol at Tanjong Beach at 11.50am, noticed a photography session “involving a male Singaporean photographer and a nude female foreign guest” yesterday.

“(They) immediately issued a verbal warning and instructed the both of them to cease the photography session, which was complied with,” he said, adding that Sentosa is committed to providing all guests with a safe and enjoyable environment, with beach patrol officers and Sentosa rangers on regular patrol.

juditht@sph.com.sg

Chinese tourists involved in latest stripping incident in Sabah

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The Star/ANN, AFP, Reuters, Sina Weibo

This article was first published on March 16, 2016.
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Part of Upper Aljunied Road is being realigned to free up more space for a park and bus interchange in the new Bidadari housing estate.

About half a kilometre of the current stretch that joins Upper Serangoon Road will be pedestrianised to blend into a network of cycling and walking paths around Bidadari Park and Alkaff Lake.

A new road being built will join Upper Aljunied Road to Upper Serangoon Road farther south, towards Potong Pasir.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, HDB said work to realign the road is under way. “The expunction of part of the existing Upper Aljunied Road is expected to take place in end-2016, in tandem with the opening of the proposed realigned road,” a spokesman said.

The pedestrianised road, with its canopy of mature trees, fits well into the lush blueprint for Bidadari, which is described as “a community in a garden”

It intersects with Bidadari Greenway – a 1.6km-long, 20m-wide “mini-boulevard” that weaves through the estate and is lined with rest spots as well as commercial and communal facilities.

“Corresponding to the rich heritage in Bidadari, the pedestrianised road will become part of a unique Heritage Walk which will incorporate stories of Bidadari and the contributions of prominent personalities of the past,” the HDB spokesman said.

It will also be connected to the planned pedestrian and cycling network within Bidadari. The town will be well served by cycling paths, which will join the Kallang park connector in the south, and Sungei Serangoon and Punggol Park in the north.

The realignment of Upper Aljunied Road will also free up space for the future integrated transport hub planned at the site of the Woodleigh MRT station. It will boast a semi-subterranean bus interchange.

Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin said: “I am very familiar with the area. I grew up in Block 2, Upper Aljunied Lane, which is still there.

“Bidadari will be three times the size of Potong Pasir. We have faith in HDB and town planners that they will build an inclusive estate. The bus terminus fits in with our vision of a ‘car-lite’ community.”

Another road that will be realigned is Punggol Road. A stretch between Punggol Waterway Park and Punggol Jetty will be turned into a heritage green link. A parallel road to the right will be built.

This will result in neater parcels of land reserved for Punggol’s “creative cluster” for innovative new industries and “learning corridor”, which will house the campus of the Singapore Institute of Technology.

NParks, which will pedestrianise Punggol Road, said: “Old Punggol Road will be progressively transformed into a 1.5km-long Heritage Trail for all to enjoy leisurely strolls, jogging and cycling amid lush greenery.”

It would not say when this will happen, but The Straits Times understands it will be after 2020.

christan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 16, 2016.
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In what could be a sign of worse things to come, more workers lost their jobs last year amid weaker economic conditions, although unemployment remained low.

A total of 15,580 workers were laid off last year, the fifth year in a row that redundancies rose, full-year official data released by the Ministry of Manpower yesterday showed.

Last year’s number climbed 20 per cent from 12,930 in 2014 and was the highest since the 2009 global financial crisis, which saw 23,430 workers laid off.

Job vacancies also fell to 53,700 as of December after accounting for seasonal variation, down 18 per cent from 65,500 a year earlier.

The trend could continue.

“Amid the cyclical weakness and as the economy restructures, some consolidation and exit of businesses is expected,” the ministry said.

Just over half, or 50.5 per cent, of the Singaporeans and permanent residents made redundant from July to September last year were back in employment by the end of the year.

This figure measures the re- entry rates within six months of redundancy based on Central Provident Fund records, and was down from 54.9 per cent three months earlier and 59.2 per cent at the end of 2014.

Still, the unemployment rate last year remained unchanged for Singaporeans at 2.9 per cent. The figure including permanent residents was 2.8 per cent, up from 2.7 per cent in 2014.

There were 2,268,900 residents in jobs in Singapore at the end of last year, just 700 more than there were a year earlier – when local employment had grown by 96,000.

With the growth in employment of foreigners also slowing, the total number of workers here stood at 3,656,200 at the end of last year.

For the year ahead, the ministry expects redundancies to continue to rise in sectors facing weak external demand and that are undergoing restructuring, while domestic-oriented service sectors are likely to continue to need workers.

The ministry added that it is “closely monitoring the current economic and labour market situation, and is strengthening employment support to help displaced locals re-enter employment”.

joseow@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 16, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – Punggol Secondary School has confirmed that a video depicting a student being punished was filmed on its campus. But it clarified that the person shouting in the video was neither a teacher nor an instructor, but a former student who was helping out at a scouts camp.

On Sunday (March 13), a netizen had posted the video on Facebook, which showed a man or teenager yelling at a student. The video, which has since been shared more than 4,000 times, also showed the student running around a carpark in the school.

The Facebook user claimed the footage was that of an National Police Cadet Corps or National Cadet Corps “instructor” punishing and hurling vulgarities at a student. He also said the “instructor” made the student run in the rain.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Punggol Secondary School vice-principal, Madam Ching Lee Hoe, said that the incident took place on Sunday evening, during a scouts job week camp in school.

She was unable to provide specific ages for the parties involved.

Second video in Shuqun Sec bullying case: Victim’s aunt says video was taken months ago and nephew was playing

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But Madam Ching said that the person shouting in the video was an alumnus who graduated in 2011 and was assisting in the camp.

He was reprimanding the student – a Secondary 5 boy – after discovering that the latter had been smoking, she said.

“This happened while the teachers-in-charge were in the classroom counting the collections from the job week,” Madam Ching wrote in an e-mail reply.

“The principal has since spoken to the alumnus to counsel him on his incorrect methods of guiding his juniors, despite his good intentions.”

She also said the school will brief all alumni supporting school programmes on the “proper code of conducting” when assisting in co-curricular activities.

She added that the school is providing counselling support to the student involved to help him quit smoking.

This article was first published on March 15, 2016.
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GURU Bahasa Melayu pun boleh menggarap ciri-ciri keusahawanan.

Demikian seruan Setiausaha Parlimen (Pendidikan merangkap Pembangunan Sosial dan Keluarga), Profesor Madya Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim ketika merasmikan ‘Seminar Bahasa Melayu 2016’, bertemakan ‘Menjana Inovasi, Memarak Inspirasi’ di Pusat Bahasa Melayu Singapura (MLCS), pagi semalam.

Seminar dengan ucaptama Profesor Madya Dr Dahlia Janan, Timbalan Dekan Bahasa dan Perhubungan Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris itu dihadiri 520 guru.

Para guru itu kemudian menyertai sejumlah bengkel perbincangan 48 kertas kajian pengajaran dan pembelajaran.

“Untuk menjana semangat keusahawanan, guru perlu mempunyai semangat memperluas ilmu dan kemahiran dengan harapan menjadikan sekolah kita dipenuhi dengan rakan guru yang berkelayakan, penuh ihsan, budiman dan berkesan,” ujarnya.

Beliau menampilkan tiga cara:

Pertama, melaksanakan pengajaran dan pembelajaran yang berkesan – seiring gerakan SkillsFuture atau Kemahiran Masa Depan dan falsafah pembelajaran sepanjang hayat;

Kedua, guru boleh menerapkan dan menggunakan ilmu atau kemahiran yang diraih daripada pelbagai programme pembangunan profesional untuk diserlah dalam bilik darjah, dan

Ketiga, berkongsi ilmu dan kepakaran.

Dr Faishal berharap guru Bahasa Melayu dapat membentuk komuniti optimis lagi berdaya cipta demi menjayakan penyuburan bahasa Melayu.

Pesan beliau: “Saya ingin memberikan jaminan bahawa pemerintah akan terus menyokong usaha menggalakkan penggunaan bahasa Melayu.

“Ini adalah usaha bersama kerana kita mahu anak-anak kita tidak kekok berbahasa Melayu. Kita mahukan anak-anak kita tahu dan boleh menghayati budaya kita.

“Saya percaya bahawa seseorang yang berbudaya dan berbahasa ibunda dapat membangunkan sebuah masyarakat yang berjaya.”

Beliau turut melancarkan tiga penerbitan MLCS – Pembelajaran Bahasa Melalui Pantun, Penggunaan Bahasa Figuratif dalam Penulisan Karangan dan CITRA, sebuah antologi cerpen bagi pelajar sekolah menengah.

Pengarah MLCS Akademi Guru Singapura, Encik Mohd Noh Daipi, telah menyusur pencapaian institusi pimpinannya sejak enam tahun ia ditubuhkan.

“Pada awal tahun ini, kami mendapatkan lapor balik daripada 460 guru bahasa Melayu… Dapatan yang kami terima amat positif,” katanya.

Jumlah guru bahasa Melayu di Singapura sekitar 1,300 orang. Lebih 2,600 guru (dua kali ganda) telah memanfaatkan khidmat MLCS. Umumnya, lebih sembilan daripada 10 guru yang ditinjau amat bersetuju dengan bahan, bengkel atau kursus atau pendekatan MLCS dalam melengkapi jurus profesionalisme guru bahasa Melayu.

Ketika menyampaikan makalahnya, Kajian dan Inovasi dalam Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Kemahiran Bahasa, Dr Dahlia menegaskan peri pentingnya guru arif mengenai erti dan proses membaca yang melibatkan gerak mata dan pencernaan mental.

“Kajian menunjukkan murid mendapati dua kali lebih sukar menyerap makna kata nama berbanding kata tugas,” hujah penerima doktor falsafah daripada Universiti Warwick dan penerima anugerah tesis terbaik daripada Persatuan Literasi United Kingdom pada 2012 itu.

Dalam sesi soal jawab, Dr Dahlia berkata belum ada usaha mengumpulkan senarai kata minimum yang perlu dikuasai bagi membolehkan seseorang selesa bertutur bahasa Melayu.

Usaha sedemikian sudah dilakukan bagi sejumlah bahasa dunia, termasuk Inggeris.

This article was first published on March 16, 2016.
Go to beritaharian.sg for more stories.

Higher-skilled workers, degree holders and middle-aged workers were the hardest hit by layoffs last year, making up more of the pool of resident workers made redundant than workers of other occupational, educational and age groups.

These groups were also less likely than other resident workers to be in employment within six months of being made redundant, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) statistics released yesterday showed.

Of the Singaporeans and permanent residents who lost their jobs last year, more than seven in 10 (71 per cent) were professionals, managers, executives and technicians, up from 66 per cent the year before.

This was disproportionately higher than their 54 per cent share of the resident workforce last year.

Between workers with different educational qualifications, degree holders made up the largest share – 44 per cent – of residents who lost their jobs last year. This was up from 41 per cent in 2014.

One in three of the resident workers made redundant last year was aged 40 to 49, despite this group making up only about one in four of the overall resident workforce.

Less than half of both degree holders and middle-aged workers who were made redundant in the third quarter of the year were back in employment by December.

Some workers could have decided to go for training or stop looking for a job, MOM said in its report.

But another reason could be that older workers already have preferences, such as not wanting to do shift work, said Ms Linda Teo, country manager of human resource firm ManpowerGroup Singapore.

“This means they won’t be at the top of the list when employers sieve through applications.”

Adecco Singapore country manager Femke Hellemons said workers here often move from industry to industry for a comparative advantage, and skilled workers may take more time to find a job that they have the right skills for that also matches their pay expectations.

Losing a job would be a blow for those over 40 years old and with higher skills as they tend to have higher financial obligations such as mortgages and children’s study loans, but at the same time they are more costly to employers, said DBS economist Irvin Seah.

Overall, redundancies rose over the year while the number of vacancies fell, which experts said was because of weak global demand.

“This could be a sign of companies adopting measures to achieve cost efficiencies through outsourcing, offshoring and adoption of technologies in their work processes,” said Mr Foo See Yang, vice-president and country general manager of Kelly Services Singapore.

ManpowerGroup’s Ms Teo said the employment pattern is likely to continue its downward slide, as hiring intentions for the next three months are at their weakest since the third quarter of 2009.

But some industries still showed demand for workers, with job openings continuing to outnumber job seekers at a ratio of 1.23 last year, albeit below the 1.39 in 2014.

The tight labour market and manpower shortage in some industries boosted real median incomes for full-time employed Singaporeans, including employer Central Provident Fund contributions, which rose 7 per cent over the year. This is more than the 1.4 per cent rise in 2014.

But the growth was not matched on the productivity front. Labour productivity last year fell by 0.1 per cent when measured as value added per worker, an improvement from 2014 when it fell 0.5 per cent.

While unemployment remained low, DBS’ Mr Seah said it could worsen quickly if the economy dips into a recession and sees broad-based retrenchments.

Already, the figures do not account for workers who are underemployed, he noted. “People could be in jobs but jobs that do not compensate for their skill sets.”

This article was first published on March 16, 2016.
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