SINGAPORE – Nurses will get to not only skip the lunchtime queues at one hawker centre but also enjoy that adage-defying free lunch in the latest initiative for front-line workers dealing with the coronavirus.
Moulmein-Cairnhill Constituency Office on Friday (Feb 14) announced the launch of “MoCa Cares For Nurses”, which allows nurses in their uniform to enjoy priority queues at 33 participating stalls in Pek Kio Market and Food Centre.
The constituency office said in its statement: “With five hospitals located within the Moulmein-Cairnhill constituency, merchants and grassroots leaders have rallied together on Valentine’s Day to show their love for the many nurses living and working in the area, as they are fighting tirelessly at the front line against Covid-19.”
In the vicinity, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital are handling coronavirus cases.
The campaign, however, is extended to nurses from public and private hospitals and clinics islandwide.
Until March 31, nurses will also be entitled to free daily lunch sets sponsored by the Pek Kio Merchant’s Association.
A conflict between a cabbie and Porsche sports car driver? Surely it’ll unfold in a rather ugly manner — a symbolic manifestation of the battle between social classes.
This would not be one of those occasions. An incident that saw the front bumper of a sports car damaged by a Premier Taxi driver ended up in a pretty wholesome exchange, with both parties resolving the matter amicably.
Going by the name Fed Wu on Facebook, the Porsche owner shared how he decided not to impose a heavy charge on the cabbie, who apparently admitted that it was his fault without putting up an argument.
Presumably surprised by the candour, Fed decided against taking the cabbie’s $200 compensation for repairs. This, despite pictures depicting that the Porsche car sustained more than a few scratches.
A few weeks ago, Frank Lee received a WhatsApp message containing a long list of places to avoid in Singapore where suspected and confirmed cases of the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) had allegedly been.
There were also stories circulating on social media that there was a shortage of surgical face masks.
All this information turned out to be untrue.
While the paranoia and fear is understandable, given that the virus has affected more than 64,000 people worldwide, the spread of fake news and misinformation online has exacerbated the panic, leading Singaporeans to wipe out staples in supermarkets.
Lee, a 62-year-old retiree, told AsiaOne: “Everyone can speak their mind and give their opinion… but what I hate the most is when people forward such messages without verifying themselves the veracity of the news.”
I remember love in my 20s was fleeting. Many of us are familiar with that brief spark that flares, only to be snuffed out in darkness. Then I thought, how could I possibly love someone truly if I didn’t love myself ? Like most young women, I was plagued with the usual insecurities. I wanted to be taller, prettier, the list goes on.
Today, two decades later, I look at myself in the mirror, and I don’t want to look like anyone else but me. It is because I have come to love myself (again) and be grateful for the life I have. That very confidence has allowed me to love my partner better as I trust him completely. The mutual trust forms a great foundation to our happy and fulfilling relationship.
Most dating apps are free, but more often than not, there’s a monthly subscription fee to unlock all the perks and features — even for something as simple as read receipts.
Choosing not to fork out any cash won’t stop users from finding eternal love, of course, but that knowledge is certainly not stopping people from shelling out. Power users can be splurging up to $29.99 a month for upgrades such as seeing profiles of everyone who liked you on Tinder and rematching with expired connections on Bumble.
Making people pay for a better chance at romantic encounters (among other things) is a sure-fire way to profit, and boy, have dating apps made a killing in Singapore.
Analytics firm App Annie crunched the numbers and found out that Singapore users have spent US$7.1 million (S$9.9 million) on dating apps last year, a good 80 per cent more than what was spent in 2017 (US$3.9 million). Still, the amount is dwarfed by the US$2.2 billion spent on dating apps globally in 2019.
SINGAPORE: The Catholic Church in Singapore will suspend mass indefinitely from this weekend in view of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
In a letter released on Friday (Feb 14), the Archbishop of Singapore Reverend William Goh said that “both weekday and weekend public masses from noon on Saturday will be suspended indefinitely … until there is greater clarity on the way forward”.
The Church is also suspending large public events such as formation sessions, retreats and seminars.
According to the 2015 General Household Survey, there are about 220,000 Catholic residents aged 15 and above in Singapore.
“As Catholics, we need to be responsible in playing our part to contain the spread of this virus by avoiding large gatherings of people,” said Archbishop Goh.
But he urged Catholics to follow the broadcast of mass on YouTube or the CatholicSG radio.
“The cancellation of masses does not mean that Catholics can excuse themselves from fulfilling the obligation of keeping the Day of the Lord holy,” he said.
Wedding and funerals are considered private services and arrangements can be made with the parish priest, he added.
Some Protestant churches have also stopped services at their physical locations temporarily.
One of Singapore’s largest churches, City Harvest Church, will be playing its services online for the rest of February. The church has about 16,000 congregants, according to its 2018 annual report.
“Our congregation is not small, and we have members young and old,” the church said in a notice on its website.
Grace Assembly of God, where a cluster of 13 confirmed coronavirus cases are linked to, has closed both its branches until Feb 25.
Other religious groups have so far turned to livestreaming during the outbreak.
Christian and Buddhist groups have begun to record their services and rituals in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, while the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has also encouraged mosques to do so for events.
Every Nation Church and Paya Lebar Methodist Church are two of the churches that will broadcast their upcoming Sunday services and mass virtually.
Paya Lebar Methodist Church has been linked to one confirmed case, but church volunteers had already been taking the temperatures of congregants, cleaning the premises more frequently, and keeping a record of their data for contact tracing purposes since MOH first issued its guidelines, said pastor-in-charge Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming.
The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple at Chinatown is livestreaming its ceremonies and group practices on its website, according to a letter it sent out on Feb 12. Rituals and blessings will still be conducted at the temple at the same time.
SERVICES SHOULD CONTINUE
“The Government has said that we shouldn’t be too paranoid,” head of Singapore’s Methodist Church Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung told CNA in Mandarin during a visit to Paya Lebar Methodist Church’s kindergarten on Friday.
“The authorities are putting in place ample protective measures, so the congregation shouldn’t be worried if they want to come for Sunday service”.
This sentiment was echoed by the president of the National Council of Churches Bishop Terry Kee.
With cases linked to three churches so far, Bishop Kee said that churches should continue to run their services.
Head of Singapore’s Methodist Church Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung visiting Paya Lebar Methodist Church’s kindergarten on Friday (Feb 14). (Photo:Rachel Phua).
CANCELLING PERIPHERAL SERVICES
Though the various religious groups are continuing to hold their main programmes on-site, they have stopped other activities such as Sunday school and tours.
For example, Masjid Sultan and St Andrew’s Cathedral, which are also tourist attractions, have suspended tours to prevent the risk of the virus spreading.
St Andrew’s Cathedral has also ceased programmes involving young children.
The Singapore Buddhist Federation issued a similar advisory on Feb 7 regarding the suspension of its Sunday school.
BRING YOUR OWN PRAYER ITEMS
Mosques are also doing their part to limit the potential spread of the disease.
Inside Masjid Angullia on Serangoon Road, hand sanitiser stations and packets of plastic sheets were set all around the newly reopened mosque as 2,500 congregants streamed in for Friday prayers.
A hand sanitiser station at Masjid Angullia. (Photo:Rachel Phua).
The mosque is one of the many places of worship throughout Singapore that has put in precautionary measures amid the COVID-19 outbreak, heeding the advice of their respective religious councils.
Since the virus outbreak, MUIS has issued advisories for mosques to follow, telling congregants to avoid shaking hands and to bring their own personal prayer mats, among other suggestions.
“The virus may remain on carpet surfaces if used by a congregant who is infected,” the advisory stated. Using hand sanitisers containing alcohol is allowed as they are for medical treatments, it added.
At Masjid Angullia, congregants can pick up a disposable plastic sheet before they enter the prayer hall to place over the carpet they prostrate on.
Masjid Angullia provides plastic sheets for devotees to place on top of the carpet they prostrate on. (Photo: Rachel Phua).
However, there were no temperature-taking booths outside the mosque. When asked why they were not taking visitors’ temperature, Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said that it is hard to do so logistically, especially for large congregations.
“What we are advising is for them to be responsible so that if you are having a fever or have symptoms like cough or runny nose, stay home,” Mr Masagos who was there on Friday for the mosque’s reopening.
“Religiously this is something that is allowed.”
Staff and regular visitors such as students and volunteers will have their temperature taken before they enter a mosque, a MUIS notice said.
In its media statement, the Hindu Endowments Board listed a series of measures its temples have put in place.
These range from cleaning its payment counters and toilets more often, and making sure that they have face masks and sanitisers available.
“Hindu temples are open spaces and well ventilated (and) handwashing is a general routine in Hindu temples,” it noted.
Singapore’s most famous auntie is back to nag at you. Remember Liang Ximei, anyone?
The star of ’90s variety show Comedy Night has returned, and this time ’round, she’s declaring war on coronavirus.
“The coronavirus outbreak has everyone trembling in fear. Instead of watching the virus go viral, Liang Ximei has decided to do something about it,” her alter ego, Jack Neo, wrote on his Facebook page.
On Thursday (Feb 13), the comedian-turned-director breathed new life into the self-penned tune “Don’t Think You’re Useless” with some new lyrics.
疫情爆发如此严重 大家都胆战心惊 与其坐着看 Virus go viral 粱细妹决定跟病毒宣战 鼓励和提醒大家 让大家不伤脑筋
I love women, like all heterosexual men. These days, I love only one – my wife. At one point of my life, I was exclusively dating fashion models. Mainly because I was one – and models usually hang out in the same circle. The plus: Fashion models are hot.
The other thing about models – or anyone who makes a living off their looks in a world of “perfection” – is that even ridiculously gorgeous people have their insecurities.
The thing is, insecurity robs you blind of happiness, making you miserable inside out. Yep, no one likes to be around moody, negative people. Then, I met Sorina many years ago. When I first met my wife, also a former model, I had no intention of marrying her nor settling down with anyone, anytime soon.
So how did I go from my “old” life of playing the field to knowing that she’s the one, and finally adding a plus-one in my life?
MY RAY OF LIGHT
Well, it was the differences that pulled us together. She’s a constant ray of light and positivity. When Sorina told me that “Everyone finds a way to be happy in any situation”, I thought then, “No, most people don’t think that way”.
SINGAPORE: Most of the cost and design issues surrounding the F-35 fighter jets have been resolved, said the Chief of Air Force, as he expressed confidence in Singapore’s decision to purchase up to 12 of the fifth-generation aircraft.
“In the early days of the programme, the F-35 was marred by design deficiencies and cost overruns,” said Major-General (MG) Kelvin Khong on Friday (Feb 14). “But most of the issues have been resolved in recent years.”
MG Khong was responding to written questions from local media in conjunction with this year’s Singapore Airshow, where the US Marine Corps’ F-35B is performing aerobatics. Singapore was recently cleared to buy the B variant of the jet, which can take off from shorter runways and land vertically.
The purchase is estimated to cost US$2.75 billion (S$3.71 billion), making it the most expensive warplane the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has ever bought.
“We are convinced that the F-35 programme has matured to a stage where confidence in the eventual delivery of a cost-effective fifth-generation fighter is high,” MG Khong said.
Based on “best estimates”, he highlighted that the total cost of buying and operating an F-35B over its life span is comparable to that of the F-15SG.
“The F-35 programme has been making good progress and the price of the aircraft has been steadily falling due to healthy orders from the US and other countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan,” he added.
“In fact, the cost of one F-35 today has declined by more than 40 per cent since 2010.”
Singapore has chosen the US-built F-35 fighter jet over rivals from Europe and China (Photo: AFP/JACK GUEZ)
Critics of the F-35 programme have said that technical glitches, if left unfixed, could risk pilot safety and the jet’s ability to accomplish its mission.
According to a New York Times Magazine report last August, F-35s are also spending more time grounded for maintenance due to a shortage of spare parts, especially as the parts are sourced from multiple suppliers across the globe.
In January, the Pentagon said it would replace the F-35’s autonomic logistics information system, designed to consolidate the buying of parts and scheduling of repairs, after reports that it was malfunctioning and delaying maintenance.
“In any development of this complexity, it is inevitable that there will be challenges to deal with,” MG Khong said.
“And although some work still needs to be done on issues like the logistics sustainment for the aircraft, most of the other issues have already been resolved.”
MG Khong said the F-35B’s “unique capability” to conduct shorter take-offs and vertical landings through a shaft-driven fan propulsion system is crucial for Singapore.
“This propulsion approach overcomes many of the temperature, velocity and power challenges of direct-lift systems,” he stated.
“Given the limited land in Singapore, the capability to take-off from a shorter length of runway and land vertically is important.”
MG Khong said the initial training and evaluation of the four F-35Bs RSAF has requested to buy will be done in the continental United States, adding that it is discussing possible locations.
“The evaluation will include the performance of the aircraft as well as our ability to integrate it into the RSAF warfighting systems,” he said.
“We believe it is not sufficient for the platform itself to be capable. It needs to be integrated into the RSAF system so that the effects of its combat power can be multiplied.”
The Chief of Air Force, Major-General (MG) Kelvin Khong. (Photo: MINDEF)
INVESTING IN DRONES
The F-35 is not the only hardware RSAF is looking at to boost its capabilities.
“Besides the F-35, we will also invest in unmanned technology to strengthen our warfighting system,” MG Khong revealed.
He said unmanned aerial vehicles’ (UAV) ability to integrate with other Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) platforms, like fighter jets and artillery rockets, enables it to “deliver precise firepower, even when the adversary is trying to hide.”
For instance, the Republic of Singapore Navy has announced that its future multi-role combat vessel will function as a mother ship for an unmanned network of drones, surface and sub-surface ships.
“UAVs, with their capable sensors and persistence, will continue to play a key role to provide Air Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities for the SAF,” MG Khong said.
He said UAVs are also getting increasingly smaller with the ability to stay airborne longer, partly due to better engines and the miniaturisation of the sensors they carry.
“Smaller UAVs are becoming increasingly capable and offer new options to meet our operational requirements,” he said.
“For example, they can be paired with larger UAVs as they have a smaller signature and we can operate them closer to the adversary without being noticed.”
MG Khong said RSAF’s Hermes 450 and Heron 1 UAVs have been in service since 2007 and 2012 respectively and as they have a shorter lifespan than manned platforms, they may become obsolete in the next few years.
“We are keeping track of the technology developments in UAVs and we are studying new concepts to achieve the outcomes we want,” MG Khong added. “In time, we will announce our plans to renew our UAV capability.”
Beyond that, MG Khong said the RSAF needs to invest in technologies to operate more effectively in a complex environment, adding that it will build up its data analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities.
“For instance, we are applying data analytics and artificial intelligence to help our air defence operators monitor the complex air situation picture more effectively,” he said.
We are also experimenting with various applications of robotics, data analytics and artificial intelligence in the development of our Smart Airbase project.”
MG Khong said air combat of the future will not be the traditional fight between large formations of aircraft, where the side with larger numbers has the upper hand.
“It is about how effectively one can combine traditional air combat capabilities with technologies that multiply the effects of air power,” he added.
“It is also about how effectively one can combine combat power across multiple domains to present dilemmas to the adversary so it is impossible for the adversary to defend.”
THE THREAT OF DRONES
A recent example of this new kind of warfare was when drones attacked oil processing facilities in Saudi Arabia last September, shutting down oil production by half.
“Larger, military-grade weaponised drones are perhaps less easy to acquire and operate (than smaller commercial drones), but can wreak far greater damage, and so continues to present a serious threat that we must be prepared to guard against,” MG Khong said.
“We have built up capabilities to prevent such drones from attacking Singapore, but we will need to continue to enhance these capabilities as the drone threat continues to evolve.”
Still, MG Khong warned that smaller drones also represent a threat, pointing to an incident at London’s Gatwick Airport in December 2018 where drones sightings close to the runway disrupted about 140,000 passengers and 1,000 flights.
Closer to home last June, drone sightings near Changi Airport caused one runway to be intermittently closed, affecting 38 flights. A few days later, unauthorised drone activity and bad weather disrupted more than 20 flights.
“The RSAF assisted the Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore as part of the multi-agency team activated for the search and locate operations, and we are glad we were able to limit the disruptions to just short periods of time over the few days,” MG Khong said.
REMOVING UNNECESSARY HIGH-RISK TRAINING
MG Khong said the RSAF had conducted over the last year a “fundamental review” of all its training activities to identify those with high risks and determine if they were still “relevant and necessary”.
“We removed training that was no longer deemed necessary and mitigated risks for those that were,” he said, adding that the latter involves using safety harnesses to minimise fall risks during maintenance and mandating safe distances from moving heavy equipment during runway repair works.
MG Khong said safety has always been an “area of emphasis” across all levels of the RSAF.
“Our philosophy is to give emphasis to safety and operational success alike, and one should not be compromised at the expense of the other,” he stated.
SINGAPORE: Hours after CNA Insider’s article about volunteers dropping out was published on Tuesday (Feb 11), Food From The Heart’s volunteer hotline was abuzz with people wanting to sign up to help.
And in just two days, all slots to help pack food rations for the needy had been filled for the next two to three weeks. “My staff spent the whole day manning the WhatsApp hotline. By 7pm, he still had 100 more messages to go,” said its chief executive Sim Bee Hia.
On Monday, the non-profit had put out an urgent call on Facebook for help to assemble 2,000 food packs scheduled for distribution this week to households in need. Ninety per cent of its group volunteering sessions had been cancelled, as companies suspended their corporate social responsibility efforts amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We are counting on the individuals to come in because the corporations would really have to protect their staff first. We fully understand,” Ms Sim said.
Katherine Teo, 42, responded to help at the charity’s Joo Seng Road warehouse. “It’s important because if nobody volunteers, then what’s going to happen to these families? How are they going to survive?”
“My spouse still has some concerns but to me, it’s fine. It’s okay to go out, just be mindful if you are sick,” the stay-at-home mum added.
Volunteers sorting out donations at Food From The Heart’s Joo Seng Road warehouse. (Credit: Food From The Heart)
Surprisingly, a few organisations also responded to the appeal. The Singapore Land Authority came on Tuesday, Ms Sim said, with 20 people including their chief executive helping out. Another 35 staff came on Thursday.
One company which runs camps for schools also offered to send a team down to help, she said, amid the slowdown in work due to restricted school activities.
The Food Bank also saw a surge in offers of help. Up to 50 groups, comprising schools and corporations, wrote in proposing donation drives, for example.
Marina Bay Sands, for one, offered to pack 1,000 food bundles offsite and send them to the Food Bank, founder Nichol Ng said. Every slot for packing activities at the warehouse has also been filled till the end of February.
“I see some light in this crisis,” she said. “It makes us better prepared if anything like that should happen again.”
The charity is exploring how to decentralise the regular packing of food donations outside its warehouse. “Just like businesses, we need to think of our own continuity plans as well,” she said.
Food From The Heart has also taken precautions, such as ensuring temperature checks are done and that volunteers are split up into multiple assembly lines.
We must keep operations going because we don’t have the luxury of stopping – it would hit 6,500 households and a few dozen (institutional) homes.
“If you are healthy, able to move around, no travel history, do join us,” Ms Sim added.
HELP NEEDED CONSISTENTLY
However, the need for volunteers goes beyond the high of these two weeks, said all the food charities.
Food From The Heart worries there could be a drop in manpower again in March. Food Bank’s Ms Ng said: “It’s important for people to remember that those in need consistently need help regardless of the situation.”
Many elderly folks living alone in rental flats are among those who depend on food ration distributions.
Over at charity kitchen Willing Hearts, it will take a lot more for volunteer numbers to get back to normal levels.
Largely volunteer-run, it provides 6,500 cooked meals across the island daily. Schools and corporations can sign up, while individuals can walk in any time to help.
“Some groups who saw the appeal have come forward, but not many. We used to have big numbers of volunteers; now, fewer than half turn up,” president Teh Eng Hua said.
Because of the shortage, he and all his staff have mobilised to do deliveries themselves. “Maybe we will change our menu and simplify the meals,” added Mr Teh.
Meals for 6,500 beneficiaries are prepared daily at charity kitchen Willing Hearts
MONEY STILL A CONCERN
Monetary donations, meanwhile, have continued to take a hit, as businesses tighten their belts in the uncertain climate. Ms Sim said companies have been cutting back on the amount they give.
“For our major fundraiser in April, we see those who had committed to being an ‘angel’ sponsor drop to being a ‘friend’ sponsor,” she said – a reduction in quantum from S$25,000 to S$10,000.
Some individual donors have also stopped their recurring donations.
At the same time, the cost of operations has increased, said Ms Sim. The group has started adding sanitisers and face masks to the food packs, cleaning measures have had to be stepped up, and staff have had to work doubly hard.
Food rations given out by Food From The Heart.
But asking for donations during this time is a thorny issue, said Free Food For All founder founder Nizar Mohd Shariff, who estimates a 50 per cent drop in donations received.
The group, which provides free halal cooked meals to the needy, used to receive an average of about S$5,000 a month – as of the mid-February, they have barely hit S$1,000.
After the group shared CNA Insider’s article on Facebook, one netizen even commented that they were using the virus as an excuse to seek more funds.
Free Food for All requires more monetary than manpower support as most of its operations are handled by staff, Mr Nizar explained. The group has also been getting more requests for assistance, including from folks who have been quarantined at home.
More beneficiaries mean more resources must be purchased, he said. “For now we don’t have the luxury of scrutinising and vetting (the beneficiaries). I would rather be cheated than make the mistake of not giving to those in need.
“I would encourage every Singaporean to help out however they can – volunteer or by (providing) money,” added Mr Nizar.
To give all donors and volunteers a single point of reference for the most pressing needs during this period of the COVID-19 outbreak, a centralised platform has been set up by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). Here, charities can list their fundraising efforts and appeals for volunteers.
Seeing the wave of support from the public at such a short notice has encouraged Ms Sim. “I am really heartened by the public spiritedness of Singaporeans,” she said.
“They’re worried, their businesses are impacted, there are still so many unknowns – but what was more immediate was to come in and help.”
