SINGAPORE – A 27-year-old man has been arrested by the police after crashing a car into the playground near a Bukit Merah Housing Board block.
The man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and for use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty, the police said on Saturday (Dec 21).
The man was also driving without a valid license.
Police were alerted to the incident at Block 134 Jalan Bukit Merah on Friday at 11.58pm and are still investigating the incident.
The Straits Times understands that besides the driver who sustained minor injuries, no one else was injured.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was also called for assistance at about midnight on Saturday.
SCDF said: “A man in his 20s was assessed by the paramedic for minor injuries, but he subsequently refused conveyance to the hospital.”
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Indranee Rajah said that the town council has cordoned off the playground and a safety inspection will be conducted.
SINGAPORE – The personal data of 2,400 Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel may have been leaked through e-mail phishing by malicious malware.
The data leak occurred at a privately owned vendor of SAF and Mindef, ST Logistics, which is contracted to provide third-party logistics services such as eMart retail and equipping services for the SAF. The data included the full names and NRIC numbers, and a combination of contact numbers, e-mail addresses or residential addresses, Mindef said in a statement on Saturday (Dec 21).
The breach was a result of e-mail phishing activities sent to its employees’ e-mail accounts, ST Logistics said on Saturday. No details were given on when the phishing had occurred or for how long.
In another unrelated incident affecting another SAF vendor, a healthcare training provider’s server containing the data of 120,000 individuals including 98,000 SAF servicemen, was found to have been infected by ransomware on Dec 4.
SINGAPORE – An orphaned Vietnamese baby who was treated in a Singapore hospital two years ago has died.
According to his Facebook page, Loc Pham Duc Loc died on Thursday (Dec 19) of infection while being treated in a Vietnam hospital. He was three.
Loc was found abandoned at Van Buc Temple in Vietnam’s southern coastal province of Ben Tre in July 2016.
Taken in by the temple, he had hydrocephalus, an abnormal build-up of the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain.
Loc was treated at two hospitals in Vietnam but was pronounced incurable by the doctor after two surgeries.
Learning of his plight, the Vietnamese community in Singapore suggested that he be brought to Singapore for treatment.
The Straits Times reported that he arrived here in January 2017 and was admitted to KK Women and Children’s Hospital, where his condition improved after several operations.
After restaurant owner Nguyen Hong Thao set up an online crowdfunding page to raise money for his treatments, his fight for survival caught the attention of many Singaporeans. The campaign raised more than $100,000.
Afternoon teas are such an affordable luxury in sunny Singapore, and don’t they just make great escapes from the hectic corporate life?
Now, if only they could be a national past time, just like how the Brits do it.
From three-tiered tea sets to weekend tea buffets, here are 10 gorgeous places in Singapore to catch up with friends and family in the perfect afternoon tête-à-tête.
STRAITSKITCHEN
We start with one of the grand dames of Singapore’s hospitality scene.
Take a much needed break on the weekend with the introduction of Grand Hyatt Singapore’s new afternoon tea at StraitsKitchen.
Blurring the lines between buffet and afternoon tea (in a great way), Grand Hyatt Singapore invites you to discover Singapore’s rich food culture and savour over 60 different local dishes prepared by veteran chefs, all at one very affordable price.
SINGAPORE – Three men were arrested by the police after a brawl in Teck Whye on Saturday (Dec 21).
The police were alerted to the fight at 7.42pm at Block 120 Teck Whye Lane.
A 35-year-old man was conscious when taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, the police said.
A 65-year-old man was arrested for affray and criminal intimidation, while two other men, aged 30 and 35, were arrested for affray.
In a video that was posted on Facebook but was later taken down, three men can be seen hitting one another as they came out of a blue car. They continued fighting in the carpark.
Police investigations are ongoing.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
SINGAPORE: Ms Sheri Goh has a big family. She has an elder sister and 13 cousins just on her mother’s side. She and her cousins have 12 children among them. This means that Christmas can be a big, messy and wasteful affair.
To make gift-giving more manageable, the family has worked out a strategy. Each child gets three gifts.
“That’s still a huge number of presents with a huge amount of wrapping. Every year, I’ve noticed, we fill two to three garbage bags of wrapping waste,” the 43-year-old told CNA.
Things will be a little different this year.
On the suggestion of a cousin, the family is doing away with the wrapping of gifts. If they must, they are to use newspaper or waste paper. Ms Goh, an editor with a religious publication, will use junk mail she started collecting a few months ago as wrapping paper.
She is also putting more thought into her wrapping.
“Using glue instead of tape makes for easier recycling afterwards. I’m also using ribbons that I already have at home, as well as re-purposed ribbons from various product packaging, to make the presents look nicer,” she said.
Her mother, Madam Lily Chua, is also in on the action. This year, the veteran seamstress is gifting reusable shopping bags made from scrap cloth from past sewing projects. There is a matching pouch with a reusable straw to accompany the bags.
This year’s Christmas gifts are handmade by Madam Lily Chua. (Photo: Jalelah Abu Baker)
“My mom came from a poor family so she’s always had the ethos that we should not waste, that we should try to reuse as much as we can,” Ms Goh said.
But giving presents is not the only way to celebrate Christmas, she added. She lamented that it has become too commercialised. This year, she is giving her parents the gift of time.
“My parents and I are giving to each other a road trip up to Malaysia, where they will pay for food and transport and we (she and her husband) will pay for lodging. The gift of time with each other is priceless, doesn’t create any gift-wrapping waste, is definitely something the other party will want and will last forever,” she said.
HANDMADE WITH LOVE
Others are making the effort to create their own gifts. Ms Sheau Chan, 46, has made cardholders using curtain fabric swatches that would otherwise be discarded. Her Christmas cards are made out of sturdy mooncake boxes.
“A lot of things can be used to upcycle, but not everything is useful, so it doesn’t justify the time and effort. That’s why I prefer to make pragmatic gifts like cardholders,” she said.
Ms Sheau Chan’s cardholders are made using obsolete curtain fabric samples, and her Christmas cards are made of mooncake boxes. (Photo: Sheau Chan)
She reuses the wrapping papers from the gifts she receives. She also collects Esplanade concert programmes “because they were quite pretty” to use as wrappers.
Ms Chan, who usually hosts her friends for Christmas, said that she tends to get either bigger or more gifts as the host, but she has told her friends there was no need for that.
“I told them to get me vegetables that last for a long time, or home-made items, because my best friend bakes. They can give me a cauliflower. I’ll be more than happy,” said the events planner.
Similarly, Ms Julia Anna Deufel, 27, is making the probiotic drink, kombucha, and tempeh (fermented soybean cake) to give as gifts.
She asked that her aunt – who often gives her online shopping vouchers – to donate to her diving fund. Ms Deufel is working towards getting certified to be able to plant seaweed and coral while diving.
“Planting these is a much faster way to offset carbon than planting trees. Trees have to live till 40 to offset carbon,” the eco-consultant said.
Ms Julia Anna Deufel with her home-made kombucha and tempeh. (Photo: Jalelah Abu Baker)
She will not be putting up a Christmas tree at home this year, a break away from a family tradition. Instead she has a small reusable S$2 tree. Her Advent wreath, which is traditionally used in the lead-up to Christmas, is also not typical. It is made of used wine bottles which also function as candle holders.
“A real wreath will need to come from somewhere where pine trees grow, so it’s probably going to come on a plane, with a high carbon footprint,” she said.
Practising a zero-waste Christmas is an extension of their daily habits.
For instance, Ms Goh has been using a reusable bag for more than 20 years. Clothes are also always handed down, and some clothes by Madam Chua are still being worn 40 years on.
AMOUNT OF WASTE EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER FESTIVE SEASON
The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) said the amount of waste generated in Singapore has increased seven-folds over the last four decades.
Coupled with low plastic recycling, tonnes of food waste and the “traditional Asian view of over-preparing festive meals and elaborate festive packaging”, the amount of waste is expected to increase over the festive season, the SEC’s head of Environmental Certifications Liow Chean Siang.
Ms Julia Anna Deufel has replaced a tree with a small reusable one, and used wine bottles and candles to make an Advent wreath. (Photo: Jalelah Abu Baker)
Through its food loss and food waste study, the SEC found that consumers avoid food waste by keeping unconsumed food, and by not being swayed by promotional offers to buy excess food items that are potentially wasted.
Mr Liow urged merrymakers to adopt these habits, and to adopt the “5 Rs” – reducing, reusing, recycling, refusing and repurposing.
He suggested donating unwanted gifts instead of throwing them away, and reducing the use of gift wrappers.
“Giving pre-loved items as gifts is trending and is gaining larger acceptance in other markets, as more people want to be sustainable and be part of a circular economy where nothing goes to waste,” he said.
He cautioned that as more waste is generated, the impact of climate change such as rising sea level, loss of biodiversity, and changes in crop yield may pose significant risks to the way people live.
But everyone can play a part is trying to mitigate this in part by consuming less and wasting less, he added.
“It is important for Singaporeans to remember that less is always best.”
SINGAPORE: The sudden and unexpected shuttering of bridal studio Beautiful Love Wedding this month left many couples in the lurch.
Customers who had already paid deposits for packages with the studio weren’t able to contact anyone from the company after it closed down, despite company officials stating they were proactively reaching out to the affected clients.
As of last week, 34 complaints have been lodged with with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) about the studio’s closure.
What makes the bridal industry and its customers so vulnerable to such risks?
SUDDEN CLOSURES THE NORM
It’s not the first time we’ve heard of a reputed bridal studio going belly up.
Last year, two studios, For You Wedding Services and The Aisle Bridal Boutique, closed shop. It was estimated that customers lost at least S$164,000 in payments then, compared to the S$103,000 forked out in prepayments by customers in the Beautiful Love Wedding saga.
In 2018, CASE fielded 138 complaints about bridal service providers such as photographers, studios and co-ordinators, up from 102 in 2017. Prior to that, the shutting down of wedding studio Sophia Wedding Collection in 2015 led to CASE receiving 339 complaints from upset customers.
The bridal industry seems plagued with high operational costs and subsequently needing to charge exorbitant prices.
File photo of the exterior of Beautiful Love Wedding, with rent notices pasted on the glass. (PHOTO: Ang Hwee Min)
While the news might lead some critics to conclude some shady bridal companies are operating just to make a quick buck by charging exorbitant prices for their packages, and buyers should beware before depositing thousands of dollars, the better and more famous bridal boutiques have been in the business for decades.
These boutiques have built their reputations on hard work, persistence and honesty, going by what their customers say.
Since time immemorial, couples want the moon at the lowest possible price. But bridal companies face high start-up costs, including rental, ensuring a stock of exquisite gowns and enlisting photographers on retainers, so keeping business afloat can be challenging.
Are there no checks and balances authorities can put in place to protect unwitting couples? Why don’t authorities certify the better ones?
That sounds like but isn’t a viable solution. Beautiful Love Wedding itself was accredited by Case Trust. Fate was out of authorities’ hands, as the studio cited increasing business costs behind their closure.
But they certainly could have handled things better and forewarned their customers.
THE DISRUPTED WEDDING INDUSTRY
Long gone is the era when newlyweds accept the one-size-fits-all fixed price formula for their special day.
The advent of social media has disintermediated the wedding industry by enabling consumers to find individual vendors for gowns, photography, and so on through online word-of-mouth.
The Facebook page, SG Budget Brides, for instance, is a platform for almost 4,000 brides who share information, pictures, company reviews and more, allowing soon-to-be-married couples to discover more reputable bridal studios or avoid shady vendors with a poor track record.
(Photo: Unsplash/Wu Jianxiong)
Apps like Bride Story throw up a litany of choices on venues, wedding planners, photography and pretty much anything you need for your big day – with price lists, reviews and contact details available on demand.
These platforms have given couples more choice and customisation. Some even have a chatbot to help with troubleshooting.
Couples can now harness the power of the Internet to find options that suit their needs no matter what their price is – from buying second-hand wedding dresses off Carousell, or hiring wedding planners who count celebrities and socialites among their clientele.
As the wedding industry undergoes disruption amid heightened competition, bridal companies have to constantly remodel their regular packages to better match the desires of potential customers.
For instance, wedding boutique La Belle Couture has practically halved the price of its packages (which include gown and suit rentals, make-up, bouquets and photography) to strike a delicate balance business and customer preferences.
Average package prices at La Belle Couture now hover around the S$4,000 mark, a far cry from its usual range that can go up to S$8,000. The boutique’s high fixed costs include a big inventory with stock of up to 600 gowns and 300 suits at a time.
Furthermore, La Belle Couture has had to tweak its mix-and-match packages, letting customers buy credit that can be spent on wedding-related items such as corsages or hairstyling and make-up trials. Ironically, the studio used to have an expensive à la carte pricing menu with the sole purpose of encouraging clients to take a package.
The ubiquity of Internet reviews has also forced bridal businesses into being transparent with their pricing and services. As a result, customers are no longer willing to accept artificially differentiated packages that do not suit their needs.
A couple getting married. (Photo: Pixabay/ericaa1215)
In this time of restructuring for the industry, is it any wonder some shops are closing down?
EVOLVING WITH CURRENT TRENDS
Surviving on just gowns and photography may not be a winning formula anymore for bridal studios.
If the past slew of shutdowns teaches us anything, it’s that there is an urgent need to evolve with current trends.
1. ONE-STOP BRIDAL SHOPS
While some couples still prefer to have a convenient, all-in-one package, more prefer going directly to different vendors to have more control over their big day.
To capitalise on this preference, some studios have aimed to become a one-stop shop for all wedding services. These studios work with different vendors to deliver their customers’ varying requests.
Truly Enamoured has earned itself an enviable reputation of being an affordable one-stop bridal studio.
Though their strongest draw is the designer dresses they bring in fresh from the walkways of New York and Milan, from gorgeous Inbal Dror and Berta gowns to glamourous Cinobi cheongsams, they also offer packages with popular photographers like Android in Boots, renowned wedding make-up artiste firm The Makeup Room and suits for the groom by INVENTORY – starting at S$5,800.
2. MODULAR PACKAGES
A common misconception about bridal studios is that they tend to only offer rigid template packages, peppered with lots of hidden costs.
(Photo: REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte)
However, contrary to that belief, most bridal shops are able to customise the package accordingly to cater to an increasing number of brides who might have strong preferences for a particular photographer or florist, or prefer to DIY some parts of the wedding.
At most bridal studios, like The Louvre Bridal, clients can mix and match from a wide range of wedding services to customise their ideal package, with everything in black-and-white so that there are no unexpected costs later.
3. COLLABORATION FOR LONGEVITY
Couples who do opt for all-inclusive packages want them convenient and affordable. This has led to collaboration among service providers in the industry. For instance, hotels offer tie-ups with boutiques, photographers and even jewellers.
Established wedding companies have also branched out into other wedding services, leveraging their own reputation and expertise.
For instance, wedding planning company Watabe Singapore set up bridal label Ethereal in 2016 after wanting to provide more than just food and a venue (the company is the official venue operator for Chijmes).
Ethereal’s attractive packages bundle retail gowns, make-up and photography services, and the rental of either Chijmes Hall or the smaller Alcove at Caldwell House.
DON’T GIVE UP ON BRIDAL COMPANIES JUST YET
Like in any industry, there will be businesses that fail, while others survive and thrive. The bridal studio is no different.
The only difference is it’s a sector where customers tend to want to secure services in advance and have to provide upfront deposits, making the risk of closure long after they handed over cash significant.
But let’s be realistic. Part of the reason why such closures get so much traction is because the news invokes schadenfreude – where couples past derive pleasure in knowing their wedding went ahead without a hitch – and provides a cautionary tale for those planning their big day.
File photo of a couple at their wedding celebration. (Photo: The Wedding Entourage)
Since the business of weddings is such a personal once-in-a-lifetime journey, a handful of unsuccessful stories can mar the name of the entire industry.
Much more has been lost when businesses close – like when major banks and several financial institutions lost huge amounts during the global financial crisis, resulting in people losing their entire life savings – or when many more lost deposits when bike-sharing company oBike exited.
While some may have the time to put together their own DIY army for their special day, the reality is that most couples prefer the convenience and ease that bridal studios offer. And that’s not about to change.
Priyanka Elhence is a freelance writer based in Singapore, covering Parenting, Dining, Hospitality, Travel, Lifestyle, Property and Luxury beats.
SINGAPORE: A 27-year-old man was arrested after crashing a car into a playground at Bukit Merah on Friday (Dec 20) night.
The police said they were alerted to the accident at Block 134 Jalan Bukit Merah at about 11.58pm.
The man had been driving without a valid licence and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.
The incident happened close to midnight on Dec 20, 2019. (Photo: Mervin Low)
The police added that the man was also arrested for use of “criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty”.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a call for assistance at the playground at about midnight.
A man in his 20s was assessed by paramedics for minor injuries but subsequently refused to be taken to hospital, SCDF added.
The man had been driving without a valid licence. (Photo: Mervin Low)
Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah, who is also Member of Parliament for the Tanjong Pagar constituency, said that the Town Council has cordoned off the area.
The Town Council will also arrange for a safety inspection and assessment of what repairs are needed.
The playground is located in front of Block 134 Jalan Bukit Merah. (Photo: Facebook/Indranee Rajah)
The playground had just recently been upgraded. (Photo: Facebook/Indranee Rajah)
Ms Indranee advised residents not to use the playground until repairs have been completed and the playground has passed safety inspections.
“The Town Council will let residents know when the playground can be used again,” Ms Indranee said in a Facebook post.
The playground has been cordoned off. (Photo: Facebook/Indranee Rajah)
She added that she is thankful that “only minor injuries were sustained by the driver and no one else was injured”.
The playground in front of Block 134 had been “newly upgraded,” according to Ms Indranee.
Jane said that the incident occurred in Poulet at around 12.50pm.
She recounted: “I was having a nice family lunch when a group of three young and attractive office ladies sat at a table next to ours.
“Immediately, the woman who was seated next to me, removed her shoes and placed both her bare feet on the seat!
“Her bare feet were just next to me in close proximity and it was really so appalling!
“Her behaviour is really inconsiderate, unacceptable and lacking in basic etiquette! Isn’t it rude and unhygienic to put one’s bare feet on the seat of a restaurant when there are other diners around?
“If it was the start of my meal, I would have completely lost my appetite. We quickly finished up our meals and left the restaurant.
SINGAPORE – The High Court has awarded the ex-wife of a business executive more than half of their matrimonial assets worth $13.8 million, stating that she had prioritised their children over her career.
In his judgment published on Thursday (Dec 19), Judicial Commissioner Tan Puay Boon said in dividing the assets, he also took into consideration the duration of the marriage and the man’s failure to make full disclosure of his income and assets.
Among other things, the man did not submit his income tax statements for his employment in China, as well as supporting documentation of his insurance policies, Chinese bank accounts and overseas investments.
He also took $1.25 million of proceeds from the sale of a property which they had held jointly, but failed to account for the withdrawal.
They have been married for 35 years, and have four adult children. The man and his wife are both 62 years old.
In 2017, she filed for divorce after discovering that her husband had been having an affair.
