After failing to book an $11 ride to his Tampines abode through Grab at Changi Airport, Lam managed to book one through Gojek for a slightly higher fare of $14.
After boarding the car with two others, he mentioned that he started noticing the driver’s strange behaviour.
Lam recounted how the driver had repeatedly asked his passengers if they would tip him for his service.
The driver mentioned that the Grab surge fare was $21 for a similar trip, and suggested a $3 tip if his passengers “didn’t mind,” Lam wrote.
Annoyed by the driver’s insistent questions, Lam replied: “Yes, I do mind.”
SINGAPORE – While handling a pneumatic nail gun, a 23-year-old man failed to observe proper safety procedures by leaving his finger on the trigger.
This resulted in an incident where he fired a 6cm-long nail into his colleague’s chest.
Yang Chengwei, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty to one count of causing hurt by a negligent act that endangered human life on Monday (Dec 16).
He was sentenced to a $2,000 fine or, if he was unable to pay, jail for a day.
Court documents stated that on Oct 24, 2019, Yang and Mr Miah Ripon, the victim, were assembling wooden boxes at 31 Tuas South Link 4, Level 4. Both men were working as packers for the same logistics company.
Mr Miah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi, was measuring wooden planks and using a hammer to straighten them. Yang was using a pneumatic nail gun to nail the planks together.
At about 6.15pm, Mr Miah approached Yang with the intention of asking him to secure certain wooden planks together with the nail gun.
Facebook user Trevor Mok posted a video showing his close shave with the errant Mercedes-Benz driver near Khoo Teck Puat Hospital at 11.17am. It was raining at that time.
In the video, Mok can be seen travelling on the right side of a two-lane road when the Mercedes approaches on the same lane – but in the opposite direction.
Mok, who narrowly avoids an accident with the Mercedes, can then be heard expressing his disbelief over what had just happened.
“Aiyo! Nearly langgar leh! So scary ah! Alamak! Why you go so fast!” he is heard exclaiming to a companion in his car.
“Walao, you wrong you faster three-point turn already mah, why you still want to chiong until there!”
After two years and two court orders, a man in Bukit Panjang says he is still being plagued by noise from his neighbours living in the unit below — and it shows no signs of stopping.
Daniel See, 29, who left his job in June in order to spend more time collecting evidence against his neighbours, has now applied for an Exclusion Order to evict his neighbours from their flat, according to a Straits Times report.
But his neighbours, identified only as the Lius, denied See’s allegations in an interview with Shin Min Daily News and said that that they will file an appeal if they are ordered to evict.
When a visitor’s car rolls up to Glendale Park condominium in Hillview, what greets the driver is a speaker carrying the voice of a security guard located in a remote command centre in Ubi, nearly 20km away.
Meanwhile, the vehicle’s licence plate number is recorded and the driver’s face is captured on a surveillance camera.
After verifying the particulars of the visitor with a resident, a gantry lifts and the driver is allowed into the private residence.
Developed by local security firm Focus Security and its sister company Asiatact over five years, the remote visitor-logging system is currently in place at four condominiums here.
The technology comes as the industry is being urged to move away from a reliance on manpower, to a system that integrates manpower and technology.
The security industry, which has more than 35,500 active resident security officers, is facing increasing manpower costs after the Manpower Ministry rolled out the Progressive Wage Model for security officers this year.
SINGAPORE – A man who shoved a dog out of a car window is being investigated by the National Parks Board’s Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), the agency said on Tuesday (Dec 17).
The incident happened at night in Lorong Halus near Pasir Ris.
NParks is appealing to members of the public for information and urge people to contact AVS on 1800-4761600. It said information will be kept confidential.
Videos and pictures of the incident were shared on social media, where a dog can be seen lying lifeless on the road after being thrown out of the moving car.
It is uncertain when the incident happened. Police were down at the scene and have handed the matter over to AVS.
Necessary enforcement action will be taken, AVS said.
The agency said members of the public can play a role by reporting suspected cases of animal cruelty at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or contact AVS at the above number.
SINGAPORE – A lorry driver seen in a viral video having an altercation with a cyclist was convicted on Tuesday (Dec 17) of causing hurt to the latter by performing a rash act.
District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt also found Teo Seng Tiong, 58, guilty of failing to report the accident to the police within 24 hours.
On Tuesday, the judge said that Teo had “deliberately swerved” his lorry into the cyclist, Mr Eric Cheung Hoyu, on Dec 22 last year.
Mr Cheung, 35, had earlier testified that Teo hurled obscenities at him after the incident.
He also said that the older man’s tone of voice was “aggressive” and he showed “lots of anger”.
The British national added that the lorry driver drove off without leaving behind his name and contact details.
Mr Cheung had earlier pleaded guilty to committing mischief and causing an obstruction by riding his bicycle in the middle of the lane instead of the leftmost side.
SINGAPORE: Dota 2 has become one of biggest e-sports titles in the world, with prize money going into the millions.
In August, the world’s top teams played for a prize pool of more than US$34 million at The International (TI), the capstone event of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit. It was the largest pot of prize money offered at any e-sports tournament.
To tap on this growing mode of entertainment, a Singaporean firm is bringing professional e-sports to Southeast Asia.
ONE Esports, the online gaming arm of mixed-martial tournament organiser ONE Championship, is organising the Dota 2 World Pro Invitational competition this week.
The firm hopes to fill up 8,000 seats at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, said ONE Esports CEO Carlos Alimurung in an exclusive interview with CNA.
It also has strategies aimed at building on the gaming scene in Singapore, including launching a web portal solely focused on gaming.
“It’s a global game, the stakes are incredibly high. There is rich potential for storytelling. The player base – the viewer base – is global, and ONE Esports’ aspirations are global,” said Mr Alimurung.
“There is a multi-billion dollar opportunity for e-sports globally, so we’re going to go after it.”
FULFILLING A NEED
The company said research showed them that 60 per cent of their fans who watch the live fighting tournaments by ONE Championship also took part in e-sports.
It decided to set up an e-sports arm this year.
ONE Esports’ Carlos Alimurung.
For the Dota 2 World Pro tournament, Mr Alimurung said all 280 VIP tickets, which cost S$378 each, were snapped up within the first three weeks they were launched.
“We are expecting a full house over the weekend, so we’re super bullish on the attendance and filling up the whole entire stadium. It is big,” he said.
“What we would say is, well, look, we’re bringing in the world’s best talent and therefore we need a big place, an iconic place to hold this kind of event.”
The international e-sports market is competitively looking for talented players, and some are setting their sights on players in the region, said Mr Alimurung.
“Like all businesses, it’s a war on talent, and in e-sports, it’s an incredibly flat and distributed player base,” he said.
This is why the event here has attracted some of the top teams in the world, even though the prize money is smaller compared to events in the Major Championship series, said the CEO.
Nine out of the 12 teams in the Singapore tournament, such as Team Secret – PSG.LGD and Evil Geniuses – have played in the big leagues, he added.
The World Pro Invitational prize pool is US$500,000, compared to US$34 million for TI this year.
According to Mr Alimurung, this shows that there is interest from international players who want to come to Singapore and the region to compete.
“The prize pool is enough to attract the world’s best teams, and we have them coming …(most) of the teams that are coming have participated in a previous TI. That has never been done in Singapore before,” he said.
BUILDING THE GAMING NETWORK IN SINGAPORE AND THE REGION
To connect with e-sports fans who are not easily reached via traditional media channels, ONE Esports plans to generate content to attract e-sport fans to engage with the brand.
It launched an online portal in April called OneEsports.gg, which showcases stories on professional players, cosplayers, e-sport businesses and others in the gaming scene.
It is a major project, with the firm pooling half of its team to focus on developing the online portal.
“Everyone enjoys learning about pro players, and the drama and theatre of competition and rivalry, but that doesn’t mean that people like the cosplayers, or the people who are running the business side of e-sports, that their stories don’t deserve to be told. Or, even the fans’ stories,” said Mr Alimurung.
“Our aspiration is not only to be an e-sports news site, but to … peel the third or the fourth layer on e-sports.”
The CEO believes the “storytelling” portal will play a critical role in transforming the conversation around e-sports in Singapore and the region.
“I personally believe the storytelling in e-sports can be vastly improved,” he said.
“The storytelling is what gives the authenticity – gives the credibility – and it shows the community that you’re trying to celebrate and share the stories that are so deserving in this space.”
SINGAPORE: You would have seen it at least once a year in primary and secondary school and it would have likely been etched into your memory.
The Total Defence logo, designed to resemble a hand with five red arrows representing the five pillars of Total Defence, has remained unchanged since 1985. With the addition of digital defence as a sixth pillar this year, the time is right for a revamp.
And a 16-year-old student has emerged as the youngest among 10 designers vying to get the most votes in a competition to redesign the logo.
Fleming Siow Yi, who recently sat for his O-Levels, told CNA that he decided to join the competition after being inspired by the sacrifices made by Singapore’s forefathers to build the country into what it is today.
“It’s a way to show that the newer generation is capable of continuing what our forefathers did,” he said of how he wanted to play a small part by joining the competition.
But Fleming did not always appreciate Singapore’s struggles growing up.
“My first thought about Social Studies is it will be quite a boring subject,” he admitted. “What’s there to learn about Singapore?”
However, his “kind” and “bubbly” Social Studies teacher made things interesting in the classroom, and soon he was looking forward to all her lessons.
He learnt how Singapore guards itself against the threat of terrorism and keeps its healthcare system sustainable and affordable, among other things, and realised “how lucky” Singaporeans were to be living in the country.
“It makes me feel proud to be in Singapore,” he said, crediting his teacher for making him understand the Singapore context. “We need to continue to work together.”
So when a notice of the competition was posted on his school portal, he didn’t think twice about signing up as a way to give back.
CURRENT LOGO “A BIT CONFUSING”
Fleming first spent a week researching the history and meaning behind the current Total Defence logo. In 1985, freelance graphic designer Berwin See beat more than a thousand entries to win the first Total Defence logo competition. Mr See also designed the iconic Singapore Pools and 4D logos.
Freelance designer Berwin See created these logos. (Screengrab: graphic.sg)
Fleming recalled the first time he saw the Total Defence logo in Primary 2, stating that he thought it looked more like a house than a hand. “The arrows are shaped like a house,” he said. “So, it was a bit confusing to me.”
His design teacher, however, advised him to not only think about aesthetics, but also to create something that could resonate with Singaporeans.
This was not easy, Fleming said, admitting to having some difficulty with his thought process. He eventually decided on a design that would not be too different from the current logo.
Fleming on his MacBook air. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
He added his own elements, like a colour gradient that goes from dark to light red to show that obstacles at the start can be overcome by working together, and a shield as “the first thing that comes to my mind” to signify defence.
“I just created a giant shield to clearly show that Singapore is strong and a force to be reckoned with,” he explained.
Fleming used Adobe Photoshop to design his logo in a day. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
Fleming made use of what he learnt from the design modules he took in school and his knowledge of Adobe Photoshop to create his design on a MacBook in just a day. He did this while preparing for his O-Levels.
His logo, which “emphasises the need for collaboration and connectivity to ensure Singapore’s invulnerability”, was shortlisted together with nine other designs.
NO EXPECTATIONS ON WINNING
The design which gets the most votes will be unveiled as the new Total Defence logo on Total Defence Day in February next year.
Fleming said he doesn’t have any expectations about winning.
“All the other nine logos to me are very impressive, so it doesn’t really matter if I win,” he said. “The fact that many Singaporeans take their time off to cast their vote, I already consider it a (winning feeling).
The public can vote from 10 different designs for the new logo. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
While he feels “intimidated” about competing with adults “literally twice or thrice my age”, he doesn’t feel his youth is a handicap.
“Although I’m young, I’m still capable of contributing to Singapore’s development,” he said, “At the end of the day, we’re all trying to design something special to Singapore. I think that’s what truly counts.”
Fleming also used Keynote in the early stages of the designing process. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
If he wins, Fleming said he would be “elated” knowing that his logo has “touched the hearts of some Singaporeans and I actually played a part in Total Defence”.
“I also do hope that others who didn’t have time to cast their votes will see my logo and be inspired to also play a part,” he added.
HANDLING POTENTIAL FAME
Winning would also cement Fleming’s legacy in schools in Singapore, as future generations are shown the logo he designed. It is something that Fleming will “take some time to get used to”.
“I’m definitely not used to fame,” he added. “I just hope that it will leave a positive impact on future generations.”
As for more material rewards, the winning designer gets S$5,000 in cash, while the nine others will each receive S$500 worth of prizes.
Fleming had also participated in an SG50 T-shirt designing competition, which he said gave him experience and confidence for this time round. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
When Fleming was asked what he plans to do with the potential winnings, like if he will use it to get a new MacBook, he shook his head and smiled.
“I’m actually quite a thrifty guy,” he mused.
The public can vote for their favourite design at this website and stand to win movie or cash vouchers of up to S$1,000. The contest ends on Dec 29.
Nothing beats ending the year with a memorable vacation that has long been in your bucket list. No harm getting all fresh and recharged before facing the new decade.
As the Social Media Gods demand, snapping an artsy photo of your passport and flight ticket would be a prerequisite procedure to show everyone that you are moments away from embarking on an overseas adventure.
One Singapore citizen, however, apparently has no plans for a vacation during the holiday season. That didn’t stop him from joining in on the fun.
Facebook user Mohamed Ali shared his very own passport snap last Friday (Dec 13), but he wasn’t catching a flight anytime soon. In lieu of an air ticket sticking out from his passport, it was just a grocery receipt he had on hand.
