SINGAPORE: The minute a bloody tear ripped across my finger, I knew I had overestimated my abilities. 

After all, the instructors at the low rope station in the standard obstacle course (SOC) demonstrated the exercise quite effortlessly, without the protection of gloves as they are usually trained to do.

So I jumped up, grabbed the rope and attempted to loop the end of it around my feet to create a step – and failed miserably.

It was a spectacular mess.

But if the grunts around me were anything to go by, I wasn’t the only one lying in a crumpled heap.

“Most of us struggled with the low rope too, we couldn’t pull ourselves up!” 13-year-old Athi Ramesh Athira piped afterwards. The student may be the camp’s youngest participant, but she already has her sights on becoming a regular in the army.

Athi was one of 103 participants bunking in at Maju Camp for the inaugural Women’s Boot Camp over the weekend.

We attempted the SOC station-by-station, wearing just a helmet. But during actual training, recruits typically carry about 20kg of weight. This is a combination of a helmet, a SAR 21 (assault rifle), a full pack and a load-bearing vest.

The camp, which is an initiative by the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) and organised by Ang Mo Kio Women’s Executive Committee (WEC), was a scaled-down version of the actual National Service experience.

NEWFOUND APPRECIATION

More than 1,000 applicants had registered, but only a handful were selected. And out of the 103, 42 per cent of the participants were between 13 and 24 years old, while 9 per cent were above 50.

The diversity meant that the activities had to be carefully calibrated to cater to various age groups.

Still, it offered us a newfound appreciation of what soldiers go through.

We were introduced to a buffet of culinary options – in the form of combat rations. On the menu were entrees like Hong Kong chicken noodles and Mexican cheese fried rice, as well as desserts like longan red bean and barley corn soup.

But no matter how fancy the names were, they couldn’t mask the unappetising paste-like appearance of the rations.

Some like the Mexican cheese fried rice were a tad too salty, but I was pleasantly surprised by the desserts, which were actually palatable.

Sustenance is key though, and soldiers depend on such ration packs whenever they go for outfield missions. A 24-hour meal pack can provide up to 1,000 calories.

While a certain level of health and fitness surely enables one to thrive in the army, it has to complement technical finesse.

HANDLING SAR 21

Take handling the SAR 21 as an example.

“First you take out the magazine, then you have to insert the round; make sure the sharp point faces away from you. Now slam it back in and make sure the safety catch is on,” the instructor barked, took one look at our puzzled faces and repeated the steps at a slower pace.

We tried different firing postures, and practised loading the rifle several times. While a few managed to complete the process expertly, most of us bungled up the steps.

This was my first time handling a rifle, and frankly, just going through the brief introduction, was a rather intimidating experience.

But no amount of preparation could simulate the real deal.

When we traipsed out onto the grounds for the SAR 21 firing exercise, the unmistakable whiff of gunpowder was in the air.

For about an hour, the relative peace at Maju Camp was interrupted by a series of loud cracks and bright flashes as shots rang out in rapid succession.

The rifles, when fitted with a laser and loaded with rounds, can weigh up to 4.5kg.

Now imagine having all that weight slamming into your shoulder, and going temporarily deaf from the sharp crack of the shot at the same time.  

It was both thrilling and mortifying. And of course, I missed all my targets.

Other first-time shooters echoed the same sentiment.

“Before handling the weapon, I thought that it was not that heavy. But it’s about 4kg! I can carry a rice bag that is 4kg, but not something like this. So it’s quite difficult to bring the rifle up, hold it there and focus on your target. After going through this, I find that this is not easy at all,” said Mdm Patsy Chong.

Though the 61-year-old is one of the oldest participants in the camp, she had no qualms about attempting every activity – down to even trying her hand at the firemen lift, during a session on Casualty Evacuation.

The freelance teacher has three sons, one of whom just completed his NS and encouraged her to go for the camp.

“They don’t talk much about their time in army,” she admitted, hoping that this camp would provide some insight to what her sons go through.

Like Mdm Chong, many of the women present had relatives in the service, and safety was a perennial concern.

This issue was raised several times during the Focus Group Discussion on the first evening, which Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Maliki Osman attended with Ang Mo Kio’s WEC chairman Ms Joanna Portilla.

“As the mothers, the wives of NS men, they wonder about the safety measures put in place when the boys go through the training. So through this experience, they realise that there are safety measures. And it’s repeatedly impressed upon the men that they must adhere to,” Ms Portilla said.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS

This means that every activity comes with its own set of safety protocols, such as warm-up and cool-down exercises, a water parade as well as a mandatory declaration of medical issues.

On one occasion, instructors even whipped out thermometers to check participants’ temperatures.

In fact, safety was also a reason we were only allowed to try nine out of 12 SOC stations, as none of us had combat boots, which can provide proper support on the balancing bridge and the apex ladder.

For now, organisers have not confirmed if the event will make a comeback, but they will explore the possibility of doing so after studying the post-event survey.

Sure, the activities aren’t on the same intensity as an actual NS experience and nobody was gunning for a marksmanship badge or aiming to be the best recruit.

But the brief event cracked open the hinges of a usually closed door, and offered a chance for mothers, daughters, spouses and friends, to connect better with those who serve. 

SINGAPORE: The minute a bloody tear ripped across my finger, I knew I had overestimated my abilities. 

After all, the instructors at the low rope station in the Standard Obstacle Course (SOC) demonstrated the exercise quite effortlessly, without the protection of gloves as they are usually trained to do.

So I jumped up, grabbed the rope and attempted to loop the end of it around my feet to create a step – and failed miserably.

It was a spectacular mess.

But if the grunts around me were anything to go by, I wasn’t the only one lying in a crumpled heap.

“Most of us struggled with the low rope too, we couldn’t pull ourselves up!” 13-year-old Athi Ramesh Athira piped afterwards. The student may be the camp’s youngest participant, but she already has her sights on becoming a regular in the army.

Athi was one of 103 participants bunking in at Maju Camp for the inaugural Women’s Boot Camp over the weekend.

We attempted the SOC station-by-station, wearing just a helmet. But during actual training, recruits typically carry about 20kg of weight. This is a combination of a helmet, a SAR 21 (assault rifle), a full pack and a load-bearing vest.

The camp, which is an initiative by the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) and organised by Ang Mo Kio Women’s Executive Committee (WEC), was a scaled-down version of the actual National Service experience.

NEWFOUND APPRECIATION

More than 1,000 applicants had registered, but only a handful were selected. And out of the 103, 42 per cent of the participants were between 13 and 24 years old, while 9 per cent were above 50.

The diversity meant that the activities had to be carefully calibrated to cater to various age groups.

Still, it offered us a newfound appreciation of what soldiers go through.

We were introduced to a buffet of culinary options – in the form of combat rations. On the menu were entrees like Hong Kong chicken noodles and Mexican cheese fried rice, as well as desserts like longan red bean and barley corn soup.

But no matter how fancy the names were, they couldn’t mask the unappetising paste-like appearance of the rations.

Some like the Mexican cheese fried rice were a tad too salty, but I was pleasantly surprised by the desserts, which were actually palatable.

Sustenance is key though, and soldiers depend on such ration packs whenever they go for outfield missions. A 24-hour meal pack can provide up to 1,000 calories.

While a certain level of health and fitness surely enables one to thrive in the army, it has to complement technical finesse.

HANDLING SAR 21

Take handling the SAR 21 as an example.

“First you take out the magazine, then you have to insert the round; make sure the sharp point faces away from you. Now slam it back in and make sure the safety catch is on,” the instructor barked, took one look at our puzzled faces and repeated the steps at a slower pace.

We tried different firing postures, and practised loading the rifle several times. While a few managed to complete the process expertly, most of us bungled up the steps.

This was my first time handling a rifle, and frankly, just going through the brief introduction, was a rather intimidating experience.

But no amount of preparation could simulate the real deal.

When we traipsed out onto the grounds for the SAR 21 firing exercise, the unmistakable whiff of gunpowder was in the air.

For about an hour, the relative peace at Maju Camp was interrupted by a series of loud cracks and bright flashes as shots rang out in rapid succession.

The rifles, when fitted with a laser and loaded with rounds, can weigh up to 4.5kg.

Now imagine having all that weight slamming into your shoulder, and going temporarily deaf from the sharp crack of the shot at the same time.  

It was both thrilling and mortifying. And of course, I missed all my targets.

Other first-time shooters echoed the same sentiment.

“Before handling the weapon, I thought that it was not that heavy. But it’s about 4kg! I can carry a rice bag that is 4kg, but not something like this. So it’s quite difficult to bring the rifle up, hold it there and focus on your target. After going through this, I find that this is not easy at all,” said Mdm Patsy Chong.

Though the 61-year-old is one of the oldest participants in the camp, she had no qualms about attempting every activity – down to even trying her hand at the firemen lift, during a session on Casualty Evacuation.

The freelance teacher has three sons, one of whom just completed his NS and encouraged her to go for the camp.

“They don’t talk much about their time in army,” she admitted, hoping that this camp would provide some insight to what her sons go through.

Like Mdm Chong, many of the women present had relatives in the service, and safety was a perennial concern.

This issue was raised several times during the Focus Group Discussion on the first evening, which Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Maliki Osman attended with Ang Mo Kio’s WEC chairman Ms Joanna Portilla.

“As the mothers, the wives of NS men, they wonder about the safety measures put in place when the boys go through the training. So through this experience, they realise that there are safety measures. And it’s repeatedly impressed upon the men that they must adhere to,” Ms Portilla said.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS

This means that every activity comes with its own set of safety protocols, such as warm-up and cool-down exercises, a water parade as well as a mandatory declaration of medical issues.

On one occasion, instructors even whipped out thermometers to check participants’ temperatures.

In fact, safety was also a reason we were only allowed to try nine out of 12 SOC stations, as none of us had combat boots, which can provide proper support on the balancing bridge and the apex ladder.

For now, organisers have not confirmed if the event will make a comeback, but they will explore the possibility of doing so after studying the post-event survey.

Sure, the activities aren’t on the same intensity as an actual NS experience and nobody was gunning for a marksmanship badge or aiming to be the best recruit.

But the brief event cracked open the hinges of a usually closed door, and offered a chance for mothers, daughters, spouses and friends, to connect better with those who serve. 

SINGAPORE: One of the first things eight-year-old Fong Lay Yee did when she met her father Fong Kien Hoong, after he touched down at Changi Airport on Sunday (Sep 2), was to ask him to show his Asian Games gold medal.

“She’s still in disbelief,” said Lay Yee’s mother Tan Sock Ngin. 

“I told her that her father won a gold medal. Then she was like, ‘how come daddy is not on television?’ I was stunned and didn’t know how to answer her.”

They were among close to 20 supporters who were at the airport to welcome back members of Singapore’s contract bridge team upon their return from the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.

Also returning were Singapore’s table tennis, men’s water polo and women’s rugby teams.

The contract bridge men’s team – comprising Fong, Poon Hua, Loo Choon Chou, Zhang Yukun, Desmond Oh and Kelvin Ong – beat Hong Kong 107-52 in the final.

This year marks the first time contract bridge has been included in the Asian Games. It was contested at the 2011 SEA Games, also in Indonesia, where Singapore finished with one gold medal, five silvers and three bronzes.

The team are feeling invigorated after their success in Indonesia.

“We’re very happy that there has been heightened awareness about bridge among the Singapore community,” said Poon, a professional contract bridge player. “We are hoping more young players will come forward and pick up the game.”

READ: Commentary: A bridge too far – what makes an activity worthy of inclusion into an international sporting tournament?

There are plans in the works to start a bridge school in Singapore by the end of the year, revealed Poon.

“We are hoping more will enjoy this game as much as we do and benefit from it,” he added. “Starting at a younger age would give players a stronger foundation and give players higher standards as they progress.”

Improving the standards of women contract bridge players will also be an area of particular focus for the Singapore Contract Bridge Association, added team captain Chua Gang.

“We are going to give more support to female players and give them more exposure to international games and training,” he added.

READ: Contract bridge a game of skill, not luck: Singapore’s Asian Games gold medallists tell detractors 

Other members of the squad also hope that greater recognition will be afforded to contract bridge.

“We hope for more financial support. Every time when we have to go overseas for any tournaments, it’s all self-funded and those who have not started working – it’s a bit difficult,” said Tan, who participated in the super mixed team event. 

“I hope there will be more recognition for us as a mind sport.”

READ: Singapore’s contract bridge men’s team to receive S$320,000 award for historic Asian Games gold

With a shiny gold medal hanging around Lay Yee’s neck, Fong reflected on his team’s win.

“Winning a gold medal is something that I can show my kids – if you put your heart and effort into it, you can achieve things you aim for,” he said. 

“Hopefully I can be some sort of role model to them, to remind them to try their best in whatever they do.”

SINGAPORE: Kampung Admiralty, the pioneering retirement community recently lauded by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day message, has won two awards in design and construction, announced the Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Sunday (Sep 2).

The dual honour will be presented as part of 31 HDB awards for design, construction and engineering feats. It recognises Kampung Admiralty’s “unconventional layered design approach that created tiers of lush greenery which double up as community spaces”, said HDB in a press release.

The mixed development project was additionally awarded the CONQUAS (Construction Quality Assessment System) STAR, conferred upon those with scores above 95 for quality workmanship.

In the housing category, Punggol Waterway View and Depot Heights also picked up design awards, with HDB singling out the former for its distinctive architectural features. 

“The rustic ‘kelong’ theme, inspired by Punggol’s early beginnings as a “kelong” or fishing village, is reflected in the colour selection of the blocks, mimicking natural wood in the façade treatment, as well as the use of the stilt-like columns for the outdoor decks,” said HDB.

“We work very closely with our consultants to try and maximise the potential of each site, and we try to do something that brings forth the identity of each precinct,” said Jeremiah Lim, HDB’s deputy director for design policy. “We are committed to delivering more well-designed, community-centric and well-built environments for our residents.”

The SkyPeak @ Bukit Batok housing project, which won a construction award, was also given mention by HDB for overcoming the challenge of being located between two primary schools.

“The project team engaged the schools, grassroots, and the Town Council throughout the entire construction process, working closely with each of the stakeholders to mitigate construction noise and dust,” said HDB.

Another Bukit Batok housing project – West Terra – won an inaugural engineering award for using Pre-fabricated Volumetric Construction (PVC) technology over the conventional two-dimensional precast method. A ground-breaking Pulau Tekong land reclamation method also scooped up an engineering award for innovation.

“With the unwavering support of our architectural and engineering consultants, as well as our building contractors, we have been able to deliver on our mission of creating vibrant towns and quality homes,” said HDB’s chief executive officer Dr Cheong Koon Hean. 

“We will continue to work in close partnership with them to bring more endearing homes to Singaporeans.”

SINGAPORE: Some hawkers with stalls at not-for-profit, social enterprise hawker centres have confirmed that issues about costs flagged by Makansutra founder KF Seetoh are a cause for concern.

On Tuesday (Aug 28), Mr Seetoh published a post on the Makansutra website highlighting the extra costs on top of the rental that social enterprise hawker centres can be made to pay as part of monthly expenses. 

The expenses can include charges for crockery washing and coin exchange services, as well as a S$600 fee for monthly cleanliness inspections, he noted. He said that some charges, which some stall holders said were compulsory, are “shocking”.

Hawker centre operator Fei Siong Food Management said that the S$600 it charged a stall recently was for an optional inspection service. 

In a statement to Channel NewsAsia, a Fei Siong spokesperson said that the S$600 consultancy fee is for hawkers that “require help in professional services such as food quality and hygiene audits”. 

The service is not compulsory for hawkers, nor is the coin exchange, which the company said is a non-profit service it offers. 

Fei Siong’s social enterprise arm was awarded the tender to run Ci Yuan Community Club Hawker Centre on a “not-for-profit” basis in 2015. 

When Channel NewsAsia visited the centre on Saturday, hawkers who were willing to be interviewed insisted that the S$600 inspection fee was not optional. 

“We were told about the fee in July when our contract was up. It came out of nowhere, and they told us that it is for the NEA (National Environment Agency) and quality control,” said one hawker. 

The hawker, who did not want to be named, said that he eventually gave in and paid up to remain at the same stall. So far, one inspection has been conducted since the re-contract last month. 

“Somebody came to take a look at our stall. It was over in just a minute. They came in, took a brief look at our stall and left. I don’t know if that person is from NEA,” the hawker said. 

The hawker also revealed that they were charged S$50 during the re-contract for exchanging coins with the operator. 

READ: UNESCO listing will lift hawker culture but saving it is a different challenge

Another hawker, who also asked to remain anonymous, packed up and left after the centre’s management failed to properly explain the monthly inspection fee.

“I was asked to continue by signing both agreements or my (hawker) licence will not be renewed. I was told I cannot opt out. If it is optional, why did none of the stalls opt out to reduce costs,” this hawker told Channel NewsAsia in a phone interview. 

In a WhatsApp message between the hawker and management that was shown to Channel NewsAsia, the S$600 fee was said to be compulsory.

MEASURES TO ENSURE COSTS ARE KEPT “AFFORDABLE”

The model of appointing socially conscious operators was introduced in 2015 with the completion of Ci Yuan Hawker Centre and Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre. 

In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, the NEA said there are currently 13 new and existing hawker centres and markets appointed by social enterprises such as Fei Siong, NTUC Foodfare, Timbre, Koufu and Kopitiam. 

READ: Singapore’s hawker culture to be nominated to UNESCO intangible cultural heritage

Under this model, NEA said it has “put in place measures to ensure that the managing agents keep food prices and stall rental (and other operating costs) affordable”. 

The total cost for stallholders is one of the key evaluation criteria for NEA in the tender. The median stall rental at social enterprise hawker centres is S$2,000, said NEA. 

“IT’S ALL BEING TAKEN CARE OF”

There are social enterprise hawkers who have found a package deal helpful. One of them is Madam Soryati Pokol, founder of Warong Lorong Fatimah at the NTUC-run Kampung Admiralty. 

She pays about S$4,000 a month and it covers a gamut of services from cleaning to waste management, as well as her stall rental.

“NTUC is reasonable. It includes everything, waste management and all. It’s all being taken care of so I only have to focus on my own thing,” said Madam Soryati. 

However, for several other social enterprise hawkers, the issue of paying more than those managed by NEA was a cause for concern. 

A hawker, who goes by Mr Yeo, said that NEA-run hawker centres have a “flat-rate” and costs are “one-layer”. 

For his social enterprise-run stall at a hawker centre in the north, Mr Yeo said he pays about S$2,000 in rental, but his monthly expenses come up to more than S$4,000 a month after taking into account a range of service charges. 

Mr Yeo’s rental is determined by the hawker operator under the social enterprise model, whereas in NEA’s model, the rental is determined by tender bidding prices.

In July, successful bid prices ranged from S$8 to S$10,028. The median price of the bids was S$610. 

“At the end of the day, an NEA hawker centre is still cheaper for hawkers. The rental may be comparable to NEA hawkers, but the add-ons make it more expensive,” Mr Yeo said. 

Another social enterprise hawker said he has to pay S$80 a month for a point-of-sale (POS) system that includes a tablet, as well as cashier and back-end systems. He said he is considering closing up shop due to the extra costs and poor footfall. 

“I have to pay for the POS system for three years. It’s about S$3,000 and at the end of the day it’s not even mine. Why are we taking on such a cost? Back at NEA, whatever POS you use, you purchase it directly. If I shift away, the POS is still with me,” he said. 

The hawker told Channel NewsAsia by ending his contract two years earlier than its stipulated three-year period, he may lose his security deposit of two months’ rental.  

“It’s like digging a hole and asking us to jump in. Then they bury us.” 

“To promote ‘hawkerpreneurship’, you need to set the processes and procedures right. It has to be same as the operation of NEA-managed hawker centres. NEA should have regulated the social enterprise hawker centres like it does with the regular hawker centres,” the hawker added. 

READ: Government should ‘stay out’ of it: KF Seetoh goes On the Record about preserving hawker food culture

Timbre’s managing director Edward Chia explained that some of these extra costs are put in place to “elevate” hawkers. Mr Chia added that Timbre does not mark up any cost incurred by third-party vendors and instead subsidises it. 

For example, half of the cost for the POS system is borne by Timbre. 

“We pay a lot more to the vendor from the hardware to the software. Today everything is in the cloud. There’s also an annual licensing fee that we have to pay – we subsidise that as well,” said Mr Chia. 

“At some point, I wish to be able to provide our stallholders with data analytics so they understand their business a bit better,” he added. 

Hawkers at Timbre’s Yishun Park hawker centre have to absorb the 10 per cent discount when customers choose to pay with Timbre’s own membership app.

To that, Mr Chia said that this is not unlike how hawkers give discounts or extras to customers before the app – which took a six-digit sum to develop and maintain – came into the picture. 

“If everybody is going to have their own form of an informal loyalty scheme, why don’t we come together to have a unified account scheme. We felt that 10 per cent is not high and it is something that hawkers are prepared to give to their customers,” he added. 

“BETTER MANAGEMENT, BETTER SERVICE AND STABLE PRICES”

Meanwhile, NEA said it thanks Mr Seetoh for his feedback and appreciates his passion for the hawker trade.

“Ultimately, the hawker centres being run by socially-conscious operators should be for better management, better service and stable prices which in turn benefit consumers,” it said.

“The Government is committed to upholding the role of hawker centres as community dining rooms, and will continue to adapt and enhance this key social infrastructure so that it remains relevant and attractive to our diverse population.”​​​​​​​

SINGAPORE: The Catholic Church in Singapore is now reporting all claims of child abuse to the police when its own investigation team looks into such allegations, the Archbishop of Singapore said on Saturday (Sep 1).

In a message on the church’s website about sex abuse scandals overseas, the Most Reverend William Goh said a handful of cases had emerged in Singapore. “These were handed over to the Professional Standards Office (PSO) of the Archdiocese for investigation. Thus far, all the cases have been judged to be inconclusive by the PSO,” he said, adding that to the best of his knowledge, there have been no cover-ups in Singapore.

The PSO was set up in 2011, is staffed by “lay professionals” and its investigations are conducted at arm’s length from the Archbishop, Rev Goh said. “This is to ensure total impartiality and non-interference from the Archbishop’s Office.”

The message also said that any allegations of abuse must now also be reported to the police when the PSO takes up the case. 

“This is to discourage falsified or exaggerated claims which malign the innocent, as the pain of being questioned and living under suspicion while waiting for judgement to be pronounced can be as traumatic for these priests as it is for those who have truly been abused,” said the Archbishop.

The church in Singapore has also put in place systems and processes to reduce the risk of sexual abuse. For example, all priests and employees must declare that they have not been convicted of any sex offences. And those with known records “will not be allowed to work in ministry or mingle with the vulnerable”.

In addition, those “who want to join priestly or religious life will not only have to sign this declaration but they would be subjected to more stringent psychological tests and background checks”. Church volunteers, especially those dealing with children, will need to be “vetted and cleared of sexual crimes against children”.

The enhanced measures come against a backdrop of numerous child abuse cases involving the Catholic Church around the world.

In his message, the Archbishop of Singapore highlighted the news from last month that some 300 priests had sexually abused over a thousand children in Pennsylvania over the last 70 years. Last month while visiting Ireland, Pope Francis said he was ashamed of the Catholic Church’s failure to adequately address the crimes of sex abuse by clergy.

Rev Goh echoed those sentiments: “With the growing number of revelations and scathing reports from the media, we cannot but begin to doubt our Church leaders,” he said, noting that some people feel ashamed to be associated with the Catholic Church.

SINGAPORE: More companies in Singapore are climbing onto the green bandwagon with initiatives like reducing plastic bag use or doing away with packaging altogether, a move that marketing experts say makes good business sense as there is growing consumer support for such strategies.

Chief executive of media, creative and digital communications agency Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific Nick Waters said that many people are becoming more environmentally aware, especially younger consumers who place an emphasis on a brand’s sustainability practices in their purchasing decisions.

“As a result, brands are increasingly putting focus on green efforts and we see service-based new economy clients having a stronger appetite to go green. This is usually because their business model allows them to be more agile,” he said.

Managing director for Singapore and Southeast Asia at public relations agency Golin Tarun Deo echoed this view on the attitudes off younger consumers.

“If done well, being green is a genuine opportunity to increase sales, especially with millennials, who arguably are more sensitive to most green issues,” he said.

Mr Deo said that many of Golin’s clients are looking at the green space more vigorously than in the past. But he also said that “going green” can mean different things.

“Everyone interprets the sense of this in a different way. They think it is something that they need to do to ensure that their reputation is in keeping with the times,” he said.

While he said it is a generally good thing, he questioned if companies are going far enough to drive change.

“Companies always come to us and say give me the one big idea, but this has to happen progressively. Longevity is a big factor. What you are doing today has to be long-term,” he said.

Mr Ken Hickson, who runs a sustainability consultancy and has been working in the green space for more than 10 years, said that environmental consciousness in Singapore is still a work in progress. However, he suggested that businesses need to do more than simply pay lip service to sustainable strategies.

“Some companies have definitely got on the green bandwagon, presumably to boost sales, but it’s not going to work unless you commit to taking real action that benefits the environment,” he said.

Lars Voedisch, managing director of PRecious Communications – which represents many international brands – said that while it does not hurt a company’s reputation if it is trying to do the right thing, there is less love for companies that have one-off eco-friendly initiatives in the name of corporate social responsibility.

“These companies get called out by consumers,” he said.

He added that consumers have patience for companies that show that they are on a journey towards sustainability. 

COMPANIES TAKE STEPS TO CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Asia-Pacific Breweries’ director of corporate affairs Mitchell Leow gave an insight into his company’s perspective on recycling glass bottles.

“To put in that system, it’s going to cost us – for manpower, logistics. When bottles come back, we have to wash them. It’s going to incur costs,” he said.

The motivation behind the company’s green efforts, which started more than 10 years ago, was “doing the right thing”, he said.

APB, which produces Tiger Beer, has waste treatment plants onsite to recycle water used in the brewing process and solar panels that reduce its carbon footprint by 20 per cent, and a returnable bottle system with an 86 per cent return rate.

Elsewhere, NTUC FairPrice, which has more than 200 outlets, launched a plastic bag management framework to reduce the use of plastic bags, while Starbucks earlier this month said that it will be banning straws in outlets worldwide by 2020.

At RedMart, eco-friendly products under the company’s label are more affordable than those from better-known brands.

“We believe being environmentally friendly should not come at an extra cost,” said RedMart’s head of non-foods Emma Paterson. A check on its  website showed that its Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) -certified 3-ply toilet paper at S$5.20 was cheaper than other products that were similarly certified. For example, a product from another brand cost S$6.95, for the same quantity. FSC is not-for-profit organisation established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

REAPING THE BENEFITS OF GREEN BRANDING

Going green appears to have has reaped some benefits. At FairPrice, demand for environmentally-friendly kitchenware and picnic ware has increased by about 50 per cent over the past three years, while demand for environmentally-friendly household cleaning, personal care and baby care products has grown about 20 per cent, director of non-food products Mrs Mui-Kok Kah Wei said.

RedMart reported similar growth. Its FSC-certified toilet paper sales, for example, have more than doubled in 2017 compared to 2016, Ms Paterson said. 

“We can see increasing awareness and demand for such products. Based on growing sales, we believe our customers are getting more environmentally conscious,” she added.

Ms Jacqueline Singer, founder of Neis Haus, which specialises in eco-friendly products such as beeswax wraps and reusable straws, echoed the same views, describing growth since 2014 as “exponential”.

“Back in 2014, awareness was low compared to other countries like Australia and New Zealand. But since then, we’ve seen a huge growth in awareness, which has been helped by events like Earthfest, and some great social media groups locally,” she said.

She added that the interest is both from Singaporeans and expats, and cuts across ages.

However, the journey for retailers hoping to promote sustainability may be an uphill one. Mrs Mui-Kok acknowledged that there are some challenges in offering such products. 

“A key barrier to bringing in these products is relatively higher costs due to the lower demand and supply for these products.  Currently, eco-friendly products in the market are more expensive than mass, conventional brands,” she said. She added that it takes time for consumers to adopt environmentally-conscious efforts and choices.

Head of business strategy and development at the Singapore Environment Council Tay Sok Leng Said that when people bring sustainable practices to their offices and their homes and develop daily habits, market forces will eventually react.

BUYING BETTER NOT ONLY SOLUTION

Whether consumers consciously purchase goods that lower their environmental footprint, they can still contribute to sustainability, said Ms Pek Hailin from environmental group Zero Waste SG.

“Refusal is the easiest way to start without buying anything,” she said.

For example, she said consumers could refuse straws and bags when they do not need them, and buy items without excessive packaging. 

Dining at places instead of doing takeaways can also be less wasteful, especially at locations that do not serve disposables, she added. 

When waste is generated, deciding whether it can be recycled first before discarding it into the general waste bin is also a good step to take, she said. 

“Reusing what we already have and items around us, thinking twice about whether one needs an item before buying will definitely help as well,” she said.

SINGAPORE: Happily married for 43 years, Colonel (COL) (Ret) Frank Singam is a man who knows a thing or two about falling in love.

In fact, the father of two has never forgotten his first crush. The 67-year-old speaks about her with a twinkle in his eye. He has painstakingly kept yellowed pictures of her in a weathered folder, and even entrusted her with his life.

“The Hawker Hunter (the Singapore Air Force’s first fighter jet) is my first love. Your first girlfriend will always stay in your heart,” he explains to Channel NewsAsia with a hearty chuckle. “I tell my wife that too.”

Mr Singam’s meticulously maintained Pasir Ris flat pays homage not just to his favorite aircraft but also to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), which celebrated its 50th anniversary this weekend.

Nine commemorative plaques hang on the wall, mementos to a career which spanned over three decades and saw Mr Singam become one of Singapore’s pioneer fighter pilots as well as a founding member of the Black Knights, the RSAF’s official aerobatics team.

An extensive career also saw Mr Singam become base commander at the Paya Lebar and Tengah Airbases and participate in numerous overseas exercises, before leaving the RSAF in 2001.

HAD TO DO IT 

Mr Singam’s fascination with flying began as a fresh-faced student at Raffles Institution when he responded to a recruitment advertisement.

“I don’t think I really wanted to be a fighter pilot per se, it was (about being) a teacher or a doctor during those times,” he recalled. “But when the air force started to recruit in 1968, some of these advertisements appeared in the newspapers … so I said, ‘Why don’t I try something new?'” 

The enthusiastic 16-year-old had to get through an interview as well a series of physical and psychomotor tests.

“It was daunting – there were senior guys in the interview panel, they asked some tough questions and of course, you are also sitting there with the other guys who are also competing,” recalled Mr Singam. 

Having passed with flying colors, Mr Singam would become part of an elite group of men. He later found out that out of the 3000 that applied, only 30 were selected to form the first batch of fighter pilots.

But first, the teenager was told that he had to wait a year before he could begin training.   

“They said: ‘You’re too young and we’ll call you next year’,” Mr Singam recalled. “So I just held my breath for one year, went back to studies and didn’t do very well because of the excitement of it all.

“And then exactly one year later, they called me in. They knocked on the door on a Saturday and told me to come in on a Monday. I looked at my dad and he said: ‘You go and I’ll sort out the principal!'”

FLYING THE COOP

First up for Mr Singam was a local month-long “crash course” flying a Cessna plane.

“It was mentally demanding, there was a lot of anxiety on whether you could do it and then if you pass through every hurdle, your confidence grew,” he said. 

He was then posted to Britain for further training with their Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1969.

“The culture shock took me about six months to get used to,” he said. “One of my biggest challenges was that being raised a Hindu, I can’t eat beef. But when you go there, three to four meals in a week are beef. The British don’t just serve vegetarian meals. I had to look up there (to the heavens) and say sorry but I have to survive! 

“It was all about adjustment, adapting and accommodating.”

Mr Singam also had to come to terms with the sudden death of his father, who suffered a heart attack just one month after he’d departed to the UK.

But rather than returning to Singapore, Mr Singam decided to stay the course. “I talked to my mum and my uncle, they said this was what my father wanted so (I should) stay there. I never saw my family until one and a half years later – when I finished my basic flying,” he said.

As part of his training in the UK, Mr Singam flew different aircraft, such as the Jet Provost and the Hawker Hunter.

“I hadn’t even driven a car and here I was flying an airplane. I just took it on a day-to-day basis, this funny feeling of being airborne,” explained Mr Singam. 

The British-made Hawker Hunter is a favourite among many former pilots, and Mr Singam shares this love for the jet.

“You had to climb out at a particular speed but because you had to go so fast, you couldn’t control the speed. We were like aiming for the skies, like a rocket taking off. That was how scary it was. It was so fast, no simulator training could have prepared you for this except what the trainers were telling you,” he recalled.

“The aircraft was just running away from us, we left our brains behind. So you slowly catch up with it and bring it under control. After this first flight, it was all okay.” 

AIMING FOR THE SKIES

Returning to Singapore in 1971 after the completion of his training, Mr Singam had to prove himself in an operational environment for six months.

“The work was not done yet, you come back as an ‘unoperational’ pilot,” he said. “The demands on you now become higher, it’s not academic anymore. It’s not just aircraft application but mission application.”

A 20-year-old Mr Singam became part of the RSAF’s pioneer batch of fighter pilots and he made history again two years later, when he volunteered to become its first aerobatics team –  the Black Knights, which were formed in 1973.

“They went around and asked everybody (who would like to join) – but formation aerobatics is not everybody’s cup of tea,” recalled Mr Singam. “Some people would just like to fly solo aerobatics, but formation, when you have to depend entirely on the leader and your other wing men, is a different kettle of fish.”

Inspired by the Red Arrows, the RAF’s aerobatics team, Mr Singam signed up without a second thought.

“I was the only one (in my squadron that volunteered) … I always wanted to grow as a pilot and I never looked back after I said yes,” he added.

BLACK KNIGHTS IN SHINING ARMOUR 

Mr Singam had done formation flying in the past, but becoming one of the Black Knights’ first four members was an eye-opener.

“When you finish a training session with the Black Knight team, you’re mentally exhausted,” he explained. “Because the focus and the concentration (needed) is absolutely high. When you are doing formation acrobatics, as soon as you let your concentration off, you will lose the line – your position and you will make it very difficult for the other guy.

“Your hands get very tired, because you’re holding (the stick and throttle) so tight. You think the harder you hold, the better the control. But just the opposite, you should just relax,” added Mr Singam.   

Sessions were usually limited to one a day, with breaks of four to five hours between practices – should there be the need for more than one session. 

“This was on top of our normal flying (duties). So you need to have a senior pilot to be able to absorb that load,” added Mr Singam. “But it was fun, anytime you fly it is fun – no matter how tired you are.”

Mr Singam went on to serve five tours with the Black Knights, leading two of them in 1977 and 1978. The Black Knights would execute flypasts at events such as SAF Day and National Day Parades. Performing at these showcases was taken very seriously.

“You cannot afford to get sick. If you don’t turn up it can be only because of a technical malfunction. So you have to look after yourself, if the wife has a flu, you tell her to sleep in another room,” he added with a laugh.

“We are the ambassadors of the Air Force… It’s not just to show your own people that you have an Air Force that’s professional and can do this kind of stuff. For all those who could be looking at us and could be a potential threat, they also know that you don’t mess around with this Air Force.”

The Black Knights would go on to use the F-5 and A-4SU Skyhawk planes, and Mr Singam went on to contribute to these teams later in his flying career.

FLYING THE FLAG

Despite clocking over 3000 hours of flights throughout his career, detailed in a meticulously pristine logbook, the completion of every successful flight was significant, said Mr Singam.

“Every time you land, there’s relief. Because you never know what’s going to happen when you go airborne. Anything can happen,” he said.

Now a counsellor, Mr Singam looks back on his storied career with fond memories. He may have left the force – but his love for flying does not seem to have diminished.

Flying memorabilia take a place of pride in Mr Singam’s home. Throughout the interview, he illustrates some of his points on a miniature replica of the Hawker Hunter, even serving drinks to visitors on glassware adorned with aircraft such as Spitfires.  

“It was a duty bestowed on us. We were very honoured to take it on and we were privileged to work there so that the Air Force, the community and ultimately, the country benefited from it,” he reflected. 

“I would do it again at the drop of a hat. It was absolutely awesome.”

SINGAPORE: One by one, her family and friends had died or disappeared, leaving her alone.

Isolated, Madam Wong Sok Ying could go for days without human contact, holed up most of the day in her one-room rental flat sparsely furnished with an arm chair, single bed, wardrobe, table and little else.

“The TV is my best friend. No TV, I cannot pass the day. (I’d be) so lonely,” she said with a wry smile. “The radio is my friend, the newspaper is my friend. These three things are my very best friends.”

It is not as if she’s hungry for visitors. “People seldom come to my house because I don’t like them to come in. Some people don’t know when to go home,” grumbled the 79-year-old, who twice a day, would step out of her flat for breakfast and for lunch at the same coffeeshop opposite her block.

But there’s a grimmer reason behind her reluctance to socialise. After 15 years in remission, she found out several months ago that her stomach cancer had returned.

In Singapore, the number of seniors living alone like Madam Wong has increased. It is estimated that 83,000 elderly persons will be living alone by 2030, according to the Department of Statistics, compared with the 47,000 seniors aged 65 and above in 2016.

Many of these seniors who live alone have little contact with anyone and are at risk of social isolation and depression. A National University of Singapore study in 2004 found that seniors living alone were twice as likely as their peers to develop depressive symptoms.

In 2017, the number of seniors aged 60 and above who took their own lives peaked at 129 – and social disconnect was cited as a contributing factor.

READ: ‘Like a knife poking my heart’: Loss, loneliness and the killing pain of elderly depression

READ: Number of elderly suicides at all-time high: SOS

But could social media – more often seen as alienating the older generation – in fact help seniors bridge the lonely void?

To prove that tools like Instagram and Facebook could empower the elderly, if only people took the time to introduce them to it, the series #DontForgetMe roped in four seniors, including Mdm Wong.

They were linked up with Instagram photographers Yafiq and Yais Yusman, 25, twins with more than 100,000 followers between them. Their mission was to teach these seniors how to reconnect with the world by sharing their stories on the platform.

WATCH: The social experiment (4:07), 

Poignantly, perhaps it was also a way of leaving a legacy of their life; a mark of their existence.

Said Mdm Wong on agreeing to the Instagram project: “I don’t know how long I will stay here. So I must let my friends know that I am still here.” (Watch the full episode here.)

LONELY EVEN IN A BIG FAMILY

In many ways, former teacher Cedric Monteiro’s life was a sharp contrast to hers – the 80-year-old shares a terrace home with his children and grandchildren.

And yet, he too craved company, with his family members occupied with work and school. Like Mdm Wong, he’d lost touch with many of his friends or they had died. “Most of the days, I’m alone, everybody is busy,” he said.

Sometimes, you yearn to talk to somebody, you know?

The oldest among the four seniors in the social experiment, Mr Monteiro was perhaps the most digital savvy: His iPad was his daily companion, for reading the news and connecting with friends – over 200 of them – on Facebook.

But his grandchildren were who he struggled to make a deeper connection with. Besides wanting to learn how to take and post food pictures on Instagram, he hoped to share his glory days with them – as a former sprinter and national record holder in the 1960s.

In the case of Madam Hamidah Mohamad Noor, 69, her five cats were her main companions in her one-room flat. She jumped at the project for the chance to try something different.

“I am alone. I don’t know who to talk to, I feel bored,” she said. “My cats are my very best friends… I feel happy that at least something likes me.”

As for Madam Jessie Seng, 69, she filled her post-retirement days painting and writing, so picking up Instagram photography was another artistic avenue to explore.

MAKING REAL CONNECTIONS

The Yusman twins – self-confessed introverts by nature – had almost two months of coaching to help the four come out of their shell, so to speak.

Their first reality check came when teaching Mdm Wong how to use her new sponsored Sony Mobile smartphone. She struggled to think of a contact she could save.

“My old friends have all gone to heaven,” she told them, able to cite only a neighbour living downstairs who was her emergency contact.

Reflected Mr Yais afterward: “I was quite shocked that she only had one contact to save. It shows that she is socially isolated, which is quite sad.”

“The older people are being forgotten,” he added. “It’s actually quite nice to listen to their stories and get to know them.”

Over time, the seniors were taught how to take selfies, frame photos and upload their work on Instagram. It didn’t matter much that their pictures were sometimes out of focus or oddly composed.

For Mr Monteiro, it was the chance to convince granddaughters Regina and Isabel to spend time with him on a “photo walk” along the Cavenagh Bridge, which he peppered with his stories about cycling across the bridge and swimming in the Singapore River.

And Mdm Wong, who had been feeling down ever since her cancer relapse, was filled with new energy after a visit by Yais.

He taught her how to take creative pictures of even familiar objects like her furniture, and she shared why her bed was special to her. It was a gift from Lions Befrienders, a social service organisation.

“I (used to) sleep on the floor. Then they said, ‘Aunty, you are old already, you cannot sleep on the floor’,” she recounted.

Cheered up after that visit, she made a rare effort to chat with a casual acquaintance who happened by as she was out taking photos. The two women ended up exploring their estate together.

FOUR LESS LONELY PEOPLE

Aside from real connections struck in the process, some of the seniors were surprised by the Instagram followers they gained, having started from scratch.

“I didn’t think that something like this would happen to me. I am very proud,” said Mdm Hamidah (@hamidah6807), who has over 240 followers to date on her Instagram account, and many pictures of cats.

She has also taken to sharing her new hobby with other single ‘cat ladies’ in her Toa Payoh neighbourhood.

Mdm Seng (@suyingxin.jessie), with some 200 followers, has mastered using Insta Stories to show how ‘happening’ her life is. “It’s like journal, one that I can do every day,” she said.

For grandpa Monteiro (@cedricmonteiro_), his over 490 followers now include his two granddaughters, who were proudly telling their friends about his Instagram account. He and the other seniors also had their works displayed at an exhibition in July.

“He’s quite cool. He’s so modern, he’s so hip,” raved Isabel. “Maybe I should follow him back. I should make sure he posts more photos of me and him together… 

I have the coolest grandfather on the Internet.

Executive producer of the #DontForgetMe series Sharon Hun acknowledged that when the team first started production, they were sceptical about whether an old person could pick up and benefit from Instagram.

“We were so wrong. They were so eager to learn,” said Ms Hun. “To see their smiles when they got one ‘like’ was so satisfying.”

She added that teaching the elderly to tap technology isn’t just about getting them to be part of our society – it is also about hoping that they can change lives.

Madam Wong (@wongsokyin8), who has more than 440 followers, has since spent more time socialising with her neighbours.

Showing Mr Yais the photo evidence of this, she said: “This is my friend. The other day I was downstairs taking photos and she came to join me. This morning also I drank coffee with her.”

She now seems to dislike company a little less.

Watch this episode of #DontForgetMe here.