- B E R I T A _ H A R I _ I N I _ 2 0 0 8 -

fatz2

May 17, 2008         
Girl was in love with me: Rape case stepdad

A MAN, whose High Court trial began last week, claimed that his young stepdaughter was the one who initiated the sexual trysts between them.

The 37-year-old IT operations specialist from India faces 16 counts of statutory rape and 26 counts of making the girl perform oral sex on him.

He is claiming that he is innocent and that he had only admitted to the allegations because he was intimidated by police officers.

The girl was 11 when the alleged sexual abuse first began three years ago (2005).

The case has drawn legal interest because the girl and her mother have since gone back to India. Both key witnesses are thus unavailable to testify.

Representing himself, the man - who is not named to protect the girl's identity - apparently told police and a psychiatrist how he ended up having sex with the girl.

He claimed that a few months after girl, then 11 years old, had arrived from India in 2004, she started by massaging his private parts.

She then performed oral sex from January 2005, and they had sex when she hit puberty later that year.

When the trial opened last week, police officer Aileen Yap and psychiatrist Wei Ker-Chiah told the High Court the accused said the girl professed love for him.

He told Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Yap that she did not treat the man as her father and called him by his nickname. Only when other people were around, would she call him 'daddy'.

She also wanted him to get a divorce and marry her, ASP Yap said.

The Indian national is now a permanent resident. He has one other stepchild and two younger children of his own.

He had told police he had sex with the girl once or twice a month in his three-room flat on his days off.

She would come into the master bedroom, hug him and kiss him and they would have sex. He worked on shifts and on those days his wife would be out of the home, managing her beauty salon business.

Dr Wei, from the Institute of Mental Health, said the man told him that he did not know having consensual sex with a girl below 14 is considered rape here.

fatz2

Mrs Lee Kuan Yew remains in serious condition
Posted: 18 May 2008 1917 hrs



SINGAPORE: A statement from the Minister Mentor's Office said Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, who suffered a stroke on Monday, had undergone surgery on Saturday and is currently under close observation.

Although Mrs Lee's vital parameters have been stable, she lapses into long periods of unconsciousness.

She remains in a serious condition since her transfer to the general ward on Wednesday.

87-year-old Mrs Lee was admitted to the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Monday.

Commenting on his mother's condition for the first time, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday that Singaporeans' well-wishes are helping the family through this period.

He said he is grateful for the many emails, flowers, cards and fruit baskets Singaporeans have sent to wish her a speedy recovery.

PM Lee said: "She's 87 years old. Many families would know that when you have old parents at home, we worry for them and we do our best to take good care of them. There's a heavy responsibility for the family and you always think and worry (about) what would happen next.

"Your good wishes and support have helped us and all of my family to go through this difficult period. So thank you very much."


- CNA/so

fatz2

Temporary Tekka Market opens with 267 stalls
By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 18 May 2008 1719 hrs



SINGAPORE: The temporary Tekka Market, located at Race Course Road, was officially opened on Sunday morning.

Senior Minister of State for Education Lui Tuck Yew, who is also a Member of Parliament for the area, graced the opening.

The temporary market houses 267 stalls

fatz2

May 18, 2008         
Dumping food that's still good enough to eat?
Food wastage here hit 558,900 tonnes last year, even as people complain of steadily climbing prices and people elsewhere suffer food shortages
By Shuli Sudderuddin , Stacey Chia and Becky Lo


Piles of unsold vegetables dumped at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market. One vendor said he is left with 20 baskets on a typical weekday.

IUT Singapore converts waste like expired cereal (above) into organic matter that is used to reintroduce nutrients into soil. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

Food waste being collected from a canteen at the National University of Singapore, to be recycled into biofuel. -- ST PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG

Undergraduate Low Qiong Xia, 21, reckons that her family of four tosses out about half a kilogram of food each day, wasting about $56 of their $210 weekly food budget.

For instance, their weekly disposal of leftover oranges has become a routine.

'Nobody in my family likes oranges, which we buy for religious offerings. We tend to keep them in the fridge till they get bad, then start throwing them away,' she said.

The Low family's food practices are not uncommon. Across the island, food wastage added up to 558,900 tonnes last year, said the National Environment Agency. Such wastage has grown by 6.2 per cent since 2002, perhaps the result of a more affluent and expanding population.

But at a time of rising food prices and shortages elsewhere, throwing out good food is a waste of money, said Mr Seah Seng Choon, executive director of the Consumers Association of Singapore.

Such wastage can be reduced or even prevented. Simple measures will help consumers save in this time of high inflation,' he added.

Agreeing, Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mayor of North West District and MP for Bukit Panjang, felt that people should buy only what they need.

Referring to the Green Movement's 'Three Rs' - reduce, recycle and re-use - he said the first applies to food. 'We should make an effort to reduce consumption. Not only does this help the environment, but it also helps people to stretch their dollar when prices are rising,' he said.

A Sunday Times check of 60 businesses here, from hawker and market stalls to restaurants and hotels, found much evidence of wastage. Eight of the 12 hawkers interviewed said they frequently ended up with unused food portions at the end of the day.

'Up to 1kg of meat and vegetables are left over and thrown away every day,' said Mr Lok Kok Heng, 32, supervisor of a mixed rice stall at the High Inn Coffeeshop in Clementi.

A drinks and snacks stall owner in Bedok, who wanted to be known only as Mr Murthy, 53, said that he often throws away 10 to 20 pieces of unconsumed vadai, which are Indian savoury fritters.

'Sometimes, at closing time, I will give them out for free, but people don't even want them,' he said.

In the restaurants, up to 5 per cent of the food ends up as waste because it is no longer fresh enough to be sold.

Food celebrity Devagi Sanmugam, owner of Devagi's Restaurant in Upper Thomson Road, said 2 or 3kg of cooked food go into the bins on some days.

'Good restaurants serve only fresh food. We don't keep cooked food in the fridge for the next day,' she explained.

Over at Vietnamese restaurant Pho Hoa, which has outlets in Suntec City and Holland Village, up to 36kg of unwanted beef parts and 91/2 kg of vegetables are tossed out every week.

'Even if they are still edible, we cannot serve them if they are not fresh,' a spokesman said.

Wholesale centres also have a wastage problem.

Mr Ong Shuh Chuang, a vegetable wholesaler at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market, typically finds himself left with about 20 baskets of vegetables at the end of each weekday. Each basket, if sold, can fetch about $20 to $40. 'Turnips and sweet potatoes can be sold the next day, but perishable ones have to be thrown away,' he said.

While most food waste ends up incinerated, a growing amount is recycled now at IUT Singapore, which turns food waste into bio-gas and soil compost. For example, since October last year, about 2 tonnes of food waste collected daily from five canteens at the National University of Singapore are being recycled.

Meanwhile, items like unsold bread are still good for consumption. Food from the Heart, which runs a voluntary food distribution programme, collects about 20,000kg of unsold bread monthly, worth about $150,000, from various hotels and bakeries.

Said its event executive, Ms Nurul Ain Hamzah: 'It will otherwise go to waste.'

Rising food prices have led to a change in behaviour in some businesses. Since the middle of last year, McDonald's has been reducing wastage by assembling food only when an order is placed, and installing condiment dispensers instead of giving out packets of sauce.

Its restaurant managers now do projections of customer flow to avoid excess food preparation. The changes will be made to all McDonald's outlets by year end.

Families, too, now monitor food use.

Ms Low's family has started making a shopping list to avoid overbuying.

Housewife Lynn Puyo, 30, has also started cutting down on waste. 'I used to throw away rice that we did not finish. Now, we eat every last bit,' she said.

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

fatz2

Malaysia's Mahathir quits ruling party
Posted: 19 May 2008 1332 hrs



KUALA LUMPUR - Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad has quit the ruling party UMNO in protest over the leadership of his successor Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his son said Monday.

"Mahathir has resigned from UMNO in protest over Pak Lah's continued leadership as both the prime minister and president of UMNO," Mokhzani Mahathir told AFP, referring to Abdullah by his nickname.

"He will also write a letter to the UMNO secretary-general to inform him of his resignation," he said, adding that Mahathir announced his departure during a speech Monday in Alor Star, the capital of his home state Kedah.

"He made it clear at the gathering at Alor Star that he is resigning in protest over the current leadership," he said.

Mahathir ruled Malaysia and the dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) for 22 years until 2003 when he handed over to Abdullah, his hand-picked successor.

However in recent times he has been a vocal critic of Abdullah's administration and since disastrous March general elections, which produced UMNO's worst ever results, has actively campaigned for him to step down.

News website Malaysiakini quoted Mahathir as urging all UMNO ministers and party leaders to follow him by quitting the party, and return only when Abdullah has departed.

"I will only come back to the party when there is a change in leadership," it quoted him as telling the Alor Star gathering.

"Wait till Abdullah quits as the prime minister and party president and then we can return to UMNO," he reportedly said.

Shahrir Samad, a Cabinet minister and senior UMNO member, said Mahathir's surprise move could trigger a flurry of resignations from the embattled party that could force Abdullah to hold fresh general elections.

"By Tun doing this it could cause a situation where many other UMNO lawmakers might resign," he said, using Mahathir's honorific title.

"If this happens then the government has no choice but to form a new government or call a fresh general election," the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister told AFP.

"Certainly it is not helpful or constructive to the struggle of UMNO right now," he said, as the party fends off a challenge from opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim who says he could soon seize power with the help of defectors.

Shahrir said that while Anwar was threatening to snatch lawmakers from the smaller parties with which UMNO rules in coalition, Mahathir could chip away at the ranks of the ruling party itself.

"This will be a reduction of the number of UMNO lawmakers which is the ruling party of the present government," he said.

"I suppose it is Mahathir's way of trying to force a call for a referendum from the grassroots."

The Star's website quoted UMNO information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib as saying he was surprised at Mahathir's abrupt departure.

"Every member has the right to join or leave the party," he said.

Asked whether UMNO would convene an emergency meeting in response to the move, he said that "we will wait and see."

Mahathir, 82, joined UMNO at its inception in 1946 and he has weathered a number of storms including his expulsion from the party in 1969 and a 1988 crisis when UMNO was declared illegal. - AFP/ir

fatz2

Tremors reported in several areas following Sumatra quake
By Gamar Abdul Aziz, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 20 May 2008 0004 hrs


A meteorologist points to a seismograph reading

SINGAPORE : Residents in several areas in Singapore said they felt tremors at about 10.40pm on Monday.

The MediaCorp News hotline received calls from those staying in Lavender, Punggol and Teck Whye Lane.

The callers said the tremors lasted for about 10 seconds.

Some thought they were feeling giddy, while others felt the vibrations by observing how the keys on the wall shook or the movement of the water level in the fish tank.

The tremors could have been caused by an earthquake which hit Indonesia's Sumatra island at that time. - CNA/ms

fatz2

May 19, 2008         
Mrs Lee still in serious condition
By Jeremy Au Yong

MRS LEE KUAN YEW, who suffered a stroke last Monday, underwent surgery on Saturday and is under close observation, a statement from Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's office said last night.

A brief statement providing an update on Mrs Lee's condition said that since her transfer to the general ward last Wednesday, she remains in a serious condition.

'Although her vital parameters have been stable, she lapses into long periods of unconsciousness,' it added, before disclosing that she underwent surgery on Saturday. No other details were available.

Mrs Lee, 87, had experienced sudden weakness in the left side of her body and slurring of speech last Monday.

She was taken to the National Neuroscience Institute for an urgent brain scan, which revealed bleeding in the right side of the brain, and was subsequently admitted to the Neurointensive Care Unit at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The haemorrhage stabilised after two days of close monitoring and treatment, and she was transferred to the general ward on Wednesday.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke publicly about the incident for the first time.

He thanked Singaporeans for their outpouring of support and concern since his mother's condition was made known.

He said their good wishes and support had helped the family through 'a difficult period'.

'I'd like to thank all the residents who asked after my mother, as well as the Singaporeans who have sent us e-mails, cards, flowers, fruits and wished us well,' he said.

PM Lee said this at a community event in Nee Soon South after MP Lee Bee Wah used part of her speech at the event to wish his family well.

They were there with fellow Ang Mo Kio GRC MPs Lam Pin Min and Wee Siew Kim, and Yio Chu Kang MP Seng Han Thong for the ward's 20th anniversary celebrations.

In a short off-the-cuff speech, PM Lee said: 'She is 87 years old, and many families will know that when you have old parents at home, we worry for them and we do our best to take good care of them.

'And it's a heavy responsibility for the family, and you always think and worry about what will happen next.

'But we do our best, and I think we make sure we take care of them.

'Mrs Lee is still in hospital. Your good wishes and your support have helped us and helped all of my family go through a difficult period. So thank you very much.'

[email protected]

fatz2

May 19, 2008         
Forget JB - all head for a snip at Snip Avenue
Bedok salon draws customers from as far as Yishun and Sengkang
By Jane Ng & Wang Hui Fen


BIG DRAW: Mr William Tan (left) won't be visiting JB for a hair cut any more. His nephew Jeff Lim (third from left) was sceptical at first but went away impressed. -- ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN

TEN hair salons at a Bedok Reservoir neighbourhood centre had hardly any business yesterday: A new kid on the block was pulling in those who needed a haircut - and those who did not - by offering them for just $2.80.

Business was brisk at Snip Avenue, one among the row of shops at the foot of Block 631, Bedok Reservoir Road.

Customers came from as far afield as Sengkang and Yishun for the bargain, which does not come with a pre-cut shampoo.

Polytechnic student Jeff Lim, 18, who lives in Woodlands and usually pays $10 for his monthly haircut, said he was sceptical about the quality of cut at first.

'But the hairstylists are all very beautiful, so the haircuts here can't be that bad,' he reasoned.

He had to wait 40 minutes for his turn, but it was well worth it, he said, emerging from the shop sporting the layered look he asked for, 'like the singers in 5566', the Taiwanese boyband.

His uncle William Tan, 43, a project executive who lives in Katong, was another happy customer who now thinks he may stop going to Johor Baru for his monthly haircut.

'At $2.80, it's even cheaper than in Malaysia,' he said.

Then there were others in the queue who were at first drawn by the bargain price, but ended up going for more than just a haircut.

Customer service officer Eva Md Yussuf, 38, was taking her daughter for a walk when the advertisements outside the salon caught her eye.

She got her five-year-old daughter a haircut and also put herself through the works - highlights and a treatment - and ended up spending $90.80, several cuts above $2.80.

She said: 'I was attracted by the $2.80 haircut, but I thought I'd try the other services as well since I'm here.'

She is exactly the kind of customer that Snip Avenue boss Jimmy Tan wants.

'When a customer is happy with the haircut, sometimes, he would go for other services like perms and highlights too,' said the 50-year-old, whose first outlet in Tampines opened last June with haircuts priced at $6.80.

His other outlets in Bedok North, Serangoon Central and Yishun charge either $3.80 or $4.80.

When asked how he sustained the business, he said: 'The profit margin is not high now, but the concept is to have many outlets and, hopefully, the mass volume can cover the cost.'

His many outlets and the fact that the one in Bedok Reservoir is still in the game after eight months is a possible indication that his business idea is working.

The traffic he gets probably more than makes up for his low takings from each head. The Bedok Reservoir outlet tends to about 85 on weekdays and over 100 on weekends.

The six hairstylists work 10 hours a day at a steady clip, with few breaks. Asked how her job was, stylist Maggie Chong, 22, had only one word to describe it: 'Tiring.'

Theirs is a happy problem which the other salons - charging between $10 and $13 for a haircut - do not share.

Mrs J. Lee, 36, who charges $10 for a haircut, reckons her earnings have been crimped by at least half.

She spent most of yesterday watching television and chatting with her two stylists.

She does not intend to lower her prices though.

Said Mrs Lee: 'How am I going to lower my price and fight with them? What if they decide to cut for free one day?'

[email protected]

[email protected]

fatz2

Lorry ferrying foreign workers flips over, no one badly hurt
By Carolyn Quek


All except two of the 21 passengers - 20 at the back and one in the front passenger seat - escaped with scratches. -- PHOTO: WANBAO

A LORRY ferrying foreign workers flipped onto its side early on Monday morning, sending 20 men tumbling out.

No one was badly injured when the open-top vehicle carrying Bangladeshi workers crashed into the centre divider along Farrer Road.

The accident - the latest in a string of similar ones involving crews of foreign workers - happened on the Farrer Flyover around 5.30am as the lorry was travelling towards Queensway.

The driver, a Bangladesh national, was unhurt.

All except two of the 21 passengers - 20 at the back and one in the front passenger seat - escaped with scratches.

One man fractured his finger while another had a bruised forehead and complained of dizziness.


sian bangla2 tu......

fatz2

May 19, 2008         
Cops in car upset


No one was seriously injured in the accident. -- PHOTOS: WANBAO

POLICE car on patrol turned turtle in an accident in Changi early on Sunday, injuring the two policemen in it.

A police spokesman said the car was on Changi Coast Road, headed for Nicoll Drive at about 3am when the accident happened.

The cause of the accident is still being investigated.

Neither the 21-year-old driver of the car nor his colleague, aged 26, were seriously injured, the spokesman said.

The officers, who are from Bedok Police Division, were taken to Changi General Hospital after the crash and treated as outpatients.


apa la yg dorang kejar agaknya tu ?.....

fatz2

Singapura : 20 Mei 2008        
         
DUA WANITA JADI MANGSA RAMPAS LARI DAN CURI DALAM KEJADIAN BERASINGAN

SEORANG wanita menjadi mangsa rampas lari di Queen Street Sabtu lalu.

Dalam kejadian sekitar 4.30 petang itu, wanita berusia lewat 30-an tahun itu sedang berada di tempat penumpang sebuah kereta dengan tingkap diturunkan.

Beliau dikatakan sedang menaip SMS di telefon bimbitnya apabila seorang lelaki muncul dan merampas telefon itu.

Lelaki sekitar 30-an tahun itu melarikan diri ke arah Rochor Road.

Telefon itu bernilai sekitar $600.

Beberapa pejalan kaki mengejar lelaki itu tetapi gagal menangkapnya.

Dalam satu lagi kejadian, seorang wanita 30-an tahun kehilangan beg tangan yang ditinggalkan di tempat duduk kenderaan temannya untuk ke tandas sementara temannya membuat penghantaran.

Kejadian itu berlaku di kawasan Clementi sekitar 12.45 pagi semalam.

Lori itu tidak dikunci semasa kejadian itu.

Wanita berkenaan kehilangan wang tunai kira-kira $170, telefon bimbit bernilai $300 dan dokumen peribadi.

Sesiapa yang mempunyai maklumat mengenai kedua-dua kejadian tersebut diminta menghubungi polis di talian 18002550000.

Browneyes

Originally posted by fatz2 at 20-5-2008 04:11 AM
May 19, 2008         
Cops in car upset

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20080519/car1.jpg
No one was seriously injured in the accident. -- PHOTOS: WANBAO

POLICE car on patrol tur ...

kena kejar cik pon tak?...

Browneyes

Originally posted by fatz2 at 20-5-2008 03:46 AM
May 19, 2008         
Mrs Lee still in serious condition
By Jeremy Au Yong

MRS LEE KUAN YEW, who suffered a stroke last Monday, underwent surgery on Saturday and is under close observation, a stat ...

no comment...

Browneyes

Originally posted by fatz2 at 19-5-2008 08:51 PM
Malaysia's Mahathir quits ruling party
Posted: 19 May 2008 1332 hrs

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpSgarAV.jpg

KUALA LUMPUR - Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad ...

jgn step down pak lah.. me suka pak lah

sutera_abadi

Agak-agak, kalau dia "jalan"... dapat public holiday tak???  

Originally posted by fatz2 at 19-5-2008 03:09 AM
Mrs Lee Kuan Yew remains in serious condition...

fatz2

kena kejar ke, pegawai yg 21 yrs old tu takder lesen.....
......................
memang...most my fren pun kata dorang suka paklah....bila tanya kenapa...dorang cakap, biar mesia slow sikit under him...kalau masa tdm..., laju sangat kejar s'pore....
otak bisnis, gitu agaknya

*****************************************

Over 5,000 visitors expected at first Water Expo
By Gamar Abdul Aziz, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 20 May 2008 0652 hrs



SINGAPORE : The first Water Expo to be held in Singapore next month is set to be even bigger than expected.

More than 5,000 visitors are expected to attend the global gathering for the water industry, which has attracted 350 participating companies from more than 20 countries

The trade show, which will be held at Suntec Convention Centre from June 24 to June 26, focuses on innovations, products, services, best practices and successful case studies.

Organisers have expanded the exhibition floor space from 3,000 square metres to 5,000 square metres to meet overwhelming interest.

There will be six country pavilions put up by companies from Singapore, the Netherlands, Japan, China, Israel and Germany.

The Water Expo is part of the Singapore International Water Week which will attract global water companies, officials from governments, utilities, companies and academia.

The inaugural Singapore International Water Week also comprises the Water Leaders Summit.

This is a high-level government meeting to discuss global issues and challenges.

There is also the Water Convention which is a conference on advanced technologies and practical delivery of water solutions in cities. - CNA/de

fatz2

kalau dia 'jalan' hari rabu atau malam kamis....best kalau siangnya cuti...
kita apply AL hari jumaat...boleh jalan2 jauh.....


*********************


May 20, 2008         
Police looking for relatives of dead Malay man


Mohammed Tahir Bin Bakar of Angsana Home at Pelangi Village passed away on May 10. -- PHOTO: POLICE

POLICE are appealing for the next-of-kin of 57-year-old Mohammed Tahir Bin Bakar to come forward.

The former resident of Angsana Home at Pelangi Village passed away on May 10.

The next-of-kin or anyone with information on the deceased can call the Police hotline at 1800-2550000.

sutera_abadi

ohhhh....
maknanya dapat lah ehh..... puclic holiday.....

Originally posted by fatz2 at 20-5-2008 08:30 PM
kalau dia 'jalan' hari rabu atau malam kamis....best kalau siangnya cuti...
kita apply AL hari jumaat...boleh jalan2 jauh........

[ Last edited by  sutera_abadi at 20-5-2008 08:43 PM ]

fatz2

kalau singapore ni, don't think so la sut...
malah LHL jalan pun, blom tentu kita ph.......

fatz2

May 20, 2008         
Inaugural A380 flight to Tokyo diverted due to bad weather



The A380's inaugural Tokyo flight was scheduled to coincide with Narita Airport's 30th anniversary celebrations, Singapore Airlines said. -- PHOTO: AFP

SINGAPORE Airlines' first commercial flight of the Airbus A380, the world's biggest jetliner, to Japan was marred by bad weather on Tuesday as the Tokyo-bound plane was diverted to Nagoya, the airline said.

'SQ636, the inaugural A380 service from Singapore to Tokyo Narita, carrying 394 passengers and 28 crew onboard, has diverted to Nagoya due to bad weather at Narita Airport,' Singapore Airlines said in a statement.

It said Japanese air traffic controllers advised the pilot of 'strong winds and low-level wind shear' and 'the decision was made to divert to Nagoya for fuel and to await clearing of conditions at Narita.'

An airline spokesman said the aircraft, which left Singapore after midnight, had landed in Nagoya.

Singapore Airlines, the launch customer for the double-decker plane, currently flies the superjumbo on the Singapore-Sydney and Singapore-London routes.

The A380's inaugural Tokyo flight was scheduled to coincide with Narita Airport's 30th anniversary celebrations, Singapore Airlines said.

Airbus' A380 can carry up to 853 passengers but SIA, one of the world's most profitable airlines, has chosen a setup with a maximum 471 seats.

The design includes 12 suites, each with a full-length bed behind sliding doors, sheets by French design house Givenchy and flat-screen televisions.

SIA acquired its first A380 in October last year, becoming the first airline in the world to operate the world's biggest passenger jet. -- AFP