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

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MCs from sinsehs still not widely accepted                                                                                                                                                                           
By  Tay Yi Wen


NO SICK LEAVE: Patients who visit TCM physicians may find that theirMCs are not recognised by their employers, particularly if they arecivil servants. -- ST FILE PHOTO

MEDICAL certificates (MCs) issued by Chinese sinsehs are slowly gainingacceptance among private-sector companies here, but they are still ano-go for the country's biggest employer, the Government, despitetighter regulation of the industry.  The Public Service Division (PSD), which oversees hiring for the60,000-strong civil service, confirmed that despite the growingpopularity of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it does not recogniseMCs issued by TCM practitioners.

The division's director of personnel Bernadette Sim explainedthat this was because the Health Ministry's requirement that Chinesesinsehs be registered and go through standardised training was mandatedonly recently.
                                                                                                                                                  She said, however, that the PSD will continue to review its policy on MCs from sinsehs.
                                                                                                                                                    The 2,234 registered TCM practitioners here tend to about 12 per cent of all outpatient cases.
The Employment Act gives employers the discretion to decide ifsinseh-issued MCs provide a legitimate reason for sick leave.

A check with 25 private companies turned up just nine that accept such MCs.  These nine, including Standard Chartered Bank, Great EasternAssurance and retailer CK Tang, said that they were happy to have theirstaff follow their doctors' orders regardless of whether the doctorpractised TCM or not.
Standard Chartered's head of human resources D.M. Arulrajsaid that the bank had begun accepting sinsehs' MCs in August 2006 togive its more than 2,000 staff members here a choice of medicaltreatment.
                                                                                                                                                  The bank believed in providing 'a flexible and supportive working environment', he said.
                                                                                                                                                   Great Eastern Life Assurance started accepting sinsehs' MCs from its 800 staff members in that year as well.

Retailer CK Tang, however, was selective about where MCs comefrom. It explicitly stated that only MCs from the Eu Yan Sang, RafflesMedical Group Chinese Medicine, Ma Kwang and Chung Hwa clinics will beaccepted.
Although the shift in mindset is encouraging to TCMpractitioners, they are disappointed that change is not unfolding asquickly as they wish.
As a result, many of their patients seek their care for someailments but ditch them in favour of general practitioners for otherproblems, especially when a general practitioner's MC is needed.
Ms Teo Yee Cheng, who has been a TCM practitioner for 27years, said that one in four of her patients stops by a GP's clinicbefore going to her.

Mr Koh Hee Seng, 50, who owns a TCM clinic in Chai Chee, saidthat three in 10 of his patients admit to visiting Western doctors forailments such as the flu and fever.
                                                                                                                                                  They go to him for long term problems only, such as backaches.
The problem, said Mr Tan Pit Lian, who is the president of theSingapore Chinese Physicians' Association, is with employers'perceptions of TCM.
                                                                                                                                                  It does not help that the public sector does 'not recognise the judgment of the physicians that they certify', he said.
He concluded: 'Some people are not aware that TCM practitionersmust undergo training and sit for stringent exams...They still thinkChinese doctors are quacks.'

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Feb 7, 2008         
Accidental overdose of prescription pills killed Heath Ledger


The 28-year-old film star died 'of acute intoxication' from the combination of two strong painkillers. -- PHOTO: AP

NEW YORK - THE actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose of six different drugs - painkillers and sedatives - the medical examiner said on Wednesday, leading doctors to warn of the dangers of mixing prescription drugs.

The 28-year-old film star died 'of acute intoxication' from the combination of two strong painkillers, two anti-anxiety medicines and two sleeping aids, according to the medical examiner's office.

Among the drugs found in his body were oxycodone, a painkiller sold as OxyContin and used in other pain relievers such as Percodan and Percocet. Others included drugs sold as anti-anxiety pills Valium and Xanax, which are sedatives.

The medical examiner and police would not identify the medications Ledger had in his apartment when his body was discovered on Jan 22, nor would they discuss who had prescribed them.

It also was not known why he had the drugs; he said in a newspaper interview last year that he needed sleeping pills after two stressful acting jobs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating how Ledger got the medications. It is common for investigators to review prescriptions when so many drugs are involved in an overdose death, said spokesman Rusty Payne.

Doctors not connected with the case said it would be unlikely for one doctor to order all the drugs. However, they said it is not unusual for people to be prescribed both painkillers and sedatives, and overdoses are not uncommon.

'This is not rock star wretched excess,' said Cindy Kuhn, a pharmacology professor at Duke University. 'This is a situation that could happen to plenty of people with prescriptions for these kind of drugs.'

She said some of the drugs are long-lasting and Ledger could have taken them over a period of several days. The medical examiner's office wouldn't say what concentrations of each drug were found in Ledger's blood.

'What you're looking at here is the cumulative effects of these medications together,' said the spokeswoman, Ellen Borakove.

Police had said they found six bottles of anti-anxiety medicines, sleeping pills and other medicine in his Manhattan apartment after the Oscar-nominated actor was discovered dead in his bed last month.

'This was not a deliberate attempt to kill himself. This was an accident,' said Lawrence Kobilinsky, head of forensic science at John Jay College in New York. He had no role in the investigation. 'He just took too many drugs having similar effects on the central nervous system.'

Experts said the combination of sedatives and the other medicines likely combined to suppress his brain function and his breathing.

They said that Ledger probably had been prescribed the medicine by a number of different doctors, because several of them were from the same class of drugs and used to treat similar symptoms.

'It doesn't make sense' that one doctor would prescribe all those, said Dr William Lee, an internal medicine specialist at the University of Texas-Southwestern in Dallas. 'It's more likely that he got them from different prescribers.'

Jane Prosser, a medical toxicologist from New York University School of Medicine, said patients can often end up with similar medications prescribed by different doctors, who are unaware of what they're already taking.

Three of the six prescription drugs found in Ledger's apartment had been filled in Europe, where the actor was recently filming, police said.

'If you see one doctor for one thing and you see another doctor for another thing, neither the physician nor the patient may realise they're getting two similar medications,' Ms Prosser said.

'Patients should be aware that this happens on a regular basis and it doesn't just happen to celebrities.'

Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, didn't immediately respond to questions about the drugs that had been prescribed to the actor before his death. She released a statement on Wednesday from Ledger's father, Kim.

'While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.'

The medical examiner cited oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine as causing the actor's death. There was no mention of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Oxycodone, marketed as OxyContin, is used in other painkillers such as Percodan and Percocet; hydrocodone is used in a number of painkillers, including Vicodin.

Diazepam and alprazolam are the generic names for the anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Xanax, temazepam is a sleep aid sold as Restoril, and doxylamine is an antihistamine used in over-the-counter sleep aids and cold medicines.

Ledger's masseuse found him unresponsive after she arrived for an appointment at his rented apartment. She called 911 after first repeatedly calling actress Mary Kate Olsen.

Ledger had moved into the apartment last fall after he broke up with actress Michelle Williams, the mother of his 2-year-old daughter Matilda.

Ledger, nominated for an Oscar for his role as cowboy Ennis del Mar in 'Brokeback Mountain', had returned to New York from London, where he had been making a Terry Gilliam film, days before his death.

He told The New York Times in November that his most recent completed roles in the Batman movie 'The Dark Knight' and Bob Dylan biopic 'I'm Not There' had taken a toll and caused him to lose sleep.

'Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,' Ledger told the Times. 'I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.'

He said he had taken two Ambien pills, which only gave him an hour of sleep.

Ledger's family returned to the actor's hometown of Perth, Australia, on Tuesday to prepare for his funeral. Arrangements were private.

'To most of the world, Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise,' Ledger's father said on Wednesday. 'We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend.'

Ledger's former girlfriend and 'Brokeback Mountain' co-star Michelle Williams arrived in Perth for the actor's funeral with their 2-year-old daughter, Australian media reported. The ceremony, details of which are being kept secret by Ledger's family, is expected within days.

On Wednesday, Williams, dressed in black and carrying her daughter with Ledger, Matilda, arrived in Perth from New York, News Ltd newspapers reported.

Ledger's parents and other close relatives arrived on Tuesday in Perth after spending nearly two weeks in the US immediately following his death.

There was no indication that Ledger's remains have arrived in Australia, and there was no sign of activity at the family's plot in Karrakatta Cemetery on Wednesday. -- AP

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Tornadoes sweep southern US, killing 52
Posted: 07 February 2008 0319 hrs

     

Two men search through the rubble after a post office in Tennessee was destroyed by a tornado.   

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Dozens of tornadoes sliced across southern US states ripping apart homes and shopping malls, killing at least 52 people and injuring hundreds more, officials and US media said Wednesday.

Twenty-eight people were killed in Tennessee, 13 in Arkansas, and seven in Kentucky, officials in the three states said.

US media reported hundreds injured, and CNN said four people were killed in Alabama. Local authorities were not immediately available to confirm the toll.

"I've seen tornadoes on the ground and I've seen them in the air, but this was different. This one was wide, a massive funnel," Jean Byrd of Mason, Tennessee, a town of just over 1,000 residents, told AFP.

With a sigh of relief, Byrd added: "It touched down just after it passed our house. We were lucky."

President George W. Bush offered prayers and disaster relief. "Prayers can help, and so can the government," Bush said in Washington. "I do want the people in those states that the American people are standing with them."

More than 50 tornadoes touched down as a series of rare winter thunderstorms rolled through the region late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

In Tennessee, twisters knocked down a police radio tower, punched holes in a shopping mall, damaged a hangar at the Memphis airport, and ravaged a university campus, emergency officials said.

Overall, 149 people were injured in the state, said Julie Oaks of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

"That'll probably be going up through out the day. We have widespread damage across the state," she said.

Students at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, heroically rescued classmates trapped in the dead of night after two campus dormitories collapsed, university president David Dockery said.

Fifty-one students were treated in hospital, including some with extensive injuries. But no one was killed, even though 1,200 students were on campus at the time.

"It's an amazing thing," Dockery told a press conference.

The campus has already been rebuilt once after a 2002 tornado caused 2.6 million dollars in damage. Now, "we are estimating that the damage is at least 15 times what that was at that time," he said.

Elsewhere in Tennessee, the Red Cross moved 50 people trapped at a retirement center in Madison County to a shelter, officials said.

But a huge fire that blazed overnight at a storm-damaged gas pumping station northeast of Nashville, part of a 4,200-mile (6,760-kilometer) line pumping gas through four southern states, had burned itself out.

In neighboring Kentucky, three people were killed in a trailer park in Muhlenberg County, and four others died in Allen County, Buddy Rogers of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management told AFP.

In Arkansas at least 13 people were killed Tuesday by tornadoes that tore through the state, injuring dozens and destroying houses and businesses in a number of towns.

Four tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service, and another five were reported but unconfirmed.

Downed power lines, trees across roads and power outages hampered the night-long rescue effort as teams searched house by house for trapped people.

The hardest hit appeared to be the town of Atkins in Pope County, where an 11-year-old girl and her parents were killed. In Clinton, a town in Van Buren County, two people were killed and at least 50 were injured.

Arkansas and Tennessee were among states holding primaries Tuesday for November's presidential election, and several polling stations had to be closed as the storm approached.

Democratic contender Hillary Clinton, who won both states, told a crowd: "We want to keep the people of Arkansas and Tennessee in our prayers. They've suffered horrible tornadoes tonight."

"They are in our thoughts and in our prayers," said her Democratic rival Barack Obama. "We hope that our federal government will respond quickly and rapidly to make sure that they get all the help that they need."

Meanwhile NASA experts in Washington said the same turbulent weather front could delay the scheduled lift-off of the Atlantis space shuttle.

"The storm prediction center is forecasting a five percent chance of severe weather in the central Florida area tomorrow. I think we could see isolated thunderstorms in the area," said NASA shuttle launch weather officer, Kathy Winters.

Lift-off is now set for Thursday after a two-month delay.

- AFP /ls

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Fire breaks out at Choa Chu Kang flat, 3 escaped unhurt
By Gamar Abdul Aziz, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 February 2008 2333 hrs
         
SINGAPORE: A family of three escaped unhurt when their flat caught fire on 7 February.

Police said they received a call at around 9.45pm, about a fire at a 10th floor unit, of Blk 426, Choa Chu Kang Ave 4.

An elderly couple and their daughter managed to leave the flat safely.

A witness told the MediaCorp News hotline that he heard an explosion.

But no other details are available.

Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force are investigating. -CNA/vm


[fly][/fly]

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Most shops closed on first day of Lunar New Year
By Margaret Perry/Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 February 2008 1841 hrs
         


SINGAPORE : Most shops were closed on Thursday so that staff can enjoy the Lunar New Year with their family and friends.

However, some retail therapy was still available for those who can't resist the need to spend.

It is rare to see Orchard Road so quiet on a weekday afternoon.

With all the department stores and most shops closed for the Lunar New Year, there was little for tourists to do, but to go for coffee.

In the heartlands, the scene was similar; much of Toa Payoh was a ghost town.

However, one mobile phone shop bucked the trend.

The owner expected more people to pass by in the evening, while they visit family and friends.

Robert Chua, Robert Mobile Pte Ltd, said, "They see, they like the phone, they will change...sometimes they will change to a new phone for good luck."

The few shoppers who were out in the afternoon heat were glad some shops were open.

One person said, "It's good because some people might need some stuff and that's when these shops come in."

Another added, "Personally I hope more shops will be open so I can buy things more easily."

In Little India, most independent retailers were open, catering to the influx of foreign workers and tourists.

The automatic doors at the Mustafa Centre were kept busy even though the crowd in Little India was smaller compared to other public holidays.

However, with the long weekend ahead, there will be plenty of opportunities to set cash registers ringing.

The first day of the Lunar New Year also saw fewer vehicles, including taxis, on the roads.

Traffic was pretty smooth in most parts of Singapore, and with many shops closed, some of the usually busy taxi stands were virtually empty.

Taxi drivers Channel NewsAsia spoke to said the period leading up to the Lunar New Year was good business for them and they expect similar good business during the coming weekend. - CNA/ms

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Use of recycled decorations in Chinatown saves cost, wastage
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 February 2008 2122 hrs



SINGAPORE : Red and gold may be the "in" colours this festive season, but it does not mean that decorations can't "go green" as well.

Some decorations in Chinatown have been recycled to save costs and cut wastage.

Some of the lanterns at Chinatown may look familiar because they have been used before during other festivals, including the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Other materials for the main decorations in Chinatown have also been reused.

The people behind these artworks had used less plastic and so they find it easier to recycle their materials.

David Ong, Chairman, Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens' Consultative Committee, said, "Wires, if they cannot be used, they can be stripped...Likewise, for light bulbs, they can be reused for the next light-up as well.

"So for iron structures, yes, you can take them off and you can put them back again - in different forms and shapes - even for wires as well. So all these can be reused."

"Reuse" is also the theme for decorations at Chinatown Point.

Cindy Low, Manager, Advertising and Promotions, City Developments Limited, said, "The difficulty is these decorations are meant for Christmas. So we actually need to refashion them to suit the Chinese New Year Theme.

"It helps us save costs...and also the time for the transition from Christmas to Chinese New Year decorations."

So instead of overhauling decorations to suit two very different occasions, which take place in a short span of time, organisers used some creativity and a lot of planning to cut down on wastage and costs. - CNA/ms

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Feb 8, 2008         
Pilot stabbed in attack on NZ plane
WELLINGTON - A WOMAN passenger on a New Zealand commuter plane stabbed a pilot and threatened to blow up the 19-seat aircraft, New Zealand Press Association reported on Friday.

The woman stabbed one of the two pilots and attempted to take control of the small Jetstream plane as it flew to Christchurch from the small town of Blenheim on New Zealand's South Island, NZPA said, citing local police.

A pilot sustained minor wounds, but none of the seven passengers on board was hurt. The woman was restrained.

Christchurch airport, the country's second biggest international gateway, was closed for more than two hours as armed police, army bomb squad and emergency services surrounded the plane, which was parked in a remote part of the airport.

'I saw a dog go in, the passengers came out in a rush, then the woman came out, was bundled to ground and searched by police and taken away,' Wayne Johnstone, a passenger on another plane was reported as saying by local Web site Stuff.co.nz.

The 19-seater Jetstream planes are used on short-haul regional flights by national carrier Air New Zealand and have only curtains separating the cockpit from the passenger area. --REUTERS

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Detained in Syrian airport, S'pore teen spends 4 days in fear and confusion
So scared, I didn't know what to do
By Zubaidah Nazeer
February 07, 2008



HIS dream of pursuing higher studies took him to a foreign country, where it turned into a nightmare.

First, Luqman Hakim Hassan, 17, was detained for seven hours at Damascus airport in Syria.

Then when he finally got to a student hostel, immigration officers went there and hauled him back to the airport, where he was detained for four more days before being sent back to Singapore.

Last September, Luqman, who graduated from Singapore's Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah, decided to pursue a six-year Islamic Studies course at the Takhasssus College of Islam in Damascus.

His plan was to take an Arabic course for six months there from January, then come home for a break before returning to resume his studies later this year.

After checking with students and parents who have children studying in Syria, his parents got in touch with an agent whose name kept popping up.

ADVISED BY AGENT

The agent, they were told, acted ad-hoc for students heading to Syrian universities.

The agent advised Luqman to get his madrasah certificates endorsed by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis).

The agent said he would take care of the visa, flight and application for a international student card.

Luqman's housewife mother, Madam Hayati, 43, said her son was told that on arrival in Syria, senior students there would take care of the university application and accommodation.

His father, civil servant Hassan Ismail, 49, said: 'We were reassured that things would go smoothly because other parents told us this was how it was done.'

Luqman flew off with three senior students and five new students on 20 Dec.

At Damascus Airport, he was separated from the rest as they approached the immigration counters.

Luqman claimed the immigration officer spoke only Arabic and he tried communicating with what little Arabic he knew.

When asked if he intended to study in Syria, Luqman said he was merely visiting.

Luqman claimed the agent had told the students to say this as they had yet to submit their university applications.

But the officer insisted that Luqman produce a letter to show proof that he was a student. He was taken to a room and told to wait till he could get the letter.

By this time, the other students had cleared immigration.

Unsure of what to do, Luqman called the agent for help and was given the number of a senior student who was to have met them at the airport.

Luqman called the student twice, but was told he was not allowed to enter the immigration area.

Luqman said: 'I was scared and didn't know what to do. They asked me a lot of things in Arabic. I understood only a little and I wasn't sure how to answer.'

After seven hours, another immigration officer came in, handed over his passport and told him to go.

It was about midnight when he left the airport. When he could not see his fellow travellers, he took a taxi to the Abu Nour University.

Luqman and the other students had been instructed to stay at a hostel near this university while waiting to enter their respective universities.

FULL HOUSE

He said: 'When the receptionist found out I was Singaporean, she told me the other Singaporeans had left for the airport to look for someone. She also told me the hostel was full.'

So he went to another hostel nearby and managed to share a room with Indonesians.

Luqman said: 'One of them knew a Singaporean student and called him.'

The teen said he had slept for less than two hours when, around 3am, the senior Singaporean student he had called while he was detained and another student showed up to get him.

Luqman said: 'They told me that they were at the airport around the time I left. We must have missed each other.'

They were about to leave the hostel when two immigration officers arrived, and demanded that Luqman return with them to the airport.

And this was when his ordeal got worse.

He was put in a holding room with about 10 others, including Egyptians and Sudanese. He was the only Singaporean.

Luqman said: 'I didn't know why I was detained again and no one spoke English. My passport was taken away again. No officer spoke to me.'

The next day, an officer told him he would be released if he took the first flight back to Singapore.

It was then that he contacted his parents.

He said: 'I sent an SMS message to my mother and told her I was being detained, but not to worry because I was being put on a flight back.'

But he could not get on the flight as it was full. That started off a string of SMS messages to his parents.

Luqman said: 'My battery was nearly flat so all I could do was to send them text messages.'

Mr Hassan called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here for help.

He said he was told that since Singapore does not have a consulate in Syria, diplomatic officers from Cairo would help.

By then, Madam Hayati was so worried that she could not sleep.

She said: ' I was so afraid for him... All sorts of things were running through my head.'

Madam Hayati's cousin, Madam Aadillah Mohd Ali, 43, a passenger services officer with Singapore Airport Terminal Services, got in touch with the station manager of the airline that Luqman had flown to Syria.

'They got their station manager in Syria to speak to the Syrian officials to put him on their plane out,' Madam Hayati said.

Luqman said that on the third day, a consular official from the Egyptian embassy and an airline station manager also spoke to him.

  ALL CLEAR

He was given the all-clear to leave.

Mr Hassan said: 'We never expected this (incident) to happen.'

His wife added: 'We want to warn others planning to study overseas to make sure all the necessary documents are settled before going there.

'I'm just so glad my son came home safe.'

Luqman was so traumatised by the experience that he has shelved plans of studying overseas. He plans to continue his studies in Singapore.

Attempts to reach the agent over fours days were unsuccessful. The New Paper also e-mailed queries to the Syrian embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, but there was no reply at press time.        
  Best to go through proper channels

ANYONE wanting to pursue higher education in Middle Eastern universities must do so through proper channels, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said.

Students need to make the application directly, instead of through third parties. They must also get their madrasah certificates endorsed by Muis and the Singapore embassy in the respective country.
The Muis spokesman said most universities in the Middle East also require an approval letter.

'There is no standard procedure for any Singaporean student who wants to study there as each university has different requirements.

'However, students should apply directly to the Middle Eastern university of their choice,' he said.

But the spokesman stressed that Muis has no involvement in the application process.

Muis can help with information about each university's courses, entry requirements and general information about the country.
Students planning to head there can also get in touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the spokesman added.

Ratu_Lybeau

Whatever the situation is

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Singapura : 9 Februari 2008         
         
AH MENG MENINGGAL KERANA SAKIT TUA

IKON terkenal Zoo Singapura, Ah Meng, menghembuskan nafasnya yang terakhir akibat penyakit tua dan uzur semalam.

Orang utan berusia 50 tahun asal Sumatera itu memang terkenal bukan sahaja di sini, malah di luar negara kerana muncul dalam filem pelancongan serta akhbar dan majalah.

Atas sumbangannya yang membantu menaikkan nama Singapura sebagai tempat pelancongan menarik, Ah Meng menjadi penerima bukan manusia pertama anugerah Duta Pelancongan Khas daripada Lembaga Pelancongan Singapura (STPB) dalam 1992.

Menurut kenyataan Taman Haiwan Singapura, Ah Meng menjadi penghuni Zoo Singapura sejak 1971 selepas dirampas daripada sebuah keluarga Cina yang memeliharanya tanpa lesen.

Dalam 1982, program bersarapan pagi dengan Ah Meng menjadi daya tarikan Zoo Singapura dan menerima lawatan orang kenamaan seperti Putera Phillip, David Copperfield, Michael Jackson dan Elizabeth Taylor.

Ah Meng meninggalkan empat anak dan enam cucu.

Mayat Ah Meng akan dikebumikan esok.



kesian ah meng....

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Singapura : 9 Februari 2008        
  
3 WARGA M'SIA DIDAKWA CUBA SELUDUP BUDAK

Oleh
Khalid Khamis

TIGA warga Malaysia - seorang lelaki dan dua wanita - semalam didakwa di Mahkamah Rendah kerana cuba menyeludup keluar tiga kanak-kanak warga Sri Lanka dengan menggunakan pasport Malaysia.

Dalam sidang khas mahkamah disebabkan Cuti Umum itu, Patmavathi Shanmugam, 31 tahun, S.A. Shangar Shanmugam, 39 tahun, dan Vigiletchimi Suparayan, 61 tahun, masing-masing menghadapi satu tuduhan.

Namun, pendakwa raya membayangkan mereka mungkin menghadapi lebih banyak tuduhan selepas siasatan lanjut dijalankan.

Hakim Daerah, Cik Shoba Nair, diberitahu Patmavathi telah mendapatkan khidmat Shangar, Vigiletchimi dan seorang lagi yang tidak diketahui untuk menyeludup kanak-kanak itu ke London, England.

Kanak-kanak warga Sri Lanka berusia sekitar 11 tahun itu cuba menyamar sebagai kanak-kanak warga Malaysia, seperti yang tertera pada pasport.

Namun, mereka ditahan sekitar 10.30 malam kelmarin selepas melepasi Gate C23 di Terminal 1, Lapangan Terbang Changi, untuk menaiki pesawat AF 257 ke London.

Menurut kenyataan pertuduhan, dengan menggunakan pasport bukan kepunyaan kanak-kanak itu, mereka telah menipu petugas Aetos, Encik Azmie Sari, yang membenarkan mereka melepasi masuk ke pesawat.

Mahkamah menetapkan ikat jamin berjumlah $50,000 ke atas setiap tertuduh dan pasport mereka disita.

Namun Shangar, melalui seorang penterjemah, merayu agar jumlah itu dikurangkan.

Pihak pendakwa raya berkata kes mereka dipandang berat kerana melibatkan penyeludupan kanak-kanak dan jumlah ikat jamin haruslah tinggi.

Namun, mahkamah membenarkan ikat jamin diturunkan kepada $30,000 setiap seorang.

Kes mereka akan didengar lagi pada 22 Februari ini.

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Singapura : 9 Februari 2008        

HSA: SALAH JUAL UBAT BATUK TANPA LESEN ATAU IZIN

CECAIR ubat batuk yang diedarkan secara haram di pusat membeli-belah Peninsula Plaza mengandungi codeine, bahan terkawal yang tertakluk di bawah Akta Racun dan Akta Ubat-Ubatan.

Justeru, kegiatan menjualnya kepada orang ramai tanpa lesen atau kebenaran itu jelas melanggar undang-undang.

Dalam responsnya, Penguasa Sains Kesihatan (HSA) menegaskan pihaknya sedang menimbangkan tindakan sewajarnya bagi mengekang kegiatan itu.

Di bawah kedua-dua akta tersebut, mereka yang terlibat dalam pengeluaran, pengedaran dan penjualan ubat batuk itu boleh didenda sehingga $10,000 atau dipenjara sehingga dua tahun atau kedua-duanya sekali.

Mengenai bahaya penyalahgunaan cecair berwarna coklat itu, HSA mengingatkan bahawa ia boleh menyebabkan ketagihan jika diambil secara berpanjangan.

Selain itu, ia juga boleh menyebabkan sembelit, mabuk dan fikiran bingung.

Jika diambil secara berlebihan pula, ia boleh menyebabkan kesan lebih buruk seperti badan terketar-ketar, muntah, rasa payau, halusinasi, sawan, jantung berdegup kencang dan sesak nafas.

HSA pernah mengambil tindakan bagi mengekang penjual ubat batuk haram.

Pada Mac 2006, seorang buruh, Chua Tong Kuang, 47 tahun, dipenjara enam bulan kerana bersubahat dalam penjualan tanpa lesen 100 balang ubat batuk mengandungi codeine dalam satu serbuan di sebuah bengkel di Kaki Bukit dalam 2004.

Dua lagi rakannya, Tung Kwang Hua dan Philip Lee See Boon, juga telah didakwa di mahkamah.

Tung diberkas di Geylang dan dalam serbuan di rumahnya di Sims Avenue, polis merampas 500 botol kosong yang digunakan untuk diisi ubat batuk sebelum dijual.

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Singapura : 9 Februari 2008        
  
40 DIBERKAS GARA-GARA JUAL BELI ROKOK TANPA CUKAI

KASTAM Singapura telah mencekup 40 orang kerana menjual dan membeli rokok tanpa cukai di sekitar Peninsula Plaza.

Tindakan penguatkuasaan itu merupakan sebahagian daripada operasi antiseludup rokok haram yang dijalankan di seluruh pulau baru-baru ini.

'Para pegawai kastam menjalankan pemeriksaan secara tetap di pelbagai kawasan, termasuk sekitar Peninsula Plaza, bagi menjebak pengguna yang membeli dan menghisap rokok tanpa cukai,' kata Kastam Singapura.

Operasi di seluruh pulau itu berhasil memberkas 6,012 pembeli rokok haram.

Bagi terus membendung kegiatan jual beli rokok haram, Kastam Singapura telah meningkatkan denda kompaun daripada $200 kepada $500 bagi setiap bungkus rokok tanpa cukai.

Dalam e-mel sebagai menjawab pertanyaan Berita Harian mengenai sarang jual beli rokok haram di Peninsula Plaza, Kastam Singapura menegaskan bahawa selain sasaran terhadap penjual dan pembeli, pihaknya juga telah meningkatkan operasi bagi melumpuhkan sindiket rokok haram.

Tahun lalu, Kastam Singapura merampas 4.4 juta bungkus rokok tanpa cukai dan memberkas 23,000 pesalah.

Menurut jabatan itu, sedang pihaknya mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap penyeludupan rokok, orang ramai boleh memainkan peranan dengan tidak membeli rokok haram.

'Bukan sahaja mereka boleh dikenakan hukuman berat, malah permintaan rokok haram daripada orang ramai akan terus menyemarakkan kegiatan menyeludup rokok haram,' tambahnya.

Orang ramai boleh membantu melaporkan kegiatan haram itu dengan menelefon 1800-233-0000.

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Feb 9, 2008         
New Year thief breaks windscreens of 22 cars
CashCards stolen from vehicles parked in Bukit Merah carpark
By K.C. Vijayan, Law Correspondent


SHOCK: Businessman Ang Soon Beng, 40, had parked his car on the fifth floor of the carpark. He was in 'no mood to go out' after finding his vehicle had been smashed and his $10 CashCard stolen. -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA

THE Chinese New Year mood dimmed for several Bukit Merah View residents when they discovered that their cars were among 22 vehicles whose windscreens had been smashed early yesterday morning.

A serial screen smasher had apparently used an umbrella-shaped tool to pierce the glass and then reached in, hand in glove, to pull out CashCards from the vehicles.

The rampage had taken place at about 2.15am, said resident Mr Andrew Oh, who had seen the thief from his flat window.

The suspect, who is of medium build and wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans, targeted cars with tell-tale covers on their CashCard devices.

One of the victims was Madam Adeline Lim, who is in her 30s. Her grey Honda was one of 14 cars on the fourth level of Block 126A to be hit by the thief, who struck eight other vehicles parked on the fifth level of the multi-storey carpark.

The thief took Madam Lim's CashCard, worth about $20, but left parking coupons valued at about $100 behind.

Ms Lim said: 'I'm really disgusted and flabbergasted. This is Chinese New Year.'

Another victim, engineer Low Chor Liang, who lives next door at Block 126, said that he was saddened by the smash and grab.

'I have no choice but to get over it,' said Mr Low, 30.

Mr Oh, who is in his 40s, said that he had heard a noise coming from the carpark at about 2.15am.

He peered out of the window and saw the suspect, carrying a long umbrella-shaped tool, near one of the cars.

'He appeared to be quite professional, not looking around but just looking at the car only.'

Mr Oh said that he then walked over to investigate, but by the time he had reached the block, there was no sign of the suspect.

'I was lucky. I would have parked the car on the same level as the others but there was one empty spot left on the third level, which I used that night,' he said.

The police are investigating and ask anyone with information to contact them on 1800-255-0000, said spokesman Ng Siew Hua.

'At least 20 owners have confirmed that their CashCards were stolen and police would like to remind owners not to leave their cash cards in the IU while their vehicles are parked,' she added.

[email protected]

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Feb 10, 2008         
S'pore flyer set to spin on Monday night


Singapore's wheel is located across from the Marina Bay Sands casino complex set to open in 2009, and is near the pit area of a Formula One Grand Prix street race to be held for the first time in the city-state in September. -- PHOTO: AFP

THE world's biggest observation wheel is ready to spin in Singapore on Monday night, with corporate clients paying thousands of dollars for the 'inaugural flight', the company said.

At 165 metres, or 42 storeys, the Singapore Flyer will be 30 metres higher than Britain's London Eye, said Great Wheel Corp, which built the Singapore attraction.

'We're actually ahead of time and on budget,' David Beevers, general manager of the Singapore Flyer, told reporters from the waterfront site.

'It's all systems go.'

The wheel will start twirling just before dusk on Monday evening, at 1230 GMT (8.30 Singapore time), organisers said.

The attraction's first three nights were sold out, Beevers said. Companies and individuals paid 8,888 Singapore dollars, an auspicious number in Chinese culture, for the first rides.

'Through the month of February... it's a whole series of private events each day that's going to allow us to ramp up to full opening March 1 for the public,' Mr Beevers said.

Groups of between 600 and 1,000 people were expected at the initial private events, Mr Beevers said, with a formal opening to take place on April 15.

Unlike cramped, old-style Ferris wheel carriages which hang in the open air, the Singapore Flyer and other large observation wheels feature fixed 'capsules'.

The 28 capsules - about the size of a city bus - are air conditioned and can hold up to 28 people.

Passengers can walk around and will not feel movement or vibration during the 30-minute ride, the company said.

'You can put over 1,000 people an hour on the wheel,' Mr Beevers said, adding that they expect to host about 10 million people a year.

Among the first clients will be SG Private Banking.

The French-based global private wealth manager has booked 11 capsules on Wednesday night for its annual staff celebration of the Chinese New Year, said Pierre Baer, the company's Singapore and South Asia chief executive officer.

Developers of Singapore Flyer said there was no comparison between a giant slowly-rotating observation wheel and a Ferris wheel.

'We don't use the F-word,' Florian Bollen, the chairman of Singapore Flyer, told reporters during a preview of the attraction last year.

For 29.50 Singapore dollars, walk-in passengers will get a 360-degree view of up to 45 kilometres across the island republic and into neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia on the 30-minute ride, the developers said.

Higher-priced tickets include food and drinks.

Bollen's Singapore-based company, Great Wheel Corp, is also building wheels in Beijing and Berlin which will edge out the Singapore Flyer as the world's biggest when they begin turning in about two years, he said.

The London Eye, which opened at the turn of the century, was the first of the new generation wheels, Bollen said.

Singapore's wheel is located across from the Marina Bay Sands casino complex set to open in 2009, and is near the pit area of a Formula One Grand Prix street race to be held for the first time in the city-state in September.

Lacking natural attractions, the wealthy island nation has embarked on a major campaign to spruce up its tourist appeal.

A record 10.3 million visitors came to Singapore last year, an increase of 5.4 percent over 2006, the Singapore Tourism Board said.

By 2015, the country aims to draw 17 million visitors and to earn 30 billion Singapore dollars in tourism revenues.

The Singapore Flyer project, worth about 240 million Singapore dollars, is a private venture backed mainly by German investors. But Bollen said it received strong marketing and other support from the city-state's tourism board.

Bollen said his company was the only bidder for the project designed by Kisho Kurokawa Architects and Associates of Tokyo, along with Singapore's DP Architects.

The wheel was built by Mitsubishi Corp and Takenaka Corp of Japan.

The Singapore Flyer is being marketed as a venue for activities ranging from business meetings to weddings. Packages for Valentine's Day are also being offered.

Though a majority of revenue is expected to come from corporate clients and travel agents, the Flyer's marketing agent said 20 percent will be reserved for walk-in customers.

Shops, restaurants and a tropical rainforest are among the attractions at the site that passengers can explore before 'takeoff'.

Mr Beevers said some of the retail and food outlets will be open by Monday and most should be ready by month's end.

Ultimately, Mr Bollen said, the experience was 'all about the view.' -- AFP

SQ154

3 die in fatal car crash on eve of wedding



PREPARATIONS for a wedding ended in three deaths, with a fourth young man fighting for his life in hospital.
All four were in a rental car on their way to get decorations to turn the Hyundai Avante they were in into a wedding car when it crashed along Dunearn Road, near Chancery Court, at 2.20 am on Sunday. The impact of the crash threw all four out of the car. The sole survivor, Mr Mohammad Alif Mohamed Shah, 19, was fighting for his life on Sunday night, as his family members kept vigil at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Two of them, Mr Mohammad Khalil Mohamad Shah, 23, elder brother of Mr Mohammad Alif, and Mr Sunthereswaran Nadesan Mariyappan, 23, died on the spot. The third casualty, Mr Jaya Kumar Asokan, 27, a bus driver, who was also admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, died of severe injuries within 12 hours of the accident. He was believed to have been the driver of the silver Hyundai Avante, a 1.6-litre car. The four were on their way to Mustafa Centre in Little India.

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Feb 10, 2008         
6 illegal immigrants caught swimming into S'pore

SIX illegal immigrants, believed to be Myanmese, were caught by the Police Coast Guard swimming into Singapore in two separate incidents over the weekend.

At 11pm last Saturday, patrol officers using surveillance equipment detected and arrested two men, aged 26 and 28, at sea off Admiralty Road West.

At 1.30am on Sunday, they arrested another four men, aged between 22 and 24, at sea off Kranji.

The six men will be charged in court on Monday for unlawful entry into Singapore.

If convicted, they can be jailed up to six months, caned at least three strokes, or fined up to $6,000.

Commending his officers for their alrtness, Police Coast Guard Commander Jerry See said: 'PCG is well prepared and equipped to tackle the entry of illegal immigrants. Our territorial water is well covered and patrolled by PCG boats.'

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Feb 10, 2008         
4,000 visitors bid farewell to celebrity orang utan, Ah Meng
By Maria Almenoar


A crowd of 4,000 visitors turned up for the memorial service and funeral of Ah Meng on Sunday. -- PHOTO: MY PAPER

SHE was a celebrity to many, but to her children and grandchildren, Ah Meng was their caring and generous mother who made sure they ate before she did.

On Sunday, before a crowd of 4,000 visitors said their last goodbyes to the Sumatran orang utan Ah Meng, who died last Friday, her family shared a private moment with her.

One grandchild gently touched her face, but others became upset when they saw her motionless, said zoo curator Alagappasamy Chellaiyah, 57.

'You can look into their (the other orang utans) eyes, somehow or other, they knew that...Ah Meng was gone,' said Mr Alagappasamy, who was at the zoo when Ah Meng first arrived and had tended to her ever since.

The face of the Singapore Zoo, Ah Meng died in her enclosure after a breakfast of fruits. She was around 48 years old, or 95 in human years.

Ah Meng, survived by four children and six grandchildren - some no longer at the zoo - was the matriarch of the orang utan enclosure.

Some of the remaining 24 animals have refused to eat in the past two days, while others are noticeably subdued, said Mr Alagappasamy.

Just as touched by her passing were zoo visitors. Some 4,000 people turned up and admission fees were waived in the morning to accommodate well-wishers wanting to pay their last respects.

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Premier League - City stun United with derby win

Eurosport - Sun, 10 Feb 16:09:00 2008




Manchester City caused a major upset at Old Trafford by beating United 2-1 in the Manchester derby to complete a league double over their city rivals.

First-half goals from Darius Vassell and debutant Benjani were enough as Michael Carrick's effort in stoppage time proved to be a mere consolation.

It was an emotional day at Old Trafford with the 50th anniversary of the Munich disaster being remembered with old-fashioned style kits and an impeccably observed minute's silence by both sets of fans.

However, after a tough week, United looked sluggish, and they badly missed the suspended Wayne Rooney, with Cristiano Ronaldo not at his usual troublesome best as he struggled to make an impact from a more central position.

Throughout the game United had lots of possession but struggled to create chances as Richard Dunne, Micah Richards, and Dietmar Hamann offered superb protection for Joe Hart in the City goal.

At the other end, City always looked dangerous on the break and it was from a Martin Petrov led counter-attack that they took the lead in the 24th minute.

The Bulgarian slipped in a ball for Stephen Ireland but Edwin van der Sar rushed out to save. The Dutch keeper then stopped a drive from Vassell, but the rebound came back out to the City man who then buried it at the second attempt.

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic looked all at sea at the back and they then failed to pick up Benjani just before half-time which allowed the City man to flick home Petrov's cross with his shoulder for a second.

United's best effort in the first half was a fine turn and shot from Tevez on the edge of the area but Hart saved superbly.

Despite shifting around their formation, United were similarly unimaginative in the second-half as City quite comfortably defended their lead.

Carrick did curl a fine effort into the corner of the net in stoppage time but there was no time for United to push on for an equaliser.

It was the first time United have lost at home in the league this season, and all their defeats this campaign have come when Rooney was out of the side.

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UTUSAN

Masih ada bawa minyak masak keluar negara

JOHOR BAHRU 9 Feb. - Masih ada lagi kalangan rakyat tempatan dan juga Singapura yang masih tidak faham, atau mungkin juga tidak sedar mengenai larangan membawa keluar minyak masak bersubsidi dari negara.

Pegawai Penguat Kuasa Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna (KPDNHEP) Johor, Norasiah Mohd. Afandi berkata, dalam operasi bersama dengan Kastam semalam pihaknya merampas tiga botol minyak masak 5 kilogram dari tiga pengguna yang hendak membawa bahan itu ke negara pulau tersebut.

Beliau berkata, kebanyakan mereka tidak faham sepenuhnya mengenai larangan itu kerana menyangka minyak campuran kelapa sawit tidak termasuk dalam senarai bahan yang dilarang daripada dibawa keluar negara, sedangkan hakikatnya ia juga termasuk dalam senarai itu.

"Kejadian ini tidak serius kerana minyak yang dirampas itu bukan 100 peratus minyak masak kelapa sawit tetapi minyak masak campuran kelapa sawit," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.

Rabu lepas, Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna, Datuk Mohamed Shafie Apdal mengumumkan senarai 10 barang yang tidak dibenarkan untuk dibawa keluar dari Malaysia.

Barang itu ialah gula, tepung gandum, minyak masak, simen dan klinker (kecuali ada permit), petrol, spirit motor dan gasoline motor dari semua gred, bahan api diesel, gas petroleum cecair, bar bulat keluli lembut, ayam serta baja.

- Bernama