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Singapura : 15 Februari 2008         

PISANG BERBUAH DUA KALI DI JB

Pertama kali dirompak pada 1980-an, kini jadi sasaran lagi di Danga Bay

Oleh
Nadzri Eunos

KALI terakhir Cik Ramlah Talip ke Johor dalam tahun 1980-an, beliau dirompak ketika mengecop pasport dalam perjalanan pulang ke Singapura.

Sejak itu, beliau tidak lagi singgah ke negeri tersebut jika melawat Semenanjung Malaysia.

Bagaimanapun, pisang berbuah dua kali bagi nenek tiga cucu berusia 57 tahun itu apabila beliau menziarahi saudaranya di Johor Bahru pada hari kedua Tahun Baru Cina Jumaat lalu.

Beliau dirompak ketika di dalam kereta bersama lima anggota keluarganya, termasuk cucunya, Ekka Mutira Abdullah, lima tahun, di Danga Bay.

Ketika kejadian tersebut, Cik Ramlah dan keluarga berhasrat makan tengah hari di sana.

'Kami baru sahaja sampai di tempat meletak kereta. Anak saudara saya yang memandu kereta sedang 'gostan' kereta apabila secara tiba-tiba dua lelaki membuka pintu di sebelah pemandu dan pintu penumpang belakang sebelah kiri dan melompat masuk.

'Mereka meneriak, 'Engkau jangan pekik nanti kami bunuh!' Kami tak boleh buat apa-apa kerana kami kena tindih.

'Mereka meragut beg saya dan beg seorang lagi saudara saya dan melarikan diri dengan menaiki motosikal,' jelas Cik Ramlah, menceritakan pengalaman ngerinya itu.

Beliau kehilangan wang tunai dan dokumen peribadi, termasuk kad pengenalan, dalam kejadian itu.

'Nasib baik saya tergerak hati untuk simpan pasport saya di rumah anak saudara saya, kalau tidak tak baliklah saya,' ujar Cik Ramlah.

Hanya pemandu yang cedera sedikit akibat dicekik oleh salah seorang perompak terbabit.

Meskipun sedih kerana dirompak, Cik Ramlah lebih sedih kerana orang ramai yang menyaksikan kejadian itu tidak menghulurkan apa-apa bantuan persis 'menonton drama', dakwa Cik Ramlah.

Beliau juga mendakwa bahawa pegawai keselamatan yang bertugas lengkap bersenjatakan senapang patah tidak berbuat apa-apa.

'Apabila kami merayu supaya beliau tolong kejar si perompak, beliau pula suruh kami buat laporan polis sahaja,' kata Cik Ramlah.

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Singapura : 15 Februari 2008        
         
PERUNDANGAN BARU PASANG ALAT GAS MULA BERKUAT KUASA

UNDANG-UNDANG baru bagi pemasangan peralatan gas di kediaman-kediaman mula berkuat kuasa semalam.

Di bawah Akta Gas yang disusun semula itu, pemilik kediaman yang mahu memasang dapur gas, pemanas atau peralatan lain yang dipasang ke saluran paip gas diperlukan mendapatkan khidmat tukang pasang yang berlesen, kata Penguasa Pasaran Tenaga (EMA) kelmarin.

Khidmat yang sama diperlukan bagi kerja penyenggaraan dan pembaikan.

Akta Gas yang baru itu juga meletakkan tanggungjawab memeriksa paip gas secara tetap di atas bahu para pemilik bangunan dan bukan syarikat pembekal gas.

Lebih 500,000 keluarga di sini dianggarkan menggunakan bekalan gas paip.

Akta yang diluluskan di Parlimen tahun lalu itu memperkenalkan satu lesen baru yang membenarkan pekerja gas menyenggara peralatan gas.

Ini dijangka memenuhi permintaan pelanggan dan meningkatkan persaingan dalam pasaran gas.

Dijangkakan yuran yang dikenakan bagi khidmat pekerja gas berlesen adalah sekitar $40 bagi setiap kunjungan, tidak temasuk kerja pembaikan.

Sebelum ini, kerja-kerja penyenggaraan ke atas peralatan gas tidak perlu dilakukan oleh kakitangan berlesen.

Kini, semua pemasangan dan pembaikan bagi peralatan gas mesti disahkan selamat sebelum boleh digunakan.

Di bawah peraturan baru itu, sesiapa yang menggunakan khidmat pekerja gas tidak berlesen untuk kerja-kerja melibatkan peralatan gas boleh didenda sehingga $10,000 atau dihukum penjara sehingga 12 bulan atau kedua-dua sekali.

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Singapura : 13 Februari 2008        
         
DOKTOR DIGANTUNG SEBAB LANGGAR ETIKA

LESEN seorang doktor digantung selama dua tahun selepas dia mengaku bersalah atas tuduhan melanggar etika profesional doktor, termasuk mengadakan hubungan seks dengan pesakitnya.

Dr Yeong Cheng Toh mengaku bersalah atas empat tuduhan ketika bertugas di Hospital Wanita & Kanak- Kanak KK (KKH) antara April 2003 dengan Mac 2005.

Majlis Perubatan Singapura (SMC) membuat tuduhan-tuduhan itu dalam satu inkuiri pada 7 dan 8 Januari lalu.

Satu kenyataan SMC kelmarin berkata bahawa antara tuduhan tersebut, Dr Yeong mengadakan hubungan seks dengan pesakitnya dan melanggar undang-undang keperibadian antara doktor dengan pesakit.

Dia juga mengubah biodata seorang pesakit dan gagal menyimpan rekod dengan betul dan tepat.

Malah, dia juga tidak menyimpan dengan betul butiran terperinci pesakit yang beberapa kali datang berjumpa dengannya dan keputusan daripada pemeriksaan yang dijalankan dalam tempoh tersebut.

Dr Yeong juga dituduh dengan sewenang- wenangnya mendedahkan maklumat peribadi berhubung rawatan yang diterima oleh dua pesakit hospital tersebut.

Dalam menjatuhkan hukuman, jawatankuasa SMC turut menimbangkan keadaan pesakit yang tidak dieksploit dan Dr Yeong tidak pernah disabit kesalahan serta risiko mengulangi perbuatan tersebut.

Selain digantung lesen, Dr Yeong juga diarah supaya membuat satu perjanjian tidak akan bertindak sedemikian lagi dan membayar kos inkuiri itu.

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PISANG BERBUAH DUA KALI DI JB Pertama kali dirompak pada 1980-an, kini jadi sasaran lagi di Danga Bay

KALI terakhir Cik Ramlah Talip ke Johor dalam tahun 1980-an, beliau dirompak ketika mengecop pasport dalam perjalanan pulang ke Singapura.
Sejak itu, beliau tidak lagi singgah ke negeri tersebut jika melawat Semenanjung Malaysia.
Bagaimanapun, pisang berbuah dua kali bagi nenek tiga cucu berusia 57 tahun itu apabila beliau menziarahi saudaranya di Johor Bahru pada hari kedua Tahun Baru Cina Jumaat lalu.
Beliau dirompak ketika di dalam kereta bersama lima anggota keluarganya, termasuk cucunya, Ekka Mutira Abdullah, lima tahun, di Danga Bay.

Ketika kejadian tersebut, Cik Ramlah dan keluarga berhasrat makan tengah hari di sana.
'Kami baru sahaja sampai di tempat meletak kereta. Anak saudara saya yang memandu kereta sedang 'gostan' kereta apabila secara tiba-tiba dua lelaki membuka pintu di sebelah pemandu dan pintu penumpang belakang sebelah kiri dan melompat masuk.

'Mereka meneriak, 'Engkau jangan pekik nanti kami bunuh!' Kami tak boleh buat apa-apa kerana kami kena tindih.
'Mereka meragut beg saya dan beg seorang lagi saudara saya dan melarikan diri dengan menaiki motosikal,' jelas Cik Ramlah, menceritakan pengalaman ngerinya itu.

Beliau kehilangan wang tunai dan dokumen peribadi, termasuk kad pengenalan, dalam kejadian itu.
'Nasib baik saya tergerak hati untuk simpan pasport saya di rumah anak saudara saya, kalau tidak tak baliklah saya,' ujar Cik Ramlah.

Hanya pemandu yang cedera sedikit akibat dicekik oleh salah seorang perompak terbabit.
Meskipun sedih kerana dirompak, Cik Ramlah lebih sedih kerana orang ramai yang menyaksikan kejadian itu tidak menghulurkan apa-apa bantuan persis 'menonton drama', dakwa Cik Ramlah.

Beliau juga mendakwa bahawa pegawai keselamatan yang bertugas lengkap bersenjatakan senapang patah tidak berbuat apa-apa.

'Apabila kami merayu supaya beliau tolong kejar si perompak, beliau pula suruh kami buat laporan polis sahaja,' kata Cik Ramlah.

SQ154

Singapore team wins 'The Amazing Race Asia 2'


SINGAPORE : The team from Singapore has won 'The Amazing Race Asia 2'.

Gym buddies Adrian Yap, 27, and Collin Low, 35, beat nine other teams in a race that started in Singapore and took them across four continents in 24 days.

What is more amazing is Adrian is hearing-impaired, making it the first time in the Amazing Race history that a disabled person has emerged as a winner.

Collin says his partner's disability actually proved to be an advantage.

They communicated in sign language when they did not want others to know about their strategies.

The Singapore pair edged out Malaysian sisters Vanessa and Pamela Chong, as well as hot favourites Marc and Rovilson from the Philippines, to win the US$100,000 prize. - CNA/de

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Finance Minister unveils 20% tax rebate
Posted: 15 February 2008 1656 hrs

Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced on Friday a tax rebate for Singaporeans.

The Government will keep income tax unchanged, a surprise move that leaves the top personal rate at 18 percent.

"We will not be making any further move on personal income tax this year," he told parliament.

However he added: "As the Government had a strong surplus last year,...we will give something back to taxpayers this year. I will give an income tax rebate of 20 percent for all resident taxpayers for Year of Assessment 2008.

The rebate will be capped at S$2,000. Having this cap allows us to target the rebate at those below the top income brackets. The income tax rebates will cost the Government S$380 million."

To encourage voluntary savings, tax reliefs have been raised to S$7,000 for CPF top-ups.

He noted that for most taxpayers, Singapore's income tax regime is already one of the most competitive in the world.

But the government did abolish estate duty, or death tax, to become more attractive to wealthy individuals.

The Finance Minister said: "It is not just a practical or expedient measure, but one that on balance will be in our collective interest. If we make Singapore an attractive place for wealth to be invested and built up, whether by Singaporeans or foreigners who bring their assets here, it will benefit our whole economy and society, not just the individuals who build up their wealth. It is not a zero sum game." - CNA/ch

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Govt has no plans to lower petrol duty despite high oil prices
By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 15 February 2008 1606 hrs

SINGAPORE: The government has no plans to lower the rate of petrol duty despite higher oil prices.

Minister of State for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua said this is because petrol duty is a vehicular usage tax aimed at discouraging the excessive use of cars and promoting the greater use of public transport, and these objectives remain relevant.

Mrs Lim was replying to a question posed by MP for Aljunied GRC, Mrs Cynthia Phua, in Parliament on Friday.

Mrs Phua had asked if the government would review its tax policy on petrol, diesel and natural gas to help reduce business costs for transport operators, businesses, as well as commuters.

Mrs Lim explained that higher pump prices does not mean the government gets to collect more petrol duties.

She said: "The excise duty on petroleum is imposed on volumetric bases of 41 cents a litre for 92 and 95-octane petrol, and 44 cents a litre for petrol rated 97-octane and above. The excise duty is therefore a fixed sum per litre of petrol."

There is no excise duty on diesel, fuel oil and natural gas used for generating power.


- CNA/so

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Shaving foam can explodes in bathroom, almost hits girl
By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 15 February 2008 1913 hrs

SINGAPORE : A can of shaving foam partially exploded in a bathroom and it almost hit a 12-year-old girl.

The incident happened around 9pm on Thursday when Alena Yeo was in her bathroom in the house at Siglap Rise.

Her mother, Angela Aeria, said the can landed two metres away from her daughter.

The bottom end of the can had partly split open and was rusty. It had been sitting on the sink counter since it was bought four months ago.

Angela said the maid had cleaned the sink counter about a week ago.

The product was a 311g Gillette Foamy Shaving Cream which belonged to Angela's husband.

Procter & Gamble make Gillette products. Its office in Singapore has yet to issue a response. - CNA /ls

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Cop fined $2,000 for disciplinary offences
By Khushwant Singh


Station Inspector James Daniel Lim (left) admitted in a district court to doling out $3,600 in loans and running a bar in Katong Village while off duty, both violations of police regulations under the Police Force Act. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN


A HIGHLY DECORATED police officer who moonlighted as a loan shark and pub manager, and was fined $2,000 on Friday, stands to lose his job.

Station Inspector James Daniel Lim, 34, admitted in a district court to doling out $3,600 in loans and running a bar in Katong Village while off duty, both violations of police regulations under the Police Force Act.

While he was not charged with any criminal offences, his lawyer said Lim realises he will surely be fired from the Intelligence Division of the Criminal Investigation Department, wiping out his 15 years of service.

The officer was decorated last year for helping collar three kidnappers and recovering nearly $200,000 of ransom money.

He was also commended in 2002 for helping to solve a murder and was recognised a year later for his role in nabbing a serial rapist.

The court heard on Friday that Lim, with a friend, managed the Crew Room Live pub in Katong Village from Nov 2006 to June last year. Police officers require permission to take up another job.

Lim also made loans to cash-strapped friends, although he claimed the money came from a loan shark. Last March, he lent $2,000 to a drinking buddy at 20 per cent interest.

Lim even asked for a copy of his friend's Credit Bureau Report and photocopies of his identity card. He would also levy a $50 charge for each day the payments were late.

A third charge of lending $1,600 to another man last April was considered by the judge in sentencing. Lim was fined the maximum $1,000 for each of the two charges he pleaded guilty to.

He could also have been jailed for up to six months Despite the charges, Lim's lawyer, Mr Christopher Bridges, said that there was no dereliction of duty.

'The offences relate to disciplinary conduct and do not involve any dishonesty,' he said.

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Woman found dead in steam sauna was in the pink of health: husband
By Jessica Lim and Yen Feng

GOLFER. Globe-trotter. Avid dancer.

People who knew Mrs Soo Lee, the woman found dead in the steam room of the Singapore Island Country Club on Tuesday, described her as an adventurous person with a real zest for life.

She travelled overseas regularly to indulge in one of her favourite pastimes - golf - hitting the links in countries like South Africa and Scotland.

She was no Sunday golfer either: Mrs Lee was a two-time winner of the Ladies' Gold Medal at the SICC's annual golf tournament.

Her other passion was dancing. Friends and family told The Straits Times that she often went out dancing with her husband, a retired airline manager.

Mrs Lee, the chief executive officer of the Singapore Aircargo Agents Association (SAAA) was believed to have gone to the club with two friends early on Tuesday. But while relaxing in the steam room at around 9 am, she lost consciousness.

The Straits Times understands that her friends tried to rouse her, and called for help when they failed. The club's swimming coach and gym instructor rushed to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and even deployed a defibrillator, but Mrs Lee was pronounced dead at Tan Tock Seng hospital at 10 am.

On Friday, her husband, Mr Freddie Lee was still reeling from her sudden death.

At the family home in White House Park after a funeral service at the Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery, where Mrs Soo Lee was buried on Friday, Mr Lee said: 'She was in the pink of health - even healthier than I am.'

The couple has two grown up children, who are in their 30s.

Doctors and spa operators contacted by ST yesterday said there were no inherent dangers in steam rooms or saunas.

But they cautioned people who have heart conditions against using them.

Dr Bernard Ee, a cardiologist in private practice, said: 'In extreme temperatures, blood pressure will fall, and may lead to heart attacks for people with prior heart conditions.'

'Patients with heart conditions should avoid using steam rooms or saunas.'

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Woman found dead in steam sauna was in the pink of health: husband
By Jessica Lim and Yen Feng

GOLFER. Globe-trotter. Avid dancer.

People who knew Mrs Soo Lee, the woman found dead in the steam room of the Singapore Island Country Club on Tuesday, described her as an adventurous person with a real zest for life.

She travelled overseas regularly to indulge in one of her favourite pastimes - golf - hitting the links in countries like South Africa and Scotland.

She was no Sunday golfer either: Mrs Lee was a two-time winner of the Ladies' Gold Medal at the SICC's annual golf tournament.

Her other passion was dancing. Friends and family told The Straits Times that she often went out dancing with her husband, a retired airline manager.

Mrs Lee, the chief executive officer of the Singapore Aircargo Agents Association (SAAA) was believed to have gone to the club with two friends early on Tuesday. But while relaxing in the steam room at around 9 am, she lost consciousness.

The Straits Times understands that her friends tried to rouse her, and called for help when they failed. The club's swimming coach and gym instructor rushed to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and even deployed a defibrillator, but Mrs Lee was pronounced dead at Tan Tock Seng hospital at 10 am.

On Friday, her husband, Mr Freddie Lee was still reeling from her sudden death.

At the family home in White House Park after a funeral service at the Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery, where Mrs Soo Lee was buried on Friday, Mr Lee said: 'She was in the pink of health - even healthier than I am.'

The couple has two grown up children, who are in their 30s.

Doctors and spa operators contacted by ST yesterday said there were no inherent dangers in steam rooms or saunas.

But they cautioned people who have heart conditions against using them.

Dr Bernard Ee, a cardiologist in private practice, said: 'In extreme temperatures, blood pressure will fall, and may lead to heart attacks for people with prior heart conditions.'

'Patients with heart conditions should avoid using steam rooms or saunas.'

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3 armed robbers arrested in Ang Mo Kio]

Police have arrested another group of armed robbers - two Malay men and a woman - who are believed to have robbed at least two shops in the Ang Mo Kio area.

They were armed with knives with 80 cm blades. Police received a call at 6 pm on Thursday that a staff of a convenience store at Block 407, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 had been robbed at knife-point by two men.

The two suspects, with the woman who acted as a lookout, fled with $800 in cash and cigarettes and phone cards worth about $1,200.

Officers from the Ang Mo Kio police division swiftly followed up on the CCTV footage captured at the store and established a suspect's identity by Thursday afternoon.

At about 6.40 pm, police raided a flat at Block 469 in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 and arrested two men, aged 17 and 21, and a Malay woman, aged 21.

Also seized were the stolen items and a knife. Investigations revealed that the two men were involved in a similar armed robbery at a store at Block 437, Ang Mo Kio Street 42 on Jan 29.

The 21-year-old man is also believed to be responsible for a housebreaking case on Feb 2 at Serangoon North Avenue 4, where cash and a laptop worth about $4,000 were stolen.

Police said all the trio will be charged in court on Saturday for armed robbery, which carries a maximum jail term of 14 years and 24 strokes of the cane.

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Man gets maximum fine for causing hurt to baby

By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent

A MAN was given the maximum fine of $1,000 on Friday for causing grevious hurt to his five-month old son by negligently knocking his head against a piece of furniture.

The 22-year-old man was carrying the baby when a cat jumped out from nowhere, causing to slip and fall.

As he fell, the baby's head hit a piece of furniture. The man did not tell anyone about the accident. The baby boy suffered a skull fracture and swelling in his brain.

It was only the next day that the victim's mother felt something was amiss when the infant refused to drink his milk. The Straits Times understands the baby has since recovered.

On Friday, a magistrate's court judge handed the man the maximum penalty - a $1,000 fine. As he was unable to pay the fine, he will serve a week in jail.

The cargo-handler, who cannot be named, had pleaded guilty to a charge of negligently causing grievous hurt when he visited the baby's mother, his 21-year-old girlfriend's flat in Tampines on May 23 last year.

Pleading for leniency, the man told District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan it was an accident.

He said he did not tell anyone about the mishap because he feared being scolded. He also said he was making plans to marry the child's mother.

He could have been jailed for up to two years or fined, or both.

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$1.8b hongbao package for all S'poreans
By Lydia Lim, Senior Political Correspondent

ALL Singaporeans will benefit from a $1.8 billion surplus-sharing package that Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam unveiled in Parliament on Friday.

Everyone will gain from the $865-million Growth Dividend scheme, with the largest cash gifts going to lower and middle-incomers.

Tax payers will get a personal income tax rebate of up to $2,000.

Older Singaporeans aged 51 and above will receive top-ups of between $150 to $450 to their CPF Medisave accounts this year, to help them pay for medical bills and higher Medishield insurance premiums.

All these are possible because of last year's bumper overall budget surplus of $6.4 billion, the result of excellent economic growth and a buoyant property.

To help Singaporeans save more for old age, Mr Tharman also announced a special sign-on bonus of up to $4,000 for lower and middle-incomers who join the new CPF Life annuity scheme.

VIDEO
Budget 2008 gives $1.8b hongbao to S'poreans
(3:54)
Highlights of S'pore's 2008/09 budget
FOLLOWING are the highlights of Singapore's 2008/09 budget delivered by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Parliament on Friday.

KEY POINTS:
- Singapore 2007/08 budget surplus at S$6.4 billion.
- Manufacturing investment likely S$16 billion in 2008.
- Rising cost of living a major concern.
- There is limit on Singapore dollar appreciation.
- To adjust tax policies to stay competitive.
- Research spending to be increased to S$7.5 billion by 2010.
- Tax deductions for R&D to rise to 150 percent from 100 percent.
- To keep business cost competitive against other cities.
- To defer another S$1 billion of public construction projects.
- Corporate tax rate of 18 per cent is competitive.
- To introduce tax incentives for family-owned holdings and insurance brokers - To drop estate duty immediately.
- No cut in personal income tax this year. Grants 20 percent income tax rebate capped at S$2,000.
- To tax all alcoholic beverages based on alcohol content.
- Expects 2008/09 budget deficit of S$0.8 billion.
... more
2008 Budget to build top quality, resilient economy
THE 2008 budget is about creating new advantages and fresh opportunities for Singapore to build it into a top quality economy, and developing the capabilities of its people and enterprises, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Friday.

It is about social resilience - keeping the people together as Singapore grows and ensuring that no one is left behind.
... more
On the economic front, Mr Tharman highlighted the importance of ensuring Singapore keeps its edge in the contest against other cities through measures to nurture 'top quality people and top quality enterprises'.

Businesses stand to gain from tax deductions, tax allowances and new incentives tied to Research and Development done here.

To help keep business costs down, the Government will vacate much-needed office space in the central area and defer $1 billion worth of projects, to ease the pressure on rental and construction costs.

Education and training are also key to ensuring competitiveness.

Bursaries and loans for university students will be enhanced so that those from the lower two-thirds of the population will not need to expend cash for either fees or living expenses during their university years.

Workers keen to upgrade their skills will benefit from this year's $800 million top-up to the Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund, bringing it to $3 billion.

Mr Tharman also announced tax changes to support the growth of small and medium sized enterprises, encourage risk taking and strengthen Singapore's role as a financial and business hub.

He said ultimately, Signapore's success as an economy and resilience as a society would not depend on how much the Government could hand out each year, but on people's confidence that this remains a home where they have opportunities to excel.

'We will ultimately succeed and remain a country that all Singaporeans feel proud of, if we continue to be a place where every Singaporean can aspire, where there is opportunity to develop every skill and talent, and where everyone does his utmost to do better and surprise with his abilities. That is how together, we will stay ahead, keep amazing the world and achieve a better quality of life for all Singaporeans.'

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Singapura : 16 Februari 2008         

JEMAAH HAJI KOMA DIBAWA PULANG

Kini di SGH lepas dua bulan dirawat di Saudi dek angin ahmar

Oleh
Khalid Khamis

SELEPAS hampir dua bulan terlantar di Hospital Muhammad Salleh Basharahil di Makkah, Arab Saudi, seorang jemaah haji Singapura akhirnya dibawa pulang semalam.

Hajah Maimunah Kassim, 65 tahun, terus dimasukkan ke Hospital Besar Singapura (SGH) untuk rawatan lanjut.

Beliau dalam keadaan sedarkan diri dan, walaupun tidak dapat bercakap, boleh respon apabila ditanya dengan menggerakkan anggota badannya.

Beliau, yang tiba dengan pesawat SQ455, ditemani Dr Husaini Hafiz dan seorang jururawat, Cik Angela Tan Gek Lya, di sepanjang penerbangan.

Kepulangan Hajah Maimunah diuruskan pihak insurans, seperti ST&T International Pte Ltd dan United Overseas Insurance, menerusi International SOS.

Orang yang paling gembira menyambut kepulangan beliau ialah anak tunggalnya, Encik Khairil Fadilah Mohd Suraidi.

Beliau, 39 tahun, bergegas ke Makkah Disember lalu selepas dimaklumkan ibunya dimasukkan ke hospital selepas terjatuh di Mina, tetapi tidak dapat berada lama di sisinya kerana terpaksa pulang kerana urusan pekerjaan.

Hajah Maimunah disahkan diserang angin ahmar oleh seorang doktor di Pusat Perubatan Mina selepas rebah ketika beratur untuk menggunakan tandas pada 19 Disember lalu.

Encik Khairil Fadilah berkata: 'Setibanya saya di sana, saya tak sangka ibu dalam keadaan koma. Sepanjang dua minggu saya di sana, dia tak sedarkan diri dan hanya tiga hari sebelum saya pulang, barulah ibu saya buka mata.

'Walaupun gembira apabila dapat berita minggu lalu bahawa ibu saya akan dibawa pulang, saya masih bimbang kerana macam-macam boleh berlaku dalam perjalanan pulang.'

Beliau berkata keluarganya berterima kasih kepada semua pihak, terutamanya pegawai Shahidah Travel & Tours yang setia berada di sisi ibunya dan memberi perkembangan terkini ketika di Makkah.

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Singapura : 16 Februari 2008         
         
BAYI TERJATUH DARI SOFA MATI KERANA SESAK NAFAS

Oleh
Khalid Khamis

BAYI lelaki berusia tiga bulan yang ditidurkan di atas sofa dan kemudian terjatuh ke atas tilam, dipercayai meninggal akibat sesak nafas.

Bapa bayi itu, Encik Noorizan Noordin, 31 tahun, bersama dua anak perempuannya, berusia dua dan empat tahun, sedang tidur di atas tilam itu pada 31 Ogos lalu.

Apabila terjaga sekitar 2.40 pagi, teknisyen perkhidmatan itu terkejut melihat bayinya tertiarap di atas bantal dan kaki kakaknya di atas kepalanya.

Tubuh bayi itu sudah dalam keadaan kaku dan dingin.

Isteri Encik Noorizan, Cik Siti Raihan Mohamed Salleh, seorang pelayan, 23 tahun, pulang ke flat mereka di Woodlands tidak lama kemudian dan terus menghubungi ambulans.

Bayi itu disahkan meninggal dunia sekitar 4 pagi di Hospital Universiti Nasional (NUH).

Di Mahkamah Koroner Selasa lalu, hakim diberitahu bayi itu dibiarkan tidur di atas sofa oleh ibunya sekitar 8 malam sebelum keluar bekerja.

Tilam bersebelahan sofa pula adalah untuk Encik Noorizan dan dua anak perempuannya berehat dan menonton televisyen.

Pakar patologi forensik, Dr Teo Eng Swee, dalam laporannya menyatakan punca kematian bayi itu tidak dapat dipastikan.

Namun, beliau tidak menolak kemungkinan bayi itu meninggal akibat sesak nafas atau Sindrom Kematian Bayi Mendadak (Sids).

Sids adalah satu istilah yang digunakan bagi kematian bayi dengan puncanya tidak dapat dipastikan.

Dr Teo menambah bahawa sesak nafas boleh berlaku walaupun tiada kesan kecederaan atau kesan tekanan ditemui atas tubuh bayi.

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More warning letters sent to parents on their kids' night-owl antics
Youngsters found by police in public places past 11pm are reported to parents
By Alex Liam



Last year, the police sent out about 1,200 warning letters to parents about their teens loitering late at night. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

SIXTEEN-year-old Wu Jin Lian likes to hang out late at night. Void decks near her home in Tampines are her usual haunt and she chats with friends there into the wee hours.

The problem? Teens like her are easy prey for low-life trouble-makers - either in falling victim to a crime or being roped in to commit one.

Prompted by concerns such as these, police have written to Jin Lian's parents informing them of her night-owl antics.

The letter to Mum and Dad from the cops is the result of a police initiative launched two years ago in which youngsters under 17 who are found loitering in public places after 11pm by patrolling officers can be reported to their parents.

It raised a fuss at the time, with some people worrying that police were assuming parents' responsibilities, and that it might make teens overly mistrustful of the police.

In the case of Jin Lian. her parents have received two such letters.

It doesn't seem to have made her any more mistrustful of the police, though. If anything, she seems indifferent, telling GenY: 'It was just a simple matter of taking down my particulars and after that, they let me go. I still continue to stay out late.'

Two years after the scheme kicked off, the teenager is among a growing number of youngsters being flagged this way.

Last year, the police sent out about 1,200 warning letters to parents about their teens loitering late at night. This is double the 675 notes sent out in 2006 when the scheme was introduced.

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Drink driver nabbed after tip-off from public

POLICE arrested a 41-year-old drink driver early on Friday morning after a a tip-off from a public-spirited citizen who trailed the car for a distance.

Mr Chia Hong Boon, a 27-year-old project manager, was driving along the Central Expressway towards Tampines Expressway at about 5.05 am, when he noticed a car driver driving in an unsteady manner.

Mr Chia decided to follow the car from a distance and called the police for assistance.

He notified the police when the car driver drove into an open carpark at Block 231 Ang Mo Kio Street 22 and kept watch while waiting for the police.

The driver was about to drive off from the car park when the police arrived and arrested him after he failed a breathalyser test.

A subsequent breath analyser test showed that the car driver's breath contained 80 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 ml, significantly exceeding the legally prescribed limit of 35 microgrammes per 100 ml of breath.

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Did M'sia immigration officer forget to stamp passport because of S'pore girl's photo?
He asked for my phone number
By Hedy Khoo
February 16, 2008


Miss Yap said the Johor immigration officer was overly friendly and kept asking her personal questions, even though she refused to answer him.

THE immigration officer first commented that she 'looked quite pretty'. Then, he asked her if she 'had a number' and whether she was alone.

He then allegedly asked: 'Do you want to come out and play some day?'

Singaporean undergrad Miss Jenny Yap, 21, said she was so insulted by the Malaysian immigration officer's question, she refused to answer him.

She simply waited for him to stamp the exit pass on her passport, then left to catch the coach which was taking her back across the Causeway to Singapore.

'I thought of making a complaint, but I didn't see a name tag on him,' said Miss Yap.

'I just wanted to get home, and I was worried about the jam on the Causeway.'

The alleged incident happened last weekend at about 5pm.

Miss Yap had left Singapore last week with her mother to visit her grandparents in Ipoh over the Chinese New Year holiday.

But as she was waiting for the bus to take her across the Causeway, she decided to check if her passport had been properly stamped.

NOT STAMPED



'I was shocked when I realised the officer had not stamped my passport, and I hurried back up to the counter,' she said.
Click to see larger image

'At first, I thought he really forgot, but when I went back to the counter, I suspected he had done it on purpose.'

According to Miss Yap, the officer had been attending to another person, when she returned to look for him. He turned to look at her and grinned.

'I asked him why he didn't stamp my passport, and he smiled and asked me 'You really don't have a number?'

Miss Yap said she made sure the officer stamped her passport before she left.

'Luckily I discovered it before I boarded the bus back to Singapore,' she said.

She described the officer to be in his mid to late 20s 'with oily skin'.

Miss Yap said she usually crossed the Causeway twice a year to visit relatives, but this was the first time she had problems with an immigration officer.

Miss Yap said she does not intend to file a complaint as it has been several days since the incident.

'I just want to highlight to other Singaporeans the importance of checking that their passports are properly stamped when they pass through the Johor immigrations,' she said.

The deputy director of the State Immigration of Johor, Mr Johari Yusof, said visitors who wish to file a complaint may write directly to immigrations director Nasri Ishak at the Johor Immigration office at Jalan Air Molek.

Said Mr Johari: 'There are also feedback forms available at the checkpoint.'

The public can also call their hotline on 072244253/4/5.

On Miss Yap's case, he said that if she wanted to pursue the case, she should try to provide the time of the incident and the lane number, or her passport number so that they could trace her time of arrival.

He said: 'Normally, an immigrations officer may ask a visitor 'How are you?' out of courtesy, but that is optional.

'The immigrations officers are not supposed to ask for telephone numbers,' he said.

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Could it be Inuka the polar bear, Chawang the elephant, or Omar the white tiger? These are some of the shortlisted candidates the Singapore Zoo has in mind in its search for a new icon. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

Who should be the next ?
Six popular residents are shortlisted but it's not easy replacing the Singapore Zoo icon
By Nur Dianah Suhaimi




AH MENG left big shoes to fill.

The 48-year-old orang utan died suddenly during breakfast on Feb 8 and it has not been easy for the Singapore Zoo to find itself another icon.

Ah Meng was used in many of the zoo's promotional materials and had been the animal most associated with it.

The zoo has since shortlisted six of its more popular residents - an orang utan, a bull elephant, a polar bear, a white tiger, a sealion and an otter.

Branding experts say not all animals can qualify as a zoo icon.

Mr Mike Liew, managing director of branding firm Upstream Asia (Singapore and South-east Asia), said a zoo's icon must first be an exotic creature, not something common like a cat or dog.

Secondly, the animal should be able to interact with people. That, he said, rules out 'passive' creatures such as tortoises.

Thirdly, it has to be good-natured because there will be problems if the animal turns violent.

'That's why Ah Meng was such a hit. She was friendly, comfortable with crowds. These appealed to visitors,' he said.

Of the 20 Singaporeans The Sunday Times polled, more than half felt that Inuka, the Singapore-born polar bear, deserves to be the new mascot.

Said corporate relations officer Premadevi Perumal, 25: 'People would never associate the polar bear with Singapore's humid weather, yet Inuka has survived here. In a way, Inuka is a true Singaporean, a real survivor.'

However, Nature Society president Geh Min felt that the next icon should not just be cute but should fit into the zoo's mission to educate and conserve.

'Although many of us are fond of Inuka, there are concerns about how it is inappropriate to have a polar bear in the tropics,' she said. 'So an icon should be native to this region, like a tiger or an elephant.'

Dr Prem Shamdasani, an associate professor of marketing at the National University of Singapore, said it was time for a new animal species to take over.

'Primates are good but it is time for a change. After all, the zoo is home to many animals,' he said.

His choice? Chawang the elephant because it is indigenous to Asia and a popular animal in Asian folklore.

Meanwhile, people are still paying homage to Ah Meng, who died at the age of 48, with many visitors heading for her grave in the zoo in Mandai.

Said deputy head keeper Jackson Raj: 'Each day, people would leave flowers, drawings and orang utan stuffed toys at the statue near her grave.' He said one elderly woman wept as she recalled visiting Ah Meng in the 1980s.

Ah Meng's brood has apparently not got over her death. When The Sunday Times visited the zoo last Thursday, the orang utans were still subdued. Chomel, aged 11, said to be Ah Meng's favourite granddaughter, seemed the most affected.

Said Mr Raj: 'Ah Meng and the other orang utans spend a lot of time together. It will take a few weeks for them to get over this loss.'

Another tragedy at the zoo last Wednesday - a freak accident in which 21/2-year-old orang utan Atina died after her neck was dislocated when it was stuck in a noose - did not help lift the sombre mood among the keepers.

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