‘The police in Singapore are very nice and friendly people.’

Not from the way I see it.

There was this policewoman, misshapen teeth, tomboyish look, with the face that has the quality of something stamped into uncooperative material (Thank you, D.F.W.).
As I walked, shackled and chained, she with a large grin on her face said:

‘Don’t look so happy now, wait till you go to jail, then you won’t smile anymore.’

Afterwards, this policeman, who looks like one of the stereotypical uncles Jack Neo would use in one of his movies. And he, also with a rambunctious grin, told me:
‘Don’t look so happy now, once you go into the cell, you’re not going to look so happy anymore.’

He then proceeded to nudge his buddy on the left and said:

‘Wah this boy, confirm send to Boy’s Home already ah!’

Wow, I don’t think they’re nice and friendly people...

I even remember their names. They are Yap B L and Gregory Leong respectively. I am not feeling safe here…

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong told reporters today that Singapore's investments into its sports infrastructure and athletes is paying off, citing the many achievements of local athletes and the high viewership of the SEA Games event online and offline.

Speaking to the media, Wong boasted that statistics show the SEA Games had gathered more online views than the London Olympics in 2012 and the Incheon Asian Games. There were 320,000 downloads of the SEA Games app, while the official SEA Games 2015 YouTube channel had gathered 44 million views.

More than 500,000 spectators attended the sporting events across 31 venues throughout the island during the 12 days of the Games in Singapore.

Earlier this year, it was announced that SEA Games 2015 would operate with a budget of approximately S$324.5 million, which amounts to a whopping S$27 million per day. The government has yet to announce the total bill incurred by the organizers.

Hi everyone,

I sat besides a teenager boy with running nose. I wanted to offer him some tissues but too bad my tissues like left last 1 piece. Too paisei to offer.

Today I have sore throat liao. Tomorrow have to wear mask go out

Hopefully those with cough/flu pls be responsible and wear a mask or just rest at home pls!

Those with chicken pox or recovering from pox, pls also stay at home instead of going out n spread to those that haven't get chicken pox. Pls dont have the mind set that u are doing public service (yea someone told me this!) by spreading and building people immune system up. There are pregnant ladies, sick and elderly too.

We still have a long way to go as a society if we can't do something simple like this manz. Go polyclinic also. got cough and flu dont bother to wear mask. If MERS spreads here, I think confirm many people will catch it and die one because of these irresponsible people. Maybe we need a law from the government to fine people for spreading diseases.

Health Conscious Singaporean

I join Singaporeans in saluting all our athletes, and I thank The Straits Times for its great coverage of the events, and for honouring the medallists on two full pages yesterday (“A salute to our medallists”).

We should not forget those who may not have won any medals but nevertheless fought with pride and honour.

However, a close examination of the medal list reveals a very telling tale: The medallists for table tennis are almost entirely foreign athletes.

The other sports fielded mainly locals and were equally successful in winning medals.

I am not against having foreign talents, as they have a role to play.

But, something is seriously amiss when an entire team is made up of foreign talents.

China produces equally good swimmers, divers, sailors and basketballers, besides paddlers.

So, what is the other sports associations’ secret that has enabled them to be so successful in winning medals without a heavy reliance on foreign athletes?

Jessie Tan Sze Nah (Ms)

To celebrate SG50, the Singapore government is gathering 500,000 Singaporeans to sing the National Anthem simultaneously and recite the pledge on 9th August at 9AM across Singapore.

This year's synchronized National Day Observance ceremony will be organized by the People's Association Grassroots Organisations.

In previous years, the ceremonies would be held at different times in different constituencies. This will be the first time a massive synchronized ceremony will be conducted.

Dear editors,

I was walking home and saw this boy, maybe aged 14 to 16, hanging over the third storey railing at Ang Mo Kio at around 10pm. When I saw him hanging, I got very afraid that he might fall.

He seemed like he was playing around and went back up safely without falling. Maybe he was practicing parkour?

Agung

In a shock announcement this week, the Malaysian Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) told Malaysian media that it wants to terminate the upcoming high-speed rail (HSR) terminus at the existing Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Johor.

Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT) said today that it was surprised about the Malaysian statement. Earlier in March this year, leaders of Singapore and Malaysia announced that the HSR terminus in Singapore*will be located at Jurong East.

The full MOT statement below:

Singapore and Malaysia agreed at the 2013 Leaders’ Retreat to build the High Speed Rail (HSR) link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Studies have been carried out by both countries. Malaysia decided last year that the HSR terminus in Kuala Lumpur would be located in Bandar Malaysia. Similarly, Singapore has decided that the HSR terminus in Singapore would be located in Jurong East. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong informed Prime Minister Najib Razak of this at this year’s Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat, and the location was also announced to the public at the joint press conference by the two Prime Ministers following the Retreat. We are therefore surprised by the Land Public Transport Commission’s (SPAD) recent statement that Malaysia preferred to terminate the HSR at the existing CIQ (customs, immigration and quarantine) complex in Johor Bahru.

Furthermore, our understanding is that Malaysia views the commercial premise of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR project, and with which we agree, as being based on a direct connection between the two city centres. Terminating the HSR in Johor Bahru will not achieve this objective.

Both sides are in discussion on the project’s commercial and operating models. Singapore has proposed that the domestic transit HSR services, which will stop at six stations in Malaysia between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and hence primarily serve commuters travelling within Malaysia, be operated separately from the express non-stop HSR services between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. This will give Malaysia autonomy over the domestic transit services to serve Malaysia’s domestic needs and benefit Malaysia, while both countries work together on the cross-border HSR services.

On the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, both countries can only determine the type and alignment of the crossing after both terminus locations have been confirmed. Singapore informed Malaysia in June 2011 that the terminus in Singapore would be located at the Woodlands North station of the Thomson-East Coast Line. However, we have yet to receive official confirmation of the location of Malaysia’s RTS terminus in Johor Bahru. As such, contrary to what was said in the Malaysian media by Johor State Exco for Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee Chairman Datuk Ir. Haji Hasni bin Haji Mohammad, there is no agreement with Malaysia that the crossing will be a high bridge.*

Speaking to reporters to today, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong had very bad news for Singaporeans. He said that the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) will arrive in Singapore "sooner or later" because Singapore is intricately connected to the world.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said the same thing and warned that it was only "a matter of time" before MERS hits Singapore.

Asked whether temperature screening at airports will be extended to passengers from Thailand, Mr Gan declined to give a straight answer and said that there would be "protocols" to follow. Currently, only travellers coming from MERS-infected areas such as the Middle East and South Korea will be screened.

Gan also said that hospitals have been reminded to be vigilant about MERS and reminders have been sent to health care providers throughout the island, including General Practitioners.

Dear A.S.S.

I saw this while on my way home today. This ang moh was seen stretching his legs all the way to the center of the MRT cabin.

Why so inconsiderate? What if someone trips and falls? Who will be at fault?

Lee

Dear Ikea..

I have always supported your company by buying your products. I was looking forward in shopping at your outlet. So I was drawn to your advertisement. But I'm deeply affected by your potrayal of the family in the ads.

Did your people do research before coming up with the ad?

Muslim man are forbidden to wear gold. The father n son are laden with gold. Its disrespectful to Muslims. It is also a misrepresentation of why we celebrate Ramadhan n Syawal. It is not about spending money changing to new household products or showing off your wealth in this case by the blatant display of jewellery. We are encourage not to spend lavishly and to dress more appropriately. No woman go visiting in baju kurung n sneakers! Urban Malay Muslims are not as potrayed by the advertisement.

Im sorry but i have to comment. Others may not feel as I do but I consider this a serious matter. You may not remove the ad but i hope you can make the effort to come up with a more sensitive intelligent and creative advertisement. This ad is poorly done. Thanks.

Hamidah Srikandi Melayu

Dear editor

The media reported earlier that Thailand had confirmed its first case of MERS infection.

A 75-year old man and his 3 family members have been quarantined in Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Thailand. He arrived in Bangkok from Oman for medical treatment of a heart condition. More than 100 people onboard the flight were marked for contact tracing.

Despite the fact that the disease has reached Thailand, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told reporters that it is not necessary to screen visitors from Thailand at the moment as the "sole case is contained".

MERS is such an infectious disease and South Korea already has 23 deaths. Why isn't the health ministry doing its part to screen visitors from Thailand since Singapore is a popular destination for Thai workers and we have a sizable Thai population who may have visitors from Thailand.

Singapore is known to be "kiasu", so why can't we be "kiasu" for MERS? It's better to be safe than sorry!

Alvin

A.S.S Contributor

It appears that no one has an answer as to how teenage blogger Amos Yee is still able to post on Facebook. This was after the Singapore Prisons service confirmed that Amos Yee, who has been in remand at Changi Prison over the past 3 weeks, has no internet access.

Yet Facebook postings have appeared on Amos Yee's page mysteriously at regular intervals. As of Friday night, there are a total of 7 posts on his Facebook page.

In these posts, Amos wrote about prison conditions, complaining about the lack of sunlight in the cells, criticizing the attitude of prison officers towards Yee's choice of a vegetarian diet.

In one post, Yee compared himself to political martyrs such as Gandhi or Nelson Mandela.

All three of Yee's lawyers - Mr Alfred Dodwell, Mr Chong Jia Hao, and Mr Ervin Tan - said that they did not know how the posts were being made and declined to speculate.

"We aren't aware of how this is happening and we don't want to speculate. We'll just focus on preparing for the sentencing. Everything else is secondary," says Mr Chong.

Yee's mother Madam Mary Toh also refused to comment on the posts.

Yee will return to court on June 23, where he may learn his sentence.

Dear editor

I refer to the recent news that all civil servants will get a sum of $500 as part of their bonus package as SG50 bonus.

This is unfair.

Has civil service forgotten about ex-civil servants who have served 20 -30 years previously? They have built and served Singapore, and most of them dont have pensions but yet they are now surviving on meagre livings, or either unemployed, or ended up as taxi drivers, security guards or some even wheelchair bound.

These people are real Singaporeanns who have worked and sacrificed for the nation! They deserve the $500!

Let me give you an analogy, in a 4 x 4 relay race, do you only reward the last lap runner or all 4 runners?

To add insult to former civil servants, there are thousands of foreigners in the public sector, notably within MOE. Do these foreigners deserve our SG50 $500 bonus?

A.S.S Contributor
Joseph E

Got MERS? No problem! If you're in North Korea.

North Korea's state media KCNA reported yesterday that the country has developed a vaccine that is "very effective" in treating Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Ebola, Aids, cancer and many other diseases that Western medicine has find a cure for.

The drug was developed by North Korea's Pugang Pharmaceutic Company and is marketed with the slogan, "Everyone has the right to be healthy". The drug is made from extracts of ginseng and rare earth elements and has been tried and tested since 1989, KCNA reported.

"The Kumdang-2 injection, a strong immune activator, which is produced in DPRK (North Korea), is very effective in curing diseases caused by malignant viruses such as Sars, Ebola and Mers," KCNA announced.

North Korea has taken strong measures in the past to ward off the spread of viral diseases and recently vowed watertight measures at its airports and border crossings to stop the spread of MERS. Last year, it banned all foreign tourists for 4 months to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus.

In a recent survey conducted by the Philippines' Social Weather Stations (SWS), 8 in 10 Filipinos are afraid of a possible armed conflict between the Philippines and China over the disputed Scarborough Shoal islands in the South Chin Sea.

84% of respondents said they were worried about armed conflict with China, and 49% said they "worried a great deal", said the SWS.

The survey was conducted from March 20 to 23, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 respondents throughout the Philippines.

The finding was consistent with that of previous polls in September 2012, September 2013, and June 2014, the SWS noted.

Scarborough Shoal, locally called Bajo de Masinloc, is located some 125 nautical miles off Zambales. It is part of a set of disputed isles in the South China Sea that the Philippines has a long standing dispute with China and other ASEAN nations about.

To settle the dispute with China, Manila has filed for an arbitration case before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

The standoff started in April 2012 when the Philippine Navy’s BRP Gregorio del Pilar apprehended Chinese poachers in the area.

Since then, China has maintained its presence through its coast guard, barring local fishermen’s access to the uninhabited shoal.

Internationally, the Philippines has dropped 7 places in a global peace ranking, falling to 141 out of 162 countries because of the potential for conflict in the South China Sea and the Masasapano tragedy in January in which 44 national police commandos were killed when fighting with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels.

In the Global Peace Index 2015 report issued on Wednesday by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the Philippines was in last place in the ASEAN rankings and in penultimate place in the Asia-Pacific rankings, just ahead of North Korea.

According to a reader, inconsiderate people have occupied the entire fitness corner in an estate at Woodlands by hanging all their laundry there to dry.

"I went to the fitness corner to do my daily exercise, but I discovered that the whole place was occupied by somebody's drying laundry!"

This is the first time that he has seen something like this there, and the reader suspects that the people who hung their laundry out there to dry are not local.

"Who in their right mind would do something like this? Civic minded Singaporeans will not do this."

So angry my hands are shaking!!!!

This driver almost knocked a pregnant lady at the carpark exit at i12!

And driver paddled down again because the lady stood there in shock! (No no, she wasn't using the phone; she was crossing the lane like many of us walking from marine parade did)

Bloody passenger still give me middle finger (BOTH HANDS) when I walked up towards the pregger . While nearing the car, I hand gestured to the driver to give way to pedestrian. When car turned left, ill-bred passenger flicked at me, twice!!!

Gosh these young rich brats!! The self-entitlement mentality is clear here: everyone have to give way to them!! Even if they are operating a machine capable of killing people.

Both female about very early 20s. Driver: long hair, wore dark spectacles. Passenger: long hair right parting long fringe, big eyes, smaller sized than driver.

To these under-developed chicks: you suck, shame on you!!!!!

Ps: thank you to those who shared. If anyone knows these girls, please tell them to get off their high horses and respect life!!!

Susan Tan

[Photo by contributor: PTE Mohammad Junadi from 42 SAR receiving an award from CO LTC Koh Ting You]

Dear editor

I came across a series of photos posted by The Singapore Army Facebook page and I am glad to see a Malay soldier PTE Mohammad Jumadi who was awarded the best matador gunner in 42 Singapore Armoured Regiment (42SAR).

Finally, our Malay brothers are accepted in the Armour formation.

For the uninitiated, the Singapore Armour formation do not have Malay soldiers since its inception in 1968 for unspoken reasons. The formation uses armoured vehicles such as tanks and armoured carriers to spearhead advance movements and hold key objectives during times of war. From what I heard from my enciks, there were discomfort in the region after the AMX-13 tanks were first revealed during National Day Parade in 1969 but it was a source of pride among Singaporeans and assuring for those who chose to stay in the young nation. Our leaders then don't have a choice, Singapore was a punching bag and her survival was at stake.

But Singapore is turning 50 this year and she was built on the foundation of mutual trust, respect and harmony among difference races. Singaporeans are highly educated, well-travelled and most are able to understand Singapore's stability doesn't come easy. With social media, Singaporeans could see the mistrust among different races in first world liberal nations where white cops held bias against non-whites.

I cannot deny there was mistrust towards Malays in the very early years of the SAF. It is impossible for me to understand the sense of injustice, discrimination and prejudice my Malay friends felt when they realized they were barred from certain "more sensitive" roles in the armed forces. I am a minority so sometimes I do feel some discrimination in the society but I never felt discriminated in the SAF because I've seen Indian Colonels and Sikh BGs around.

Except for the very tiny segment of the Malay community (Thank to the misguided JI, ISIS and terrorism sympathizers), I am 100% certain our Malay Singaporeans are loyal to Singapore and they will put the country above blood ties, religious ties and fight to their death to defend the country like any Singaporeans would.

Sanjay A