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The continuing GLOBAL stressful thread! Part II

RadX

By RadX,
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Dleodleo

Dleodleo

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Paradise lost for some Bintan investors from Singapore

 

 

• Investors pay $12 million in total for units • Developer pulls plug on condo-hotel project • Buyers say they did not get promised refunds

 

Dozens of investors have been left in the lurch following the failed construction of an Indonesian property project in which they invested a total of $12 million.

 

At least 69 investors from Singapore forked out between $140,000 and $500,000 for a unit in The Heritage condominium-hotel at Lagoi Bay, in the northern part of Bintan.

 

They had paid nearly all their instalments, but the developer, PT Stareast Sejahtera, pulled the plug on construction a year ago with the project far from complete.

 

Representatives from a group of 28 buyers told The Sunday Times that Stareast has not refunded them even though it promised to do so.

 

The buyers made a police report against Stareast in Medan, Indonesia, on June 14, and investigations are ongoing.

 

Stareast group chief executive officer Edwin Ng has disputed their account, claiming he refunded more than a third of existing buyers of The Heritage's 219 units, in part or in full. He also hired a Singapore law firm in July to mediate and negotiate refund terms with the group of 28.

 

A 50-minute ferry ride from Singapore, The Heritage was launched in 2013 and marketed in Singapore as one of several new beachfront resorts that would open in Lagoi Bay over the next few years.

 

Investors were told they could ride the wave of Bintan's renaissance, with tourist arrivals poised to swell, given a new international airport that was expected this year.

 

Buyers were promised annual returns of 9 per cent, and guaranteed they could later sell their unit back to the developer if they wished. They were told construction would be completed by end-2015, but their concerns mounted as deadline after deadline was missed.

 

In a June 2015 letter, Stareast told investors the project would be delayed due to changes in contractors.

 

Said regional finance manager Luigi Fiore, 43: "I saw red flags when he started sending us letters and pictures to say the project was a bit behind schedule. From those pictures, it looked miles behind."

 

A new August 2016 deadline was set, but it passed with the project "30 per cent completed", said a Stareast update that month.

 

By then, the 28 buyers opted to rescind their contracts. They were entitled to full refunds of payments.

 

Mr Ng told them Stareast would get a bridging loan, and promised them refunds, they said. In a letter sent in February, seen by The Sunday Times, he asked for an extra year to raise funds by selling another hotel in Bintan developed by Stareast, the Grand Lagoi Village.

 

But buyers said they lost faith after he issued cheques that bounced and delayed his repayment schedule. Said Mr Christophe Chapel, 52, a project manager in the oil and gas industry: "We reached the conclusion that the guy was not willing to compensate us. He never had a basic, honest plan from the beginning."

 

The buyers, who started a chat group and a file-sharing account, went to the police. Some visited the project site in June and found the ground floor only partially finished, and parts of the foundation exposed.

 

In an e-mail to The Sunday Times, Mr Ng blamed his failing business on the delayed opening of the Bintan international airport, now pushed back to 2020. "When we decided to invest in Bintan about six years ago, we were informed that there would be an international airport that will connect Bintan Resorts to the whole world, therefore opening the huge potential for tourism businesses in Bintan island," he wrote.

 

Nearly all visitors to Bintan's resorts now arrive by ferry via Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal as the airport is too small for frequent domestic or regional flights.

 

In a letter to investors on Feb 23, Stareast said it was "disappointing that Gallant Venture did not fulfil and deliver what had been promised to investors", and announced it was halting its investments in Bintan.

 

Singapore-listed investment firm Gallant Venture, which manages Bintan Resorts, is project developer for the Bintan airport.On the delay, Gallant Venture said the airport was originally planned as a regional chartered flight airport, but later got the chance to convert its domestic airport licence to an international one. This means the airport can receive regular international scheduled flights and domestic flights, said its executive director and chief financial officer Alvin Choo Kok Kiong.

 

In his e-mail, Mr Ng also noted Stareast's Grand Lagoi Village hotel had suffered for the past two years, saying: "Business has not been entirely robust since we opened."

 

In the Feb 23 letter, he hinted that low visitor numbers were the cause of Stareast's woes, citing how Bintan Resorts' Plaza Lagoi mall in Lagoi Bay "only has a 30 per cent occupancy rate because there aren't many visitors".

 

But Gallant Venture's Mr Choo disagreed. "PT Stareast Sejahtera's current financial situation is not reflective of general business sentiment in Bintan and we are doubtful that factors raised in their letter are contributors to their failure," he said.

 

Six hotels and resorts opened in the past three years and Bintan Resorts has many more visitors these days, he said. Tourist arrivals to Bintan Resorts grew from 487,475 in 2012 to 676,034 last year, buoyed by a spike in domestic tourists.

 

Mr Choo also said the occupancy rate at Plaza Lagoi mall has no direct correlation with hotel occupancy rates in the area. Most hotel operators on Bintan have healthy growth and operating margins, he added.

 

On how he will refund investors, Mr Ng said Stareast found an overseas investor looking to invest in The Heritage in June. "With the new investor's funds scheduled to be received within this month or next, we will resume the construction and partially refund back to our buyers by instalments," he said.

 

But he added that all refunds must be "put on hold" until the authorities conclude investigations.

 

The buyers said they received legal advice that the police investigation is their best option for now.

 

Said Mr Chapel: "With us going public with this story, Edwin may end up with his reputation at risk and his business impacted, so he can't do this again to other people.

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/paradise-lost-for-some-bintan-investors

 

Aiyo!  Report police dun know got use or not.  Wish them good luck.

 

We have to be extra careful in investing foreign property.

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Mockngbrd

Mockngbrd

Supersonic

Aiyo!  Report police dun know got use or not.  Wish them good luck.

 

We have to be extra careful in investing foreign property.

 

 

Gone liao la.... worse case at most is company wind up. $$$ is fly away.

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Atrecord

Atrecord

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If this is true, then the family should be shot. What's on their minds? Now 2 lives lost...

 

 

http://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/world/woman-in-labour-begs-her-family-for-a-caesarean-on-her-knees-before-killing-herself-when-its-refused/ar-AArq5jK?ocid=sf

 

Woman in labour begs her family for a caesarean on her knees before killing herself when it's refused

 

A heavily pregnant woman who apparently committed suicide after begging for a caesarean was seen on CCTV doubled over in pain in the final hours before her death.

 

The 26-year-old woman and her unborn baby died after she fell from the fifth floor of the hospital she was being treated in.

 

She had reportedly begged for a caesarean after the baby’s head, which was too large for a natural delivery, caused her intense pain.

 

But she reportedly killed herself when her family, who under Chinese law had to give permission, refused her surgery.

 

This video shows her hobbling around the maternity ward in the final hours before her death.

 

She is seen walking around, aided by an unknown man, and falling to the floor doubled over in pain.

 

At one point, she leans against a wall and looks almost ready to collapse.

 

She is also seen kneeling on the floor in distress as others, who appear to be her family, crowd around her.

 

The woman, who was reportedly 41 weeks pregnant, was unable to stand unaided and was visibly upset and in pain.

 

Doctors at the No 1 Hospital in the city of Yulin in Shaanxi Province, northern China, examined her and determined that she needed a caesarean as she was not able to give birth naturally because the baby’s head was too big.

 

But her family insisted on a natural birth and refused her the right to undergo the procedure.

 

Under Chinese law, family must give their permission for a woman to have a C-section.

 

The woman fell to her death from the window after repeatedly trying to leave the medical centre.

 

Her unborn foetus also died in the incident.

 

The woman’s medical notes read: "The pregnant woman twice walked out of the ward to tell her family that she wanted a caesarean because she could no longer bear the pain, but the family continued to insist on a natural delivery."

 

Police told local media that the woman’s death was being treated as a suicide.

 

Her death has sparked protests online with other women calling for greater reproductive rights.

 

One internet user commented: "Besides the pregnant woman, nobody else should have had a say."

 

Another noted: "A married woman isn’t a tool for producing babies, how can people still be so ignorant these days!"

 

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Mason016

Mason016

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If this is true, then the family should be shot. What's on their minds? Now 2 lives lost...

 

 

http://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/world/woman-in-labour-begs-her-family-for-a-caesarean-on-her-knees-before-killing-herself-when-its-refused/ar-AArq5jK?ocid=sf

 

Woman in labour begs her family for a caesarean on her knees before killing herself when it's refused

 

A heavily pregnant woman who apparently committed suicide after begging for a caesarean was seen on CCTV doubled over in pain in the final hours before her death.

The 26-year-old woman and her unborn baby died after she fell from the fifth floor of the hospital she was being treated in.

She had reportedly begged for a caesarean after the babyâs head, which was too large for a natural delivery, caused her intense pain.

But she reportedly killed herself when her family, who under Chinese law had to give permission, refused her surgery.

This video shows her hobbling around the maternity ward in the final hours before her death.

She is seen walking around, aided by an unknown man, and falling to the floor doubled over in pain.

At one point, she leans against a wall and looks almost ready to collapse.

She is also seen kneeling on the floor in distress as others, who appear to be her family, crowd around her.

The woman, who was reportedly 41 weeks pregnant, was unable to stand unaided and was visibly upset and in pain.

Doctors at the No 1 Hospital in the city of Yulin in Shaanxi Province, northern China, examined her and determined that she needed a caesarean as she was not able to give birth naturally because the babyâs head was too big.

But her family insisted on a natural birth and refused her the right to undergo the procedure.

Under Chinese law, family must give their permission for a woman to have a C-section.

The woman fell to her death from the window after repeatedly trying to leave the medical centre.

Her unborn foetus also died in the incident.

The womanâs medical notes read: "The pregnant woman twice walked out of the ward to tell her family that she wanted a caesarean because she could no longer bear the pain, but the family continued to insist on a natural delivery."

Police told local media that the womanâs death was being treated as a suicide.

Her death has sparked protests online with other women calling for greater reproductive rights.

One internet user commented: "Besides the pregnant woman, nobody else should have had a say."

Another noted: "A married woman isnât a tool for producing babies, how can people still be so ignorant these days!"

There seems to be the unanswered question of whether it was an issue of costs if she had undergone a c-aection.
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Watwheels

Watwheels

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(edited)

Literally is "simi LJ" or "die cxxk stand". [laugh]

 

5 nurses suspended in US for admiring dead patient's genitals

http://www.asiaone.com/world/5-nurses-suspended-us-admiring-dead-patients-genitals

 

Five nurses from the Denver Health Medical Center in Colorado, USA, were suspended for three weeks after ogling at a male patient's genitals.

According to Denver7 news as relayed by the Huffington Post, the incidents occurred between March 31 and April 3, when the nurses admired and made malicious comments while the man was incapacitated at the hospital and again after he died.

 

One nurse even opened a body bag to view the deceased's sex organs and made sexual comments, which was heard by another nurse.

Following the scandal, the Denver Health Medical Center released a statement to the news outlet:

 

"Their actions, which violated our policies and our Code of Conduct, were promptly reported to appropriate governmental authorities, including the Denver Police Department and the Colorado State Board of Nursing," the hospital said.

"An internal Denver Health investigation resulted in disciplinary action against all those responsible for the incident and the patient's next of kin was notified," it added.

Investigators, meanwhile, deemed that there was insufficient evidence to prove that a crime was committed and no charges were filed by the patient's immediate family.

The case was also reverted back to Denver Health to handle internally, the report said.

"Denver Health is truly sorry this happened. This incident is not an appropriate representation of the high-quality care and compassion our clinical staff strive to provide to our patients," the hospital said.

 

Edited by Watwheels
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Mcf777

Mcf777

Turbocharged
Bukit Batok Crescent industrial incident leaves 5 workers injured; dash cam captures frightening explosion
By Coconuts Singapore Sep. 11, 2017
 
Photo: Jason Low / Facebook

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to an industrial incident this morning at Enterprise Centre, where a wall had partially collapsed. A fire engine, three Red Rhinos, three ambulances and three support vehicles were deployed to the building at 20 Bukit Batok Crescent at 11am.

Fortunately, no one was trapped under the rubble, though the collapse did injure five workers. “The industrial incident resulted in the partial collapse of a wall and significant damage within the premises,” noted SCDF in a statement, adding that the injured were conveyed to multiple hospitals.

Various witnesses who spoke to TODAY reportedly heard a frightening explosion at the building, with shockwaves reverberating through other offices nearby. A dash cam of a car located at a mechanic’s garage opposite Enterprise Centre managed to capture the explosion, which caused glass shards and entire windows to fall to the ground below.

 

 

https://youtu.be/w92WwATUE4E

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Staff69

Staff69

Hypersonic
(edited)

first time waited 4 hours just for the son to come and sign the documents .

 

 

really tested my patience and my phone's battery

Edited by Staff69
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Blueray

Blueray

Hypersonic
Former Sembawang GRC grassroots volunteer accused of cheating involving $1.4m, forgery

 

 

 

SINGAPORE - A former grassroots volunteer from Sembawang GRC has been hauled to court and charged with offences that include cheating involving more than $1.4 million and committing forgery for the purpose of cheating by using the name of an MP for the constituency, Mr Ong Ye Kung.

 

Mr Ong is also the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and Second Minister for Defence.

Reichie Chng Teck Kiam, who turned 51 on Monday (Sept 11), was first charged in court in July and was slapped with more than 100 additional charges on Monday.

 

Grassroots .... tsk tsk ...  :a-noway:

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/former-sembawang-grc-grassroots-leader-accused-of-cheating-involving-14m

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Blueray

Blueray

Hypersonic

 

Bukit Batok Crescent industrial incident leaves 5 workers injured; dash cam captures frightening explosion
By Coconuts Singapore Sep. 11, 2017
 
Photo: Jason Low / Facebook

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to an industrial incident this morning at Enterprise Centre, where a wall had partially collapsed. A fire engine, three Red Rhinos, three ambulances and three support vehicles were deployed to the building at 20 Bukit Batok Crescent at 11am.

Fortunately, no one was trapped under the rubble, though the collapse did injure five workers. “The industrial incident resulted in the partial collapse of a wall and significant damage within the premises,” noted SCDF in a statement, adding that the injured were conveyed to multiple hospitals.

 

Various witnesses who spoke to TODAY reportedly heard a frightening explosion at the building, with shockwaves reverberating through other offices nearby. A dash cam of a car located at a mechanic’s garage opposite Enterprise Centre managed to capture the explosion, which caused glass shards and entire windows to fall to the ground below.

 

 

https://youtu.be/w92WwATUE4E

 

 

 

Explosion at Bukit Batok TCM manufacturer injures 5

 

 

 

Channel NewsAsia understands the unit belongs to traditional Chinese medicine manufacturer, ZTP Ginseng Birdnest.

 

 

Wah ... I wonder what goes into ZTP products ...  [:p]

 

Heng I go Hock Hua.

 

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/explosion-at-bukit-batok-tcm-manufacturer-injures-5-9204354

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