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This article appeared in the papers today. Quite unusual, NEA had to go to court to ACQUIT the company they wanted to charge..... http://www.singaporelawwatch.sg/slw/headlinesnews/37420-nea-asks-court-to-acquit-firm-booked-over-toxic-material.html?utm_source=rss%20subscription&utm_medium=rss NEA asks court to 'acquit' firm booked over 'toxic' material THE National Environment Agency (NEA) has asked a court to effectively acquit a firm that the agency had booked last year for moving harmful material illegally. Galaxy Logistics had faced a fine of up to $30,000 for transporting a hazardous chemical outside approved hours. Without elaborating, the NEA prosecutor had asked a district court on Feb 5 to grant Galaxy a discharge amounting to an acquittal. In reply to queries from The Straits Times, NEA said an offence involving a few parties had been committed as hazardous substances were found to have been transported outside stipulated hours. NEA did not specify who the other parties were but said: "Galaxy Logistics was charged for its role in the offence but NEA has withdrawn the charge based on further evidence. NEA is continuing with its investigations and will take appropriate legal action. Public safety remains our paramount concern." However, Galaxy's defence counsel Christopher Bridges said he did not produce any new evidence in the pre-trial conferences. Instead, he had argued that the prosecution had not been able to provide any legislation that specifically stated that the chemical transported was a hazardous material. According to court documents, Galaxy was transporting a detergent known as Divosan Active SU 388 VTS in a truck along Pioneer Road just past midnight on Oct 2, 2012. The detergent contains peracetic acid, which NEA said was hazardous. NEA issued a summons to the firm in May last year for moving the material outside the prescribed hours of between 7am and 7pm. Galaxy was alleged to have committed an offence as NEA said peracetic acid was listed as hazardous in the Second Schedule of the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) as well as the Schedule of Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations. However, Mr Bridges said there was no reference to peracetic acid in both lists. He also said it would be unreasonable to read "organic peroxides" in the EPMA to include all types of organic peroxides. There were different classes of organic peroxides and "it would not be Parliament's intention to include non-hazardous organic peroxides into the purview of the regulations and the EPMA", he said. The charge was "too arbitrary and hence defective as peracetic acid is not clearly and explicitly listed... as a hazardous substance", he added.

SQ pai tan liao... Will this lead to another clash between the pilots association & the management? From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1246152/1/.html SIA asks pilots to volunteer for unpaid leave Posted:05 January 20131305 hrs SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines has asked its captains to volunteer for unpaid leave amid a global economic slowdown that has dented long-haul travel demand, the airline said Saturday. The move came nearly ayear after the company -- considered a bellwether for the full-service airline industry -- made asimilar offer to its first officers. The airline has also frozen its intake of cadet pilots as part of a slew of cost-cutting measures. "Singapore Airlines (SIA) began offering voluntary no-pay leave to first officers in March last year and subsequently to captains who expressed interest," company spokesman Nicholas Ionides said in a statement emailed to AFP. SIA has "a temporary surplus of pilots and are managing it through this scheme, which is entirely voluntary", Ionides said. He added that "the surplus of captains is limited and we regard it as temporary". SIA has more than 2,400 pilots -- mostly captains and first officers. The global financial crisis had led to excess capacity and slower growth that anticipated, Ionides said. "This voluntary scheme will enable us to address the short-term surplus, while at the same time provide staff with the opportunity to take leave for personal reasons should they wish to do so," he said. SIA saw its net profit in the first-half of the current fiscal year ending March fall by 30 per cent year-on-year, weigheddown by high fuel prices and weak demand in the travel and cargo markets. This followed a 69 per cent plunge in net profit in the carrier's financial year ended March 2012. - AFP/fa

STOMP Driver gives me the finger and asks me to get out of car -- after cutting into my lane

Jialat no one's taking responsibility so consider AOG? Seriously nobody wants to be in her shoes right now... What recourse does she has? From STOMP: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg..._i_replace.html Car crushed by tree: Now what do I do, asks desperate driver Imagine receiving a phone call from HDB one day telling you your car has been wrecked, and nobody's to blame. That's what happened to STOMPer Patricia, after a tree toppled over onto her parked car seemingly on its own. The STOMPer explained her situation: "I received a call from HDB Town Council this afternoon informing me that my car was

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg..._it_easier.html Best...

HE E-MAILED a prospective employee, asking her to be his 'special designer girlfriend'. Mr Shankar Venkataraman, 45, who owns a publishing firm, sees nothing wrong in sending such e-mails to staff and job applicants. But the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices disagrees. It has denounced his indecent proposals as 'inappropriate and unacceptable'. One woman who applied for a job with his company was so outraged by his brazen come-on and subsequent lack of remorse she contacted The New Paper on Sunday. Mary (not her real name) had applied for a graphic designer position at eShan Publishing in January. The 23-year-old, a trained graphic designer, was offered a job soon after. But her joy turned to shock when she got an e-mail from Mr Venkataraman asking her to be his 'special designer girlfriend'. She recalled: 'I sent out my resume and the owner of the publishing company e-mailed me back, asking to meet me. 'I met him. He seemed like a normal guy and gave me encouraging comments about my portfolio.' Several days later, Mary e-mailed Mr Venkataraman with an idea for a publication that his company was about to launch. He replied to say he liked her idea. But she was horrified to read the rest of his e-mail. It read: 'I do hope that you are perfectly single... I have a lots (sic) in store for a romantic partner, for I do not know whether you would understand, that certain creativity too requires that proximity and feel. 'I am sure you know that creativity does not happen under office environment or employer-employee setting. I will soon be starting to travel... so I do wish to have you as my special 'designer' girlfriend and travel companion.' Mr Venkataraman added that he hoped, through his publications, to promote open relationships in society. Mary, who is currently working as a temp with Singapore Press Holdings, said she was 'disgusted' by his request and sent an e-mail politely rejecting his romantic overtures. She replied that she regarded him as a potential boss and requested some 'decency' in his behaviour. But Mr Venkataraman was undeterred. He wrote in another e-mail: ''Decency' and 'respect'... are deterrents to creativity... it builds a communication gap, in turn affecting the creativity. In my own finding, creativity requires that 'dirtyness' to be born... 'As I anticipated, your response too was predicted (sic) in a world filled with norms... But I feel good that a channel is (sic) been created and that I chose to be 'indecent' early, so that no undue decency builds up and obstructs in future.' Mr Venkataraman's company employs three women and four men, The New Paper on Sunday understands. Mary said: 'I spoke to one of his employees, who put me in touch with a female colleague who said she had also received e-mails containing sexual propositions.' The woman declined to be interviewed as she is still working in the company, but gave The New Paper on Sunday permission to use excerpts of her e-mail correspondence with Mr Venkataraman. In one e-mail broadcast to a group of his employees, Mr Venkataraman repeatedly referred to himself as the company's 'captain'. He stressed the importance of trust among co-workers, and urged those with an 'uncomfortable state of mind' to leave the company. He wrote: 'I would also not hesitate to disclose that our 'Physical Sexual feeling' is nothing but a natural urge... 'To either sex, the partner is just an outlet or a companion, and its like going to pee together or like having a coffee together... A spouse is nothing but an attached bathroom or outlet.' He went on to offer himself as an 'outlet for all incontinence'. He said: 'I have no qualms to announce that I am available for SEX relief, for I do envisage that as members of this vessel, we may get a special treatment and its best we keep things between ourselves, rather than looking for an outside avenue, which can endanger the journey. 'So anyone is free to press the 'attendant' button on the vessel for this.' In another e-mail he wrote to a group of his company's writers, he said he was in 'dire need' of a soulmate and travel companion. Mr Venkataraman signed off the e-mails as eShan, his pseudonym. The New Paper on Sunday contacted him via e-mail and asked if he saw anything wrong in trying to initiate romantic and sexual relationships with his employees through his e-mails. We also asked Mr Venkataraman, an Indian national with permanent residency here, if he felt Singaporean women were too conservative. He did not reply directly to the questions. Instead, he challenged us to publish his e-mails. He said: 'It's good to note that some seeds I have sown are showing results... How about you publish those e-mails and this e-mail of yours, and I reply through my publication'' When probed further, he said: 'Your questions... show that you have closed your mind in many ways, and your picture is complete.' In another e-mail to The New Paper on Sunday, he described himself as 'someone who has finished 'family' life', who has chosen a career in publishing to 'break all traditional barriers'. Refusing to answer our questions, he said they were 'media blackmail' and 'extortion of information by ransom'. He added: 'Your questions are absurd and narrow-minded, and is (sic) only reflection of how humanity has degraded and thus life itself... 'But from my e-mails you can see that I am not into cheapskate sex. I proposed to the girl in question, since I found her having the potential and talents for some of my creations that are planned.' He said he was merely exercising his right to propose. 'I just did not make a standard proposal, as it was after a few exchanges which gave me the intuition that the person has the capacity for elevated thinking.' THERE are no laws against sexual harassment in Singapore. But is it a serious enough problem here' In a study released in 2008 by Aware, more than half of the 500 people surveyed said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment at work. The majority of victims were women aged 21 to 25. Most were harassed by either a colleague or superior. Human resource (HR) practitioners said enough measures are in place to safeguard against workplace sexual harassment. Mr David Ang, executive director of the Singapore Human Resources Institute, said many employers have policies to address sexual harassment in the office. Penalties for improper behaviour, he noted, include disciplinary inquiries and, in some cases, dismissal. 'Employees should be able to approach their supervisors or HR department for help,' he said. In cases involving top personnel, they can opt to lodge reports with the authorities, Mr Ang added. Asked if there was a need for better legislation, he said: 'I don't think sexual harassment is an issue which can be easily dealt with through legislation. '(It) is a very personal issue, and the law cannot dictate who an individual works with, and what a working relationship should be like.' Similarly, Mr Paul Heng, founder of HR firm Next Career Consulting Group, feels it would be difficult to establish laws specifically for sexual harassment. He said: 'Individuals have different values and personalities - it would be difficult to legislate sexual harassment.' THE Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (Tafep) has spoken to Mary and Mr Shankar Venkataraman about the incident, its spokesman said. She said: 'Based on the information given by both parties, the approach taken by the employer in recruiting and selecting staff is inappropriate and unacceptable. The employer has been advised accordingly. 'There are responsible employment practices and standards of behaviour which all employers are expected to comply with when offering jobs.' Imposing roles or activities unrelated to work, she noted, is considered 'an abuse of power' on the employer's part and is 'exploitative of job seekers who are in need of a job'. She added: 'Such behaviour has no place in an employer-employee relationship.' Ms Corinna Lim, executive director of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware), told The New Paper on Sunday that those who believe they have been sexually harassed should make a police report. They should also seek legal advice either from lawyers in private practice or at free legal clinics. Though there is no specific law against sexual harassment in Singapore, Ms Lim said that in some cases, it may be possible for perpetrators of sexual harassment to be charged under the law. The former lawyer referred to Section 509 of the Penal Code, which states that individuals intending to insult the modesty of any woman by saying any word, making any sound or gesture, or exhibiting any object, can be jailed up to one year, fined, or both. Under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance Act), those who use threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress to another person may be fined up to $5,000. Aware conducts a Legal Clinic twice a month to provide women with free legal information and advice. For more information, call the Aware Helpline at 1800 774-5935 or e-mail [email protected]

[/color]Husband asks: "Why so heartless?" http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/...0520-65960.html It was a minor collision between a BMW and a Mercedes-Benz. But it led to a car chase, screaming rage from one driver and the death of the other after a stroke. Hedy Khoo Tue, May 20, 2008 The New Paper IT was a minor collision between a BMW and a Mercedes-Benz. But it led to a car chase, screaming rage from one driver and the death of the other after a stroke. The Mercedes driver, who is believed to be around 20 years old, allegedly shouted vulgarities, and he insisted on being compensated even as the BMW driver, Madam Lee Bee Hua, 56, was being carried on a stretcher into an ambulance. She died from a brain haemorrhage two weeks later. The damage to the cars? One broken wing mirror each. Madam Lee's family has lodged a police report. Police said they are looking into the matter. The collision took place around 8 pm on 22 Apr, and it is not clear if either car stopped immediately. According to Madam Lee's family, the Mercedes driver chased Madam Lee's car through Lentor estate, off Yio Chu Kang Road, for at least half a kilometre. She finally reached her house on Lentor Street and stopped, sounding her horn. Her son-in-law, Mr Edwin Han, 36, a sales manager, rushed out and saw her seated in her car, with the young man standing close by. Said Mr Han: 'I opened her car door and asked if she was okay, but she could not really speak.' Mr Han said his mother-in-law appeared to be confused, frightened and unable to get out on her own. During this time, the other driver allegedly kept yelling that 'she knocked my car'. 'I carried my mother-in-law out of the car and into the house, but he didn't stop shouting,' said Mr Han. As Madam Lee's two daughters attended to their mother, Mr Han went out again to find out what had happened. 'He had been making such a din outside our house that the neighbours started to come out,' said Mr Han. 'He kept shouting that my mother-in-law was drunk. I told him my mother-in-law is 56 years old and she doesn't drink, but he refused to listen.' Mr Han looked at the man's Mercedes, and saw that only its right mirror was damaged, and offered to pay for the damage. He then wanted to return to the house to check on his mother-in-law. 'He shouted repeatedly 'You don't move. You stand here.' I had to ignore him, because my first priority was to help my mother-in-law,' said Mr Han. 'But as I walked away, he used a foul word on me, and started to shout vulgarities.' Inside, Madam Lee's daughters were trying to help their mother. Said the elder daughter, Ms Jaime Wee, 31, a senior manager in real estate: 'My sister and I were shocked to see my mum slumped over on the sofa. She was pale and trembling. I kept asking how she felt and what was wrong. 'I had no idea what had happened as my mother couldn't tell us.' Ms Wee said her mother, who worked as a human resource specialist, was on her way home from her office in Jurong after stopping to buy dinner for the family. As her condition did not improve, her younger daughter, Miss Johlin Wee, 21, a marketing co-ordinator, said they decided to call for an ambulance. The ambulance arrived and paramedics rushed to Madam Lee's aid within 15 minutes, but the Mercedes driver was allegedly still shouting outside the house. 'While the paramedics were attending to our mother, we could hear him shouting, but we didn't pay attention because we were in a panic over our mum,' said Ms Wee. Outside, neighbours had emerged from their houses. One of them, Madam Margaret Goh, 43, claimed: 'The Mercedes driver was very agitated and kept screaming at the top of his voice. 'We came out to try to mediate. Edwin wanted to go in to help his mother-in-law but the driver kept shouting and wouldn't let him go.' Madam Goh said she and her husband tried to placate the young man. 'He told me that the BMW had been swerving left and right along the road and hit his car,' she said. 'He also said he had chased the BMW to see where the drunk driver lived.' She said the man kept insisting that the driver was drunk. Madam Goh added: 'I told the young man that even if my neighbour had hit his car, the accident was only a minor one. Moreover, she was ill. It was not necessary for him to get so worked up. 'But once the ambulance drove off, he started shouting again and even as the family were trying to get into their car to go to the hospital, he kept shouting that they must stay and settle the matter.' Later, at the hospital, Madam Lee's family was informed that she had suffered a stroke, and had a brain haemorrhage. Madam Lee, who had a history of hypertension, had been on medication and had regular check-ups. They said that after her last check-up on 7 Apr, the doctor had told them Madam Lee's blood pressure was within the normal range. Dr Ivan Ng, 42, senior consultant and head of the Neurosurgery Department of the National Neuroscience Institute, who was one of the doctors overseeing Madam Lee's case, said her stroke led to bleeding in the brain as a result of burst bloodvessels. Madam Lee went through a minor procedure to drain fluid from the brain and monitor the brain pressure. But Dr Ng said the blood clot in her brain was large and had destroyed critical parts of her brain. Surgery to remove it was not possible. He explained that regular medication for patients with high blood pressure only lowers their risk of having a stroke. Said Dr Ng: 'It is difficult to determine exactly at which point Madam Lee had the stroke. 'However, if she had a stroke at the point of the accident, it is unlikely that she would have been able to drive back.' He explained: 'Driving requires complex hand, eye and feet co-ordination. A stroke patient wouldn't be able to drive in most cases.' Dr Ng said one of the triggering points of a stroke is severe stress, especially for patients with high blood pressure. 'Stress may have triggered the stroke, and the sequence of events would have exacerbated the situation. 'Continuing stress would worsen the high blood pressure and exacerbate the bleeding in the brain,' he said. Madam Lee was admitted to the intensive care unit. But she never regained consciousness and died on 6 May. Her husband, Mr William Wee, 58, a businessman, was away in Vietnam on a business trip. But he could return only two days after the accident, on the earliest flight on which he could get a ticket. He took the news of her sudden hospitalisation and death very badly as he was very close to his wife. Said Ms Wee: 'My father would take my mum for breakfast and take her to and from work every day if he wasn't travelling.' Mr Wee said the last time he saw his wife was on the morning of 21 Apr. 'I was rushing to catch my flight to Vietnam, and she jokingly asked me for a kiss. 'I said no to her in jest, that I would only kiss her when I returned home. I didn't even have one last chance to say goodbye to her.' Mr Wee added: 'No matter what caused the accident, my wife didn't deserve to be treated that way... His behaviour was barbaric and heartless. He showed absolutely no compassion.' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCREPANCIES IN REPAIR BILL THE Mercedes driver demanded $3,000 as compensation for a broken side mirror, and allegedly also submitted a fake invoice to claim $400 for car rental. Mr Edwin Han said the man had called him about compensation for the mirror the day after the accident. But Mr Han did not pay, and asked that the Mercedes be fixed at Cycle & Carriage instead. The bill came to around $1,300, he said, less than half of what was asked for. Mr Han said he had also paid $400 for 'car rental' without negotiating, as he was worried about his mother-in-law. But when he looked at the invoice later, he became suspicious as it only had a car workshop's letterhead and no details such as a signature or the name of the person who rented the car. 'I called up the company that issued the invoice, and a woman who answered said they were a workshop, and didn't provide car rental services,' Mr Han claimed. Mr Han immediately lodged a police report, on 29 Apr. On learning about the matter, Madam Lee's husband was very upset and called the brother of the Mercedes driver and asked for a meeting at the hospital. According to Mr Wee, the brother of the driver came alone, and apologised. He begged him to let his younger brother off, saying he was young, and still serving his national service,' claimed Mr Wee. 'I told him I would not let the matter rest if my wife were to die,' he added. Said Mr Wee: 'My wife has 35 years of driving experience and she is a cautious driver who doesn't believe in speeding. 'The damage to his car was not major. It did not warrant such aggressive behaviour. 'We have compensated him for his damage. Now, who is going to compensate me for my wife?' When The New Paper on Sunday contacted the brother of the driver, both he and his brother declined to be interviewed.