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5 shortlisted names for baby panda at River Safari. Mandai Wildlife Group had invited the public to submit suggestions for the panda's name, and it has narrowed the shortlist down to these five names for the public to vote: Hong Hong (宏宏): Hong (宏) means magnificence (宏伟/宏大) in Mandarin, signifying well-wishes for the panda cub to grow up magnificent and healthy. Le Le (叻叻): Le (叻) comes from the old Chinese term for Singapore, "Shi Le Po" (石叻坡). Xin Le (新乐): Xin Le means new joy and can also mean Singapore’s joy. Xin Yang (新阳): Xin Yang means Singapore Sun or new Sun, which symbolises the brightness and joy this birth brings. The panda was also born in the morning. Xin Yuan (新缘): Xin (新) refers to Singapore, while Yuan (缘) means affinity/fate. Yuan also sounds like (圆) which means fulfilment. The cub was born after fate brought Kai Kai and Jia Jia together in Singapore. Votes are now open for the public to choose their favourite name and will end on Nov. 7, 2021, at 11:59pm. 😁

some time reading what the MY minister say can really make you tear

S'pore street food trumps HK's: Blogger By Li Xueying The Straits Times Tuesday, Nov 05, 2013 Here's a pretty startling proposition for food lovers in two cities that pride themselves on their culinary delights: Singapore has better street food than Hong Kong. That's according to Mr K.C. Koo, one of Hong Kong's most prolific food bloggers and a critic, writer and food lover. "While Hong Kong's street food tradition has all but disappeared, Singapore has done a better job of preserving its hawker food," he argues. The 45-year-old, a regular newspaper columnist whose Facebook page has nearly 22,000 fans, drew that conclusion after writing a guide to Singapore's hawker food aimed at Hong Kong readers. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) flew him to Singapore, where over three trips totalling 10 days, he ate his way through 85 stalls across the island - including wrestling with 10 pepper crabs at five different places. In the end, 58 stalls made it into his book, written in Chinese and launched last Tuesday. It showcases an eclectic collection that goes beyond big names to include places like Chye Kee Chwee Kueh in MacPherson, Satay Sejati at Haig Road and Fu Ming carrot cake in Redhill. STB hopes it will entice younger Hong Kongers, especially professionals, to visit Singapore and go off the beaten track for culinary discoveries. Singapore has traditionally been more attractive to Hong Kong families. Last year, it received 470,000 Hong Kong visitors, the 10th largest group. Said STB's regional director (Greater China), Mr Edward Chew: "Food is a big motivator for Hong Kongers to travel - they spend 50 per cent more of their budget on food compared with other travellers." Mr Koo, a former finance professional who began reviewing food 11 years ago, said he tailored his guide to suit Hong Kongers' taste buds. For instance, while Singaporeans place a premium on the sambal in nasi lemak or the chilli sauce accompanying chicken rice, these condiments matter less to Hong Kongers, he said. So his listings for nasi lemak include more Chinese stalls offering a wider array of side dishes. He said that since his first visit to Singapore in 1999, he has found that the quality of hawker food has been consistent. Take a bowl of prawn noodles, for example. "When you return to the stall, the ingredients, the way they are put together, are the same," he said. He even thinks the seafood in Singapore tastes fresher than that in Hong Kong, where a well done steamed fish is prized in Cantonese cuisine. "Whether it's crabs or curry fish head or fish slices, the seafood in Singapore is fresher - it's obvious from the taste and texture," he said. He thinks it may be because Singapore gets its seafood from nearby waters whereas Hong Kong imports from around the world. Asked what was his favourite from everything he sampled, he said it was the pepper crab at JB Ah Meng in Geylang. "It's gorgeous," he said. But is he saying all these nice things about Singapore food because he was sponsored by Singapore's tourism board? He said: "I'm a food critic. It is important to preserve the integrity of our name." He did note some areas where Singapore has slipped. He detected the use of frozen meat in chicken rice, and felt that took away some of the flavour. It is a problem in Hong Kong too, he said. - See more at: http://www.soshiok.com/content/spore-street-food-trumps-hks-blogger#sthash.rBJ4fkTX.dpuf

Will this stop you from entering JB for their petrol/food/groceries? Definitely will give a 2nd thot on getting a property in Nusajaya... http://ride.asiaone.com/news/general/story...ars-entering-jb ******************************************************************************** **** Nusajaya | The Star/Asia News Network | Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 JOHOR - Johor should consider imposing a levy on Singapore-registered vehicles entering the state, because the move would generate additional revenue, a Johor politician has suggested. Semarang assemblyman Samsol Bari Jamil of Barisan Nasional said that more than 200,000 cars from Singapore enter Johor Baru daily via the Causeway and Second Link crossing. He proposed that the state government impose a RM7 (S$2.70) levy on each Singapore-registered car, adding that the amount was affordable to Singaporeans. "(Singaporeans) will continue coming to Johor, even if the state government starts imposing the levy on them," he said. He said it was a well- known fact that Singapore and Johor have a close relationship, with many Singaporeans having relatives and family members in the Malaysian state. Datuk Samsol Bari also urged the state government to bring equal amounts of development to other parts of Johor, and not focus only on certain districts. "Johoreans in the other parts perceive that they have been sidelined by the state government in (terms of) development," he said. All foreign-registered vehicles entering Singapore, including Malaysian cars and motorcycles, have to pay a fee during certain hours on weekdays. In addition, toll charges apply for both Singapore and foreign cars at the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints. - See more at: http://ride.asiaone.com/news/general/story...h.FpU5EplH.dpuf

anyone invested in this? evergreen business Vibease raises $20,000 in 24 hours for 'world's first smart vibrator' Tiny wonder: Vibease is a Bluetooth-enabled device that communicates with a smartphone app for hands-free or even remotely controlled use. It is compatible with both Apple iPhones and Android smartphones. - PHOTO: VIBEASE A SINGAPORE-BASED sex toy start- up raised $20,000 in crowdfunding within 24 hours of its launch early last Tuesday morning. Vibease, co-founded by Singapore residents Dema Tio and Steven Kik, originally set a funding goal of $15,000 on popular crowdfunding website Indiegogo. By yesterday evening, however, the duo had garnered almost $52,000, with 22 days left before the funding campaign closes. Billed as "the world's first smart vibrator", Vibease is a Bluetooth-enabled device that communicates with a smartphone app for hands-free or even remotely controlled use. It is compatible with both Apple iPhones and Android smartphones. The device is the brainchild of Mr Tio, who was a software engineer with a Boston-based firm until he quit his job two years ago to work full- time on Vibease. While on an overseas posting, he said, he felt concerned about his wife's unfulfilled sexual needs, joking: "I didn't want my wife to become a 'desperate housewife'." He then realised that many couples were in a similar predicament. The electronics enthusiast then roped in Mr Kik, an ex-colleague with a background in software development. The Vibease prototype was rolled out last year, funded by angel investors based in Singapore. However, initial feedback on the prototype showed that users were unimpressed by its unwieldy size, forcing Mr Tio and Mr Kik back to the drawing board. They cut the size of the vibrator by half, to its current length of 3.1 inches (7.9cm), and replaced the ABS plastic material with silicone, which is more durable and easier to clean. Mr Tio said in a phone interview with BT that they had hoped for the Indiegogo campaign to cover the cost of an injection mould to manufacture the new Vibease design, but the unexpectedly positive response they have received so far is spurring them to aim for "enough for us to get the tooling and the production" as well. This is especially urgent because that will give them a large enough stock to start talks with potential distributors. Still, for those in Singapore eager to get their hands on Vibease, a bit of bad news may be a buzzkill: while the team is heartened by local support, Vibease will principally target US consumers, starting with cities like San Francisco - home to famous sex shops such as Good Vibrations, which has expressed interest in the product since the Indiegogo launch. "We feel this project is more suited to the US market, compared to Asia," said Mr Tio, because word-of-mouth marketing is harder to come by in places that are more reticent about sexual matters. This is why he and Mr Kik are reluctant to launch Vibease in their native Indonesia and Malaysia too. Explaining why his company chose Indiegogo to fund the product launch, Mr Tio said that plans to seek traditional private investors and government grants were also hampered by a perception of Vibease as a "hardcore porn product". "We try to market it as a mainstream product, but we understand there is also a sexy element," he said. "Considering Singapore's conservative culture, this is tricky." But he added that the online buzz which Vibease has generated has managed to catch the interest of some local investors as well. Vibease is not the first locally- based start-up to have made waves in the online crowdfunding scene. Earlier this year, Pirate3D used Kickstarter to earn US$1.44 million to manufacture 3D printers for the home market.

uh oh.... i/r going up anytime soon? High debt-GDP ratio could hurt in face of global slowdown Bylivia yap THE rapid rise in household debt here, coming amid the uncertainty of global financial markets, has been red-flagged. Kelvin Tay, the regional chief investment officer for the Southern Asia-Pacific for UBS Wealth Management, said the high household debt levels, coupled with high property prices, could make Singapore vulnerable to a rise in unemployment, a reduction in incomes and asset deflation if a slowdown in global economic markets happens. Singapore's household debt - total consumer loans of Domestic Banking Units - stood at 279 per cent of the total gross domestic product in the first quarter of this year, up from 177 per cent in the corresponding quarter in 2007. The 279 per cent figure is even higher than the 198 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2009, after the 2008 financial crisis. Mr Tay said 80 per cent of household debt here is made up of mortgages, which, coupled with the climb in property prices since 2009, explains why household debt as a percentage of GDP shot up so sharply from 2007. He said: "With (household debt) at such significant levels, it will be difficult for the government or policy makers to stimulate demand to offset the sluggish exports we are currently experiencing." This has been worsened by panic selling of risk assets, such as US high yield and Asian local currency bonds, since the US Federal Reserve's indication last week that it might start tapering its bond-buying programme later this year. Mr Tay said a rise in US treasury yields usually leads to a rise in Singapore government bond yields. As the USD is a major component in the basket of currencies used to manage the SGD, interest rates here usually follow the trends of USD interest rates. "Given the sharp rise in credit growth over the last few years, I would not be surprised if an increase in interest rates is followed by deterioration in the loans portfolio of banks and other financial institutions; this would in turn lead to a tightening of credit supply and a higher cost of financing for credit in general." He still believes the Asian market will continue growing, despite the impending halt of liquidity from the Fed. He rejects the notion that this could lead to a repeat of the Asian financial crisis "because the circumstances of both the global economy and, more importantly, the Asian economies, are now very different from 1994". Mr Tay said the Asian economies, excluding Japan, have strong fundamentals, with total foreign exchange reserves comprising more than half the world's GDP (52 per cent), much higher than in 1994 (23.6 per cent). Corporate balance sheets are similarly healthy, and although the net debt-to-equity ratio increased to 26.1 per cent from 18.3 per cent after the Lehman Brothers' crisis in 2008, this is still well below the 41.8 per cent in 1994, when the Fed began to raise interest rates. Despite a relatively sharp rise in debt over the past few years, the gross debt-to-GDP ratio for Asian economies excluding Japan averaged 46.4 per cent, with GDP growth for this year and the next likely to average 6.3 per cent. This is well above the 3 per cent growth rate for the world. Mr Tay said: "In short, the Asian story not only remains intact, but is also more attractively valued than before. "Compared to the years just before the Asian financial crisis, Asia excluding Japan has significantly more FX reserves, lower net debt-to-equity levels and sovereign debt levels and healthy growth rates."

Yes continue in main thread

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/singapore-...-093644847.html Singapore new football coach...What you think? Can Singapore be Asin new football champs and World Cup champs?

Power! Singapore's skyline is set to welcome its tallest building in 2016 at a site above Tanjong Pagar MRT station. SINGAPORE: Singapore's skyline is set to welcome its tallest building in 2016 at a site above Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Developer GuocoLand said the 67-storey office-cum-residential tower will form part of the upcoming integrated development called the Tanjong Pagar Centre. At 290 metres high, the building will soar above Republic Plaza, One Raffles Place and UOB Plaza One, which are 280 metres tall each. The Tanjong Pagar Centre will feature TP180 - Singapore's tallest condominium that starts from 180 metres or 50 residential storeys above ground. GuocoLand said this unique feature should appeal to international investors. Group managing director of GuocoLand, Trina Loh said: "We are looking at the investment market, the international market. The product is very important. The product has to be unique in Tanjong Pagar. "I mean the way we have gone about it, is really - the residential block is above the office. In fact, there are no buildings - residential buildings where it starts 180 metres above ground. "We are very confident our product and the residential component starting at above 180 metres which is really above 50 storeys for residential should command a premium price compared to the area." Currently, a private condominium in the area is going for about S$2,000 per square foot. GuocoLand is looking to put up TP180 for sale in the second half of the year depending on market conditions. TP180 will have some 200 residential units of 1 to 4-bedroom apartments, and 38-storey Grade A Offices - making up 60 per cent of space in the mixed development. GuocoLand said it has yet to confirm an anchor tenant. Research head at Chesterton Suntec, Colin Tan said: "Most of the demand comes from the financial institutions. And I think at the moment, we may not see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. Demand is very uncertain, and because of that, rents may steadily come down." Besides residences and office space, Tanjong Pagar Centre spanning 1.7 million square of floor space will also feature six levels of retail and F&B space linked to the underground Tanjong Pagar MRT station. A luxury business hotel will also be built next to the main tower housing the residences and office space. - CNA/ck

http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/spore...ransport-system If they only want profit. There is no way we can learn from them. Hong Kong and Taipei transport system are under subsidy if I not wrong.

From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singap...hea/642440.html US warship arrives in S'pore for Southeast Asian deployment POSTED: 18 Apr 2013 3:06 PM UPDATED: 18 Apr 2013 10:35 PM TREND USS Freedom, the first of up to four American warships Singapore will host, docked at Changi Naval Base on Thursday 18 April, 2013. (photo by Dylan Loh, Channel NewsAsia) SINGAPORE: A US warship designed to fight in coastal areas arrived Thursday in Singapore for its Southeast Asian deployment, underlining President Barack Obama's new strategic focus on Asia. The deployment of the USS Freedom comes at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and as China publicly flexes its naval muscle in the South China Sea, where it has competing territorial claims with some Southeast Asian states. US Navy officials said the Freedom, a new class of vessel called the littoral combat ship (LCS), sailed into Changi Naval Base at around 11:00 am (0300 GMT) in Singapore, a long-standing US ally that assists in logistics and exercises for forces in Southeast Asia. The ship, the US Navy's first LCS which is designed to fight close to the shore, will be deployed for the next eight months in the region, where it will participate in naval exercises and visit other ports. Regional security expert Ian Storey said the Freedom's deployment signals Washington's commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation in the region, which hosts some of the world's busiest shipping lanes. "The forward deployment of these ships is part the US pivot, rebalancing away from Iraq and Afghanistan and towards Asia," said Storey, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. "It demonstrates to US allies and friends that it is committed to maintaining a strong presence in the region to ensure stability. In naval terms, it also underpins the US' commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation," he told AFP. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta announced last year that Washington will shift the bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020 as part of a new strategic focus on Asia, where China is an emerging power. China is embroiled in a maritime dispute with four Southeast Asian countries -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Beijing claims nearly the entire sea, including areas much nearer to the other claimants. Manila and Hanoi have been the most vocal in criticising China over alleged heavy-handedness in enforcing its claims. While not a claimant, Washington has said it has an interest in the area to ensure freedom of navigation. "We plan on spending most of our time here in Southeast Asia. This will be Freedom's neighbourhood for the next eight months," said US Navy Commander Timothy Wilke, the ship's commanding officer. "We are eager to get out and about, work with other regional navies and share best practices during exercises, port visits and maritime security operations." Singapore has agreed to the rotational deployment of up to four LCS. This means the vessels will not be permanently based in the country and crews will live aboard during ship visits. Euan Graham, a maritime security expert at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said Beijing "is obviously cautious about any enhancement of the US military presence around the South China Sea". But he added that China also understands that Freedom's presence is "not a major step-change in the naval balance in the region". China however would be keen to learn about the performance of the ship, a versatile vessel that can be used for surface warfare as well as to hunt for mines and submarines and is suitable to maritime regions like Southeast Asia, Graham said. He said the timing of Freedom's deployment also counters perceptions that US budget cuts would "undermine the sustainability of the US forward presence" in Asia. USS Freedom is the first of up to four American warships Singapore will host. US Ambassador to Singapore David Adelman said the second is expected within 20 months. While analysts point to USS Freedom's tour of duty in Southeast Asia as proof of more American muscle in a region prone to territorial conflicts, Adelman called it a "new chapter" in an "increasingly important part of the world". It's also another chapter capturing close ties between the US and Singapore. "Here in Singapore, the United States continues to have the assets to do what we've always done, which is partner with our friends and important allies here. And I think the USS Freedom is 'Exhibit A' to our continuing commitment to security here in Southeast Asia," said Adelman. - AFP/CNA/xq/ir

Garment comes out some new initiatives to make our roads safer.....and for those with 12 or more demerit pts, there's a reprieve to reduce 3 pts if a test is passed....... http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1258531/1/.html

SINGAPORE: An Indian student who was left fighting for her life after being gang-raped in New Delhi has arrived at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital for further treatment. The patient arrived at the hospital's Intensive Care Unit at 9.05am in extremely critical condition, said the hospital's spokesperson on Thursday. The hospital is working with the Indian High Commission, and has requested that the privacy of the patient and the family be respected. The 23-year-old, whose attack sparked protests across India, had been transferred from the Safdarjung hospital in central Delhi to Medanta hospital in Gurgaon, close to the city's international airport, before being flown to Singapore. "The decision was taken this morning at cabinet," a source at Safdarjung told AFP early Thursday. "Her mother and father are with her." The government had earlier announced it was setting up a special commission of inquiry after the gang-rape on December 16 when the woman was allegedly tricked into boarding a bus by six men who then took turns to assault her. The group also attacked her with an iron bar before throwing her out of the vehicle, along with a male companion. Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack and have been remanded in custody. - CNA/AFP/al Poor thing, let us pray for her full recover.

Will easing up in cost further lower price of cars imported from EU? http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1243082/1/.html

The full article is Here For those who TLDR, he is saying as the thread title implies. For the more tiko minded, this is the same guy who posted xxx pics and videos of his GF on his blog. News report Here

if you have 4 adults in your household, congratulations you are a US$ millionaire household. Also average singaporean household only have little debt despite high COE and property prices. But i have a question, what is the definition of non financial asset? FROM BT THE average household wealth per adult here jumped 129 per cent from US$112,800 (S$138,654) in 2000 to US$258,117 in the middle of this year. Credit Suisse Research Institute, announcing the figures on Wednesday, said this made for an average increase of 7.1 per cent a year. In its latest annual Global Wealth Report 2012, it said Singapore's average wealth per adult puts the country as the third wealthiest nation in the Asia-Pacific, and eighth globally. Here, more than 80 per cent of the population have assets above US$10,000; 48 per cent have assets above US$100,000. Household total assets here are divided roughly equally into financial assets (48 per cent) and non-financial assets (52 per cent). The average household debt of US$45,600 is moderate for a high-income country, equating to 18 per cent of net wealth; the average is 20 to 30 per cent of wealth in advanced economies. As a nation, Singapore's total wealth shrank by US$25 billion or 2.5 per cent to US$1 trillion in the past year, mainly due to reduction in household financial assets measured in USD. Globally, aggregate global household wealth fell 5.2 per cent or by US$12.3 trillion in current dollar terms to US$223 trillion between mid-2011 and the middle of this year, due to the Eurozone debt crisis and the global economic slowdown. The report also noted that the Asia-Pacific overtook Europe as the world's largest wealth holding region in current dollar terms by the middle of this year, after Europe lost household wealth of US$10.9 trillion

Yahoo report : 'Already Famous' in race for Foreign Language Film Oscar By Jeffrey Oon | Singapore Showbiz

SINGAPORE: Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said he has noticed more unsafe driving on Singapore roads. Writing on his Facebook page, Mr Shanmugam commented on his experience on the roads on Monday. He cited two incidents, where drivers almost caused accidents because they did not indicate before switching lanes. Mr Shanmugam also cited one incident where his wife, who was driving, indicated to switch lanes but a van deliberately moved much faster to prevent them from pulling into the lane. The post also garnered dozens of comments within minutes on the Channel NewsAsia Facebook page. Some have suggested deploying more Traffic Police officers on the roads, to tackle bad drivers. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1221132/1/.html anyone agree?

Singapore topped the charts for highest GDP per capita in 2010 at close to SGD $70,000 (USD $56,532), according to a study. In the Wealth Report 2012 published by Knight Frank and Citi Private Bank, Singapore is also expected to continue to be the global leader in 2050. GDP per capita refers to the total output of a country divided by the population. Trailing closely behind Singapore is Norway at about SGD $63,000 (USD $51,226), then the U.S. at about SGD $56,200 (USD $45,511), followed by Hong Kong at almost SGD $56,000 (USD $45,301). The report also forecasts that Singapore

LONDON: Following almost a year of tough negotiations, Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone insisted on Monday that his Formula One Management (FOM) company had agreed terms with organisers to stage the Singapore Grand Prix for another five years after the current contract expires in September. Mr Ecclestone's remarks - made in an exclusive interview with TODAY in the British capital - came just hours after Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran told Parliament that negotiations between race promoter Singapore GP and FOM were "still ongoing". Mr Ecclestone, 81, told this newspaper that all obstacles preventing the deal from going through have been resolved and that the timing of the official announcement of the contract renewal will be decided and made by the Singapore Government. An option for two more races until 2014 - after this year's edition from Sept 21 to 23 - would have kicked in had FOM and the Singapore authorities decided to walk away from the negotiating table. "Everything that was in the way of the Singapore Grand Prix continuing for another five years has been cleared," said Mr Ecclestone, chief executive officer of F1 commercial rights holder FOM. "I'm happy that this is out of the way because Singapore has been good to F1 and the night race has also been equally good for Singapore." Earlier on Monday, in a written reply to a question by Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Member of Parliament Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Iswaran also reiterated that Singapore will continue to host the race "only if the terms for a full five-year extension are economically viable". "We hope to see a mutually agreeable outcome soon," he had added. Over the weekend, Singapore GP executive director Michael Roche told reporters that money was at the centre of talks to renew the current contract. Despite being snowed under with work after Sunday's British Grand Prix, which was also attended by Singapore negotiators, Mr Ecclestone was keen to reassure that all was well with Formula 1's only night race. Said Mr Ecclestone: "It has always been my intention to see that this race in Singapore continues beyond our current deal. Now that the negotiations are finally over, I am looking forward to go to Singapore for this year's event because I've always enjoyed it." First held in 2008 on the 5.073 km Marina Bay street circuit, the rights fee to stage the Singapore Grand Prix is believed to have cost Singapore organisers US$35 million initially, and after yearly increases, peaked at about US$42 million last year. It cost another S$150 million to prepare for each race, and 60 per cent - or S$90 million - of that amount is footed by the Singapore Government. A feasibility study to review the benefits of continuing with the race here beyond the first agreement was conducted by authorities after the 2010 edition. It revealed that in the first three years, the night race raked in a total of more than S$420 million in tourism receipts, while an average of more than 110,000 international visitors came to Singapore annually. In terms of global reach, the race also attracted a total of 300 million television viewers worldwide. - TODAY

Polygamy to solve population shortage issue and citizens subsidized to send elderly folks to JB nursing homes? [laugh] From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1210424/1/.html S'pore govt to review marriage and parenthood policies By S Ramesh | Posted: 28 June 2012 1425 hrs

Looks Bad Yahoo News

Here we go again We are once again the convenient undisputed whipping boy near their GE time.... Wonder when Dr M's gona strike? Anyway what were our diplomats doing during the Bersih 3.0 demonstrations then? Eating popcorns by the side & cheering them on? From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1209273/1/.html Singapore dismisses Malaysian media allegations of interference in politics By S. Ramesh | Posted: 22 June 2012 1745 hrs

S'porean woman marries dying hubby in hospital Tuesday, Jun 19, 2012 The New Paper By Maureen Koh They registered their marriage 13 years ago, but this couple never had the chance to have a traditional wedding. But as the gravely ill man lay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National University Hospital (NUH), deejays from Radio 1003, Singapore Press Holding's Chinese language station, swung into action, and made their wish come true two weeks ago. The radio station's programme director Carine Ang said: "It was such a touching moment... everyone present was moved to tears." It started with an SMS sent to the radio station by Madam Chua Mui Mui in April, wishing her husband a happy wedding anniversary. Madam Chua, 37, also revealed that her husband, Mr Tay Guan Yeow, 44, had felt bad all these years for not giving her the wedding of her dreams. After her message was read out on air, listeners called in with offers to help the couple have their wedding pictures taken. At the time, no one knew that the childless couple - who sell roasted meats at an industrial area in the western part of Singapore - were going through a harrowing situation. Mr Tay was suffering from kidney failure. He had been diagnosed just two years after they registered their marriage, in 1999, when she was 24 and he was 31. Battling his illness, they had put off the traditional dinner and wedding photos. Until Madam Chua's heartfelt message to the radio station. Offers of kindness The offers poured in. But the couple initially hesitated. Madam Chua, explains: "We were a little worried, and then because we had delayed responding to the offers, we didn't think more about it." Then, on June 5, Mr Tay's condition worsened and he was rushed to NUH. Doctors told Madam Chua that he might not pull through. It prompted her to send another SMS to the radio station's hotline. In the message, she asked: "If we want to take wedding photos, would it be too late? My husband has just been admitted to ICU." Ms Ang said the minute their duty deejay received the message, everyone was galvanised into action. She says: "Our hearts dropped. We wanted to do something for the couple, especially because we knew that Mr Tay was a loyal 1003 supporter. "We wanted to do whatever we could to make their wish come true." By 8pm, the team, which included deejay Tan Yan Wei and Ms Ang, had secured a rent-free gown from My Wedding Affair and complimentary photography. A nurse helped take Madam Chua's measurements so that they'd get the right gown size, and the team rushed down to the hospital. There was hardly a dry eye in the ICU when the bride walked in, resplendent in her gown. As she bent over over her husband, Madam Chua asked him: "Am I pretty? Are you happy?" Tears flowed freely as Mr Tay said yes, and handed a bouquet of flowers to his wife. 'I will live for him' Ms Ang said that those who witnessed the simple ceremony included Mr Tay's family members and Madam Chua's two younger sisters. After the ceremony, the groom told everyone: "I'm sorry that we don't have anything to give you." "But if I am discharged, I will definitely bring snacks and roast meats to the radio station." Madam Chua says she believes her husband, who had his left leg and right toes amputated earlier this year, is hanging on for her. She admits that some friends and family members have asked her why she stayed on with her sick husband, whom they view as a yoke around her neck. She says: "I don't get it, how can he be a burden to me? We exchanged vows and there's this line, 'In sickness and in health'. "How can we forget this line? It's never occurred to me that I should abandon him." In a recording that Mr Tay did for the radio station, he said: "This whole life, I loved only Chua Mei Mei. (There will be) no other choices and no regrets. I will love her forever and ever. "Whether it's in life or in death, I will also miss her. Even though I will leave first, I want her to go on living and carry on with her life." To which, Madam Chua says: "Some people have asked me what are my plans for the future. "I don't know. I've not thought about it. Just as my husband is keeping strong for me, I will do the same for him. "I will live for him." This article was first published in The New Paper.

JOHOR BARU - Malaysian police are after Singapore-registered vehicles which have not settled their fines for unpaid traffic summonses. Johor Baru (South) traffic chief Deputy Supt Ooi Kok Seong said about four million summonses were issued to foreign vehicles, especially Singapore cars, since 2005. "Police are conducting an operation dubbed Ops Warta Singapura against owners of vehicles who have not paid the fines. http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/...602-350069.html