Khaw Boon Wan releases newly dressed-up train, WP calls for train maintenance

Minister of Transport Khaw Boon Wan hopped on a train on Monday (14 Dec), and promptly found himself surrounded by Christmas decorations and an army of carollers.

What he was actually doing though, was introducing a new Christmas themed train. Together with Pathlight students, Minister Khaw was photographed commuting in the newly-decorated train.

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The train adorned with Christmas festive images will travel between the North-South (NS) and East-West (EW) lines until 27 Dec. Looks like our Transport Minister has been as generous as Santa and have gifted us a huge present, in addition to the 99 new trains.

Just look at Minister Khaw and his Santa Claus cap happily sitting in the new train.

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Workers’ Party calling for more transparency in transport

While Minster looked delighted at his trip in the new train, Workers’ Party (WP) Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP), Dennis Tan Lip Fong called for more transparent protocols, while NCMP Gerald Giam questioned the presence of expired train assets.

Mr Tan says:

MRT breakdowns have not abated since the massive breakdown this July. The frequency of MRT breakdowns must not become a normal way of life in Singapore. It is totally unacceptable.

Thus, WP is asking for clearer protocols to be followed to prevent further faults in our transport system.

Mr Giam supports Mr Tan’s statement, saying:

Sleepers were designed to be replaced 15 to 25 years after the start of operations. If you count from 1987, which was when the MRT started, 15 years [later]would be 2002, 25 years [later]would be 2012.

Sleepers are not expected to be completely replaced until the end of 2016. That is clearly four years after the last date for renewal.

Mr Giam implies that the train faults had something to do with the lack of maintenance of the sleepers, and this maintenance was long overdue for 4 years. He added that sleepers at the NS lines were already replaced, whereas, those at the EW line were currently on the midst of being replaced and would be replaced by 2016.

However, this replacement of train parts is still considered 4 years late.

WP followed up their comment with a short post on their website, outlining their suggested measures of the transport system.

3 things WP wants the government to do

1. To ensure that there is a proper replacement of expired rail assets according to its renewal schedule

2. To institute Key Performance Indicators on the replacement and maintenance of train assets

3. To inform the public on the status of the discussion between the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) on the new rail financing framework, and set a clear submission date to be followed.

New trains or maintenance of existing ones? 

This brings us to the question: Is Khaw Boon Wan’s method of bring new trains to Singapore an effective way to solve our transport woes? Or would the WP’s suggestion of transparent protocols for train maintenance be a better alternative in the long run?

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With reference to Facebook, The Workers Party, Today

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Tenants were given 6 months notice, and offered spaces at other malls

On Monday (14 Dec), a shade-filled poster that Orchard Central’s EwF outlet had put up for two weeks went viral.

The burger chain suggested that they had rode out the mall’s initial low period, and Far East Organization was kicking them out for a larger international retailer, given the Orchard Central’s relatively healthier shade of pink these days.

EwF, an offshoot of local chain Everything With Fries, also lamented their David-esque status, saying that “this is what SMEs suffer with their landlords all the time”.

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Everybody loves a good underdog story, and the EwF’s troubles with their landlord had netizens up in arms, with the story making headlines over Far East Organization’s perceived heavy hand.

In defence of Far East

As much as we love to hate bullies, we ought to take a step back and take a look at this case objectively. Is Far East Organization acting like the douchebags here? Or can the same be said about EwF?

Well, here’s what you don’t know.

EwF had 6 months to make alternative plans, but chose not to make any. 

Yep.

Tenants at Orchard Central were first notified of the mall’s upgrading plans in June 2015, with those affected being offered alternative spaces in other Far East Organization shopping malls.

Mr Eric Tong, assistant director, retail business group at Far East Organisation said:

Those affected, which is less than 15 per cent of the tenants, were offered to relocate within Orchard Central or to an alternative Far East Organization malls to ensure business continuity.

Far East Organization is a profit driven company, and they didn’t really have to offer these acts of goodwill to their tenants. Nonetheless, they played fairly and gave EwF prior notice and alternative spaces.

However, within this 6 month period, EwF chose not to take up the alternative.

EwF justified their decision, arguing that the other location offered was “not feasible”, and not in line with their concept.

But what of that poster?

According to EwF, “the poster was just to thank customers and not for publicity”. Basically, this invites netizens to support their cause against their landlord bully Far East Organization.

However, is what they say really true? Let’s compare their words against their actions.

Here’s the text in the poster in full:

Dear friends and customers,

After having stuck it out at Orchard Central for more than five years, through the early years when this mall was dead and empty and saw the demise of many international fast food players, we are proud to say that today we find ourselves in a position where we have built a great Singapore brand with a loyal following and have outlasted other far more eminent, big brands.

Now that things are finally looking up for us, our landlord said it wants us to give up this space, EwF’s first home, for an international retail brand that wants our space. Guess this is what SMEs suffer with their landlords all the time. Realities are harsh for small guys like us.

We have no choice in the matter.

So it is with much sadness that we tell you that our last day here is December 31, 2015. Five-and-a-half-years on. We leave with a heavy heart (not really missing the landlord but we’ll certainly miss our fantastic customers.

So from January 1, 2016, please continue to support us at our only remaining EwF at Bugis Junction!

As a recognition of your wonderful loyalty and kind support – we’re giving out 10% vouchers for use at EwF Bugis Junction from January 1, 2016.

Having been informed of the measure 6 months ago, EwF chose to place the moving-out poster one month before they had to vacate. Clearly, there was some reason for this last-minute notice.

The poster also tries to persuade customers to support their other branch at Bugis, by offering a 10% discount.

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According to Singapore Management University’s Associate Professor Seshan Ramaswami who teaches marketing education,

[Informing customers of their closure] might inspire their loyal customers to patronise their Bugis location and other locations they might open in the future.

Well played, EwF.

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With Reference to The New Paper, Channel NewsAsia, The Straits Times

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These names should be rather familiar by now

2015 was no doubt an eventful year – GE2015 and the SEA Games took place this year; the long-running City Harvest Church trial’s verdict is finally out; Southeast Asia was shrouded in smog for the longest period of time in years.

As we’re nearing the end of the year, let’s look back on 21 names that became household names in 2015:

Sports

1. Joseph Schooling

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Singapore’s pet athlete, who’s known for clocking impressive timings in his races, holds the national record for men’s 50m freestyle at the SEA Games this year.

This means that he beat legend Ang Peng Siong, who bagged a gold in the 1993 SEA Games in the same category after holding a world record of 22.69s in 50m freestyle. Schooling’s newly-clocked timing of 22.47s has broken the 33-year long national record. In total, he sealed 9 gold medals and broke 9 games records.

On 8 August, Schooling even set a new Asian record while smashing the existing national record when he clinched a bronze media for 100m butterfly final at the FINA World Championships.

Looks like Schooling is more than just a hot athlete to ogle at. #fangirlmode

2. Quah Zheng Wen

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Like Schooling, Zheng Wen is another athlete to be watched.

At this year’s SEA Games, Zheng Wen competed in 12 events over six days and bagged a medal for every event — seven Golds, four Silvers, and one Bronze.

On 11 August, Zheng Wen won a bronze medal for 100m backstroke final at the FINA World Cup, breaking the existing national records.

And because he’s so pro, MINDEF has approved of Zheng Wen’s deferment from NS to be a swimmer instead of a soldier – Zheng Wen will be joining Schooling at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janerio.

3. Safuwan Baharudin

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Muhammad Safuwan bin Baharudin is a Singapore international footballer who became the first Singaporean to play in the A-league after he joined Melbourne City. He played as a centre-back for Melbourne City FC on a 3-month loan from Lions XII.

Safuwan is also the first Singaporean featured in popular video game FIFA 15.

Unfortunately, the player’s journey Down Under came to a premature end due to his back injury, which meant he couldn’t participate in the season-ending finals series.

4. Izwan Mahbud

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During a 2018 World Cup and Asian Cup Qualifier match this year (16 Jun), Izwan made impressive saves against the 4-time Asian Cup winners Japan and forced a 0-0 draw.

He saved 18 shots in total against the likes of Keisuke Honda, Shinji Okazaki, Shinji Kagawa, and Yoshinori Mutō — all of whom ply their trade in Europe at the top professional level. His performance attracted offers from several clubs, including J-League side Matsumoto Yamaga F.C., a second tier Japanese football club.

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Six months later, the 25-year-old went on a training trial at Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. If everything goes well, Izwan could be Singaporean’s first professional footballer in Japan.

Music

5. Benjamin Kheng

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Arguably the most popular member in local indie band The Sam Willows, the heartthrob has been fangirl-ed by many since The Sam Willows burst into the scene in 2012.

But this year, Ben’s popularity is skyrocketing – the talented all-rounder could be seen on television, on stage, and of course YouTube. The artiste has several identities – he is his band’s guitar-strumming vocalist, a former national swimmer, a TV host, and a versatile actor, amidst others.

More recently, Ben plays a yes-minister and instruments in Wild Rice’s musical, The Emperor’s New Clothes.

At this year’s largest social media award show in Asia, Influence Asia, Ben also clinched the award of breakout influencer.

Looks like we’ll be seeing more of Ben, so here’s a list of 10 handy facts so you can act like you’re his BFF if you run into him.

6. Narelle Kheng

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The gorgeous sister of Benjamin Kheng, Narelle is also in the same band as his brother.

In January this year, The Sam Willows signed to Sony Music Singapore on a 360 deal. This deal has probably helped Narelle in gaining recognition as an individual, and in September this year, Narelle signed to artiste management agency FLY Entertainment, which means she will be co-managed by FLY and music label Sony Music Entertainment.

Narelle is also the ambassador of boutique hair salon chain Kimage, and also hosted their webseries “Me But Better”.

7. Gentle Bones

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Local singer-songwriter Joel Tan, better known as Gentle Bones, became the first Singaporean artiste to sign with Universal Music Singapore this year.

The talented musician also wrote and recorded “You’re Almost There” which was included in album Songs of the Games, for this year’s SEA Games. His other work, “Sixty Five” was used for SG50 movie 1965.

Politics

8. Li Hongyi

The second son of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong became an Internet sensation after giving a eulogy at Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s funeral. In just two weeks after his eulogy was uploaded on YouTube, the video was watched 572k times, surpassing PM Lee at 156k views and Lee Hsien Yang’s at 108k views.

Here’s a parting quote from Hongyi:

Yeye was more than a grandfather to me. He was an inspiration. As a child, I looked up to him and wanted to grow up to be the kind of man he was. And even now, I still do.

Watch the video in full here:

If you’re curious about Li Hongyi, here are 12 things you never knew about him.

9. Li Shengwu

Like Hongyi, Shengwu gained prominence after delivering a well-written eulogy for LKY. Lee Hsien Yang’s eldest son impressed many with his eulogy, and many unwittingly likened him to the late LKY. His eulogy garnered 446k views, beating PM Lee and his father’s.

We’ll leave you with this quote that gave us the feels:

To grow up in Singapore is to grow up in his shadow; to see in our skyscrapers, our schools, our highways, and our homes the force of his singular vision.

His legacy is not cold stone, but a living nation. We could no more forget him than we could forget the sky.

It’s no wonder his speech has left a deep impression on many — Shengwu was the best debater in a global debating tournament. Here are 12 things you never knew about Li Shengwu.

10. Kevryn Lim

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Although Nicole Seah did not run for elections this year, the National Solidarity Party’s (NSP) Kevryn Lim was reason enough for any guy (or girl) to pay attention to the GE. Kevryn also garnered a lot of media attention due to her looks and modelling history. Kevryn contested under the NSP for Sembawang GRC, which lost to the People’s Action Party (PAP) who garnered 72.28% of votes.

Kevryn was a controversy magnet after she stepped into the public eye as people drew incessant comparisons between her and Seah.

She later revealed her identity about being a single mother, which caused a great hoo-ha.

Thankfully, MustShareNews had the opportunity to interview Kevryn pre-GE2015, and found out more on what she thought about Singapore politics. Kevryn was also unofficially crowned by us as the “Hottest Babe of GE2015”.

Can’t get enough of her post-GE? Here are 11 things you should know about Kevryn Lim.

11. He Ting Ru

Another hot babe on our GE2015 list, Ting Ru is a strong contender of Nicole Seah.

Just watch her at the Workers’ Party (WP) rally:

The fresh-faced legal counsel gained a lot of media attention thanks to her sweet looks. Besides, her “geeky” smile and humble attitude definitely earns her brownie points.

Ting Ru contested under WP for Marine Parade GRC and secured 35.93% of votes, ultimately losing to PAP.

12. M. Ravi

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Former human rights lawyer M. Ravi had been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Also Roy Ngerng’s former lawyer, the two fell out after Ngerng’s failure to turn up in court. M. Ravi slammed Ngerng for his unprofessionalism and insinuated that he wanted to abscond with the money crowdfunded for his defamation lawsuit.

Soon after, the Law Society of Singapore declared him unfit to practise law due to his alleged manic behaviour. Since 2006, M. Ravi has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

In February, M. Ravi also declared his intention to run for the GE, and was seen doing rather entertaining walkabouts around Ang Mo Kio GRC.

In a twist of fate, M. Ravi joined the Reform Party (RP) and was fielded for the Ang Mo Kio GRC along with his ex-BFF Ngerng.

At Nomination Day, M. Ravi had a #fail moment when he accidentally called for the crowd to vote for PAP instead of RP.

13. Tan Lam Siong

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Aka bread man.

At this year’s GE, the modern-day Anpanman had a novel idea to help him win supporters – by distributing loaves of bread.

However, the independent candidate running for Potong Pasir SMC decided to pull out at the eleventh hour to avoid a three-cornered fight for the ward.

This move came after Tan saw a haggard Singapore People’s Party’s Lina Chiam out late at night after a day of campaigning and felt sorry for her. He eventually decided not to contest as he recalled her statement about GE2015 being her last election and that she would be retiring with Chiam See Tong.

Nonetheless, the former television personality wrote on Facebook that he “will continue to be at your service” for “Potong Pasir SMC will always be (his) kind of town”.

True to his word, the post-election Tan continued giving away bread. #dedicated

14. Calvin Cheng

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Calvin Cheng, the former Nominated Member of Parliament, is best known for being outspoken.

Earlier this year, the fashion and modelling mogul became a psychologist and discovered why people commit crimes. Here comes the shocking revelation: because they read “rogue Internet sites” like The Real Singapore. Thank goodness the site was shut down and the editors are now selling ramen instead — surely this won’t trigger crimes?

He also called Singaporeans small-minded, a comment which netizens did not take well to.

Peace-loving Cheng also used the Internal Security Department (ISD) arrests made in May this year to equate playwright Alfian Sa’at to ISIS propaganda.

More recently, Cheng had something to say about the Paris attacks. He tactlessly called on people to “kill them before they kill you. And their children too in case they grow up to take revenge”.

Right, an eye for an eye.

Internet Sensations

15. Eleanor Lee

‘Apple girl’ Eleanor Lee made headlines after starring in a viral Apple commercial.

Within six hours after the commercial aired, Eleanor’s Weibo and Instagram followers tripled. The sweet-faced budding starlet is certainly no one-hit wonder — we’ll definitely be seeing more of Quan Yifeng’s daughter, especially with her role in upcoming blockbuster China TV drama, Tribes and Empires.

In the meantime, here are 10 Eleanor Lee facts every Apple fanboy should know.

16. Priscilla Poh Beng Hoon 

Meet 2015’s Amy Cheong, Priscilla Poh Beng Hoon.

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In a Facebook post, the serial forum columnist criticised the Malay language, describing it as “irrelevant” and “makes her vomit”. Pasir Ris-Punggol Member of Parliament Zainal Sapari retorted with a Facebook post calling her mentality “satanic”.

Poh responded by saying that Sapari jumped to conclusions about her being racist, which was wrong and unfair. She added that he was dragging religion into the picture by declaring her mentality as “satanic”.

The Facebook post has since been taken down.

17. Edz Ello

Remember Ed Mundsel Bello Ello, aka Edz Ello, the Filipino Tan Tock Seng Hospital nurse who famously made a comment on Facebook about Singaporeans being ‘loosers’ and wishing ‘disators’ on them?

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On 21 Sept, he was sentenced to four months’ jail under the Sedition Act deemed to promote feelings of hostility and ill will. He was also charged with two counts of providing false information to the police when he lied that his Facebook account was hacked.

18. Jusuf Kalla

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This year’s haze situation was the worst in years, leaving Southeast Asia to be shrouded in fog for two to three months.

To make matters worse, Indonesia was hesitant in accepting help from Singapore, although Jusuf later appealed to Singapore to assist in fighting the forest fires through local media on 15 Sept.

This came after reports suggested that the haze would persist for longer than usual due to the El Nino phenomenon. The man was probably flustered upon hearing this.

After all, he was famously known for saying this in March 2015:

For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us. They have suffered because of the haze for one month and they get upset.

And here’s the best part yet – who’s the culprit causing this haze? Jusuf has the answer to that – the wind, of course. In an apology to Singapore and Malaysia, Jusuf stated that Indonesia was unable to control the wind.

Now that the haze is at bay, let’s not forget to thank the man who made it possible for us to enjoy fresh air 11 months in a year.

19. Chen Tian Wen

The veteran has been in the industry since 1984, but only got his big break this year.

After starring in two parody music videos featured in Channel 5 sitcom Spouse for House, Chen gained overnight fame as the videos went viral. The first was titled Unbelievable, which went unbelievably viral thanks to some of its nonsensical lines like “I so stunned like vegetable” (sic).

The video later spawned countless parodies, covers, and even a mash-up of Unbelievable with Keisha’s Timber.

The second music video, Sandcastle in My Heart also starred Irene Ang, but was not as popular as the first. Both videos are a parody of the typical Chinese MVs in the 1970s.

In fact, Chen’s rendition of Unbelievable has been so popular the song was even played on American and Australian radio stations.

Simply un-un-un-un-unbelievable.

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20. Serina Wee

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The Goddess of nectar and all things divine might have been sentenced to 5 years of jail, but fanboys are still as besotted with her as ever.

This sentence comes after the six church leaders of the long-running City Harvest Church trial, including Wee, have been found guilty of misappropriating $50 million church funds and falsifying accounts.

On 2 Dec, Wee filed an appeal against her sentence. It remains to be seen if her appeal would be successful.

But if you can’t get enough of the chiobu zeh zeh, here are 10 Serina Wee facts you need to know.

21. Amos Yee

Last but not least, Famous Amos. How could we forget about the precocious teenager?

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The budding YouTuber got his five minutes of fame (or even more) when he made a controversial video “Lee Kuan Yew is finally dead” four days after Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s passing on 23 March 2015. In it, he compared LKY to Jesus Christ and even said they were both “power hungry and malicious but deceive others into thinking they are both compassionate and kind”. Needless to say, the video went viral and the authorities soon caught up with him.

He was later helped by a gracious Christian who started an online petition calling for Amos Yee to be released. Even Ah Boys To Men star Tosh Zhang spoke up for the kid.

On 12 May, Yee was convicted after he was found guilty of wounding the feelings of Christians in his video and for uploading an obscene image of LKY and first female Prime Minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher.

Yee spent about 50 days in remand and breached his bail conditions thrice. On 6 July, he was sentenced to four weeks’ jail and released on the very day as his punishment was backdated to include his time in remand.

The active blogger has recently gotten into trouble with the authorities again for allegedly making religiously offensive remarks online, believed to have stemmed from his blog post which made reference to ex-NMP Calvin Cheng (see point 17) and Islam.

Looks like a leopard never changes its spots.

Think Amos Yee is the most infamous teenager in Singapore? Well, here are 10 other young Singaporean rebels who make Amos Yee look well-behaved.

Household names in 2016 too?

This year, names that were never before heard became household names overnight – as in the case of a certain notorious Amos Yee. 2015 also gave us a number of babes to drool over, including Kevryn Lim, He Ting Ru, and not forgetting Serina Wee.

Will these household names remain household names come 2016? Or will they be forgotten, and never to be mentioned again?

Only time will tell.

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Featured image via Son Of A Dud, Facebook, Terasbintang

The post 21 Unforgettable People Who Became Singaporean Household Names In 2015 was created and published on MustShareNews.com.

Just One Shift 2, an altruistic idea derived from sense of solidarity

Still remember about the Strangers’ Reunion cafe’s fund-raising campaign to help its head chef, Sebastian Tan, who battles with cancer, last week?

Well, the camaraderie of the food and beverage community doesn’t just end there.

Twelve bartenders from various bars across Singapore — inspired by the cafe’s well-meaning intention — now plan to organize a similar fund-raising campaign to help Chef Tan pay for his treatment.

The one-night-event, named Just One Shift 2, will be held at Club 39 on 21 Dec, Monday, from 8 p.m.

They have chosen to hold the event on Monday, since the bars where they work at have less customers on the day. Thus, some of them could take the time off their schedules to lend their hands for the event.

The participating bartenders will be rolling in alternating one-hour shifts to serve drinks priced at $15 each. All earnings on the day will directly go to the funding for Chef Tan’s medical bills.

SingBev and Proof & Company are supplying alcoholic drinks for the event.

Venue: Club 39 at 39 Duxton Hill

Date: Monday, 21 December, from 8 until late

The men behind the event

The fund-raising initiative is suggested by Mr Andrew Yap, manager of Neon Pigeon, an izikaya (Japanese tavern) in Keong Saik Road, and Mr Mark Graham Thomas, a bar manager at Club 39 in Duxton Hill.

Despite not knowing the ailing chef personally, Mr Yap and Mr Thomas feel bringing their fellow professionals together is the right thing to do.

Both of them believe that while competition can be cut-throat and tough, those in the industry should still look out for each other.

Mr Thomas opines, “We’re not just individual bars fighting for market share. We believe in giving help where it’s needed.”

The public also give donations

The fund-raising campaign held since Tuesday last week at Strangers’ Reunion in Kampong Bahru Road and its sister outlet, Curious Palette in Prinsep Street, so far has raised about $20,000. Both establishments will continue with the endeavor until they reach their target of $100,000.

During the premier fundraiser on Tuesday last week, Strangers’ Reunion was so overwhelmed, they decided not to take any reservations for future Tuesdays.

The campaign is held on every Tuesday when both establishments were usually closed.

Strangers’ Reunion’s third and latest outlet in CBD also announced that it would donate $1 from each sale of coffee for Chef Tan. The outlet, named Strangers’ at Work, is located at Arcade in Collyer Quay.

Besides the fundraising proceeds made by all three establishments, the campaign garners money from donations given by diners.

According to Strangers’ Reunion Facebook page, the campaign’s organizers—using the hashtag #saveastranger—have also provided donation boxes in all three locations.

Chef Tan is currently receiving treatment in Johor, a city where he hails. The 26-year-old chef has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, which due to its severity has also spread to his other organs, including brain, bones, and lymph nodes.

Let’s just hope all the proceedings that these inspiring samaritans do pay off, and Chef Tan’s medical treatment goes well!

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With reference to The Straits Times
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Cat Killings in Yishun Prompt Sharing of footage

On 15 Dec, Nee Soon Group Representative Constituency (GRC) Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng displayed his heart of gold by setting up a fast response grassroots team following a series of feline deaths in his ward. Mr Ng, who was elected into office at GE2015, is also founder of wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).

Looks like Mr Ng is the hero our poor Yishun neighbourhood cats needs.

Since 24 Sep, 16 furballs have been killed and only 1 cat survived the abuse. The feline fiend’s methods of abuse include strangulation, poisoning, mutilation, and hurling cats down from high levels.

What a sick fella.

Netizens have been desperately trying to find the killer by appealing to the online community.

Signs of the cat killer or killers?

Some volunteers have spotted the killer.

Ms Janet Sum, volunteer and founder of Yishun 326 Tabby Cat said:

We saw him approach a cat once with a knife in his hand and we called the police. When the police arrived, he had disposed of the knife and said he was playing with the cat. The police could do nothing.

Aren’t witnesses enough to warrant an arrest of the cold-blooded murderer?

Despite looking through CCTV footage, investigators found no new leads for the cold-blooded murders of Yishun’s neighbourhood cats.

Were authorities able to catch the cat killer?

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Agency (AVA) and the Police are in charge of investigating Yishun’s cat deaths. So far, investigators have started to make use of high-definition cameras as well as appeals to the public for more leads.

The Fast Response Team consists of 22 cat feeders, community volunteers, and warm-hearted citizens. When an alert is raised, volunteers are gathered and go to each household to communicate with citizens and gather witnesses. The team would also leave flyers on car panels to try obtain footage from in-vehicle private car cameras.

Looks like Singapore has our very own team of “Catvengers”, who will be in charge of protecting our local Yishun cats.

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What does ACRES founder/ MP have to say?

Mr Ng has expressed support for the idea of using private-in-car cameras, saying that there were many open air carparks which would face void decks and some cars might have cameras to capture important footage.

The cat advocate added that he was worried for his feline friend “Annie”, who he met during one of his walks as a PAP candidate. Sadly, Annie has gone missing and our animal loving MP worries for the safety of his new friend.

Kudos to our loving Nee Soon MP and his valiant effort to save Yishun’s cats.

Meanwhile, Mr Ng has called out for volunteers to join and help the fast response team through stray cat volunteer group Yishun 326 Tabby Cat. The

The Nee Soon MP and ACRES founder said:

We are doing all we can to stop these horrifying deaths and I will ensure we spare no effort to end this cruelty.

What is currently being done to protect our neighbourhood cats in Yishun?

The Yishun Cat killer is still on the loose, and volunteers have since been taking turns to patrol the area from 1 to 4 am — the time the sicko killer usually strikes.

Ms Sum says that the volunteers were “overwhelmed and overstretched” and still unable to cover all the important areas.

She also mentioned that the recent deaths were “more cruel” and “more bold”, which is a sign that the killer or killers were not daunted.

Appeals to Public for Information about the cat deaths

The SPCA has also appealed to the general public encouraging anyone with information of the deaths of the cats to call SPCA’s 24-hour hotline at 6287-5355 ext 9 or e-mail inspector@spca.org.sg.

Similarly, members of the public with any information about the deaths of the cats may call the AVA at 1800-476-1600 or e-mail ava_cawc@ava.gov.sg.

This cat below is also begging for people to help its kind. (Nah actually it is begging for food)

“#Help Meow(MENOW)!”

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Our feline friends are in danger, and we can only express our feelings in the form of the meme below.

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Featured Image via Cats of Singapore
With reference to The Straits Times, Today

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Here’s what the Mainstream Media didn’t highlight about the maid starvation incident

Most people’s hearts have gone out to the maid after hearing her tragic abuse story.

For the uninitiated, a psychotic couple starved their maid, deprived her of food and did not allow her to speak to anyone. The trial has been going on since 14 Dec.

Thelma Oyasan Gawidan, the victim of this maid abuse case survived on bread and instant noodles throughout her torture period employment, causing her weight to plummet from 49kg to 29kg. The domestic worker claimed that her employers kept surveillance of her round the clock and she only managed to escape when they left her alone to clean the area outside their Orchard Road condominium.

With the help of a fellow Filipina, Gawidan managed to get to a shelter run by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home).

Her tormentors, Lim Choon Hong and his wife Chong Sui Foon, both 47, have claimed trial to one offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act — which is punishable to up to 12 months jail and/or $10 000 fine.

MustShareNews also found out 10 things that this pair of psychos has done.

1.They did the exact same thing to the previous maid

Before we begin, we have to ask this burning question: how did they manage to get another maid when the previous domestic helper complained about not having enough food and rest?

This fact was uncovered from the testimony of maid agent Toh Ah Choon as he testified yesterday (16 Dec).

Since the agency was already in the know about the first maid abuse case, why did they still allow the unrepentant pair to inflict suffering in another human being? Secondly, why didn’t the agency do a house visit after losing contact with the maid for a total of 18 months?

For covering their rear, the award of #notmybusiness goes to…

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2. The maid was only paid $500 for 18 months of work

Let’s face it, you cannot survive in Singapore without any money.

Gawidan only received $500 “allowance” while working with the family, and she was made to stash the amount in a plastic bag to be hidden within her dirty clothes. Gawidan’s salary was also withheld — her employers told her that they were saving the money for her. With almost no cash on her, Gawidan had little chances of making a successful escape.

The domestic worker was also not given the off days she was entitled to.

According to the Ministry Of Manpower:

Your [Foreign Domestic Worker] FDW is entitled to a weekly rest day if her Work Permit was issued or renewed after 1 January 2013.

However, when her employer Lim took the stand yesterday (16 Dec), he disputed withholding Gawidan’s pay.

3. She worked longer than 24 hours consecutively and was forced to sleep at odd hours

It’s hard to believe that these two people are not Satan’s spawn. Note: domestic workers are not slaves and they should not be treated like one either.

According to Gawidan, she had to work longer than 24 hours in a day. Furthermore, due to the nature of Mr Lim’s work as a trader, she had to stay up during the night, and was only allowed to sleep at strange timings such as 11am.

The domestic worker gave an example saying that she would wake at 7pm on a Monday and work till Wednesday.

She said:

I don’t get enough sleep. I felt my body weaken.

According to the Singapore Neurology and Sleep Centre, adults require an average of 8 hours of sleep per day.

4. The ex-employers have 3 children

On a human to human level, we would expect the children of the accused to stop their parents from inflicting such harm on their maid.

Or were they also mistreated? Maybe not.

According to Gawidan, on their trip to Hong Kong, she had to eat instant noodles and bread, while the couple and their three kids ordered hotel meals for dinner.

They should testify on how it feels like to see someone nearly starve to death right in front of their eyes.

5. The maid claimed that her lunatic employers watched her every move

Okay, this might be an overstatement.

However, if she was unable to escape until recently, it is partially justified. Anyway, what does this remind you of? Doesn’t their behaviour appear to be that of kidnappers?

Firstly, the errant couple kept their domestic worker captive and did not let her out. Secondly, they kept watch on her most of the time — even when she was taking a shower at the public toilet in their condo. Further, they gave her only bread and instant noodles. Lastly, they kept her in the storeroom and cut off her contact with the rest of the world by taking away her phone and forbidding her to talk to anybody.

Gawidan said:

I had no communication to my family, and I hadn’t sent any money — as if I just disappeared from them.

This appears to be a classic case of kidnap.

6. The employers were only charged under one sentence

Yes, the Employment of Foreign Worker Act (EFWA) seems broad enough to cover what they did.

However, tragically, it shows that our foreign domestic workers only possess a meagre amount of rights limited to the EFWA.

7. The lawyer had the cheek to argue that the two psychopaths were never violent to her

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If society gauged crime on what suspects did not do, then we should have many criminals on the loose.

8. She survived on meagre rations and was treated like a slave

According to MOM, a female’s daily intake should something like this:

• Breakfast: 4 slices of bread with spread.
• Lunch: 1 bowl of rice + three-quarter cup of cooked vegetables + palm-sized amount of meat (fish/poultry/beef/lamb) + fruit
• Dinner: 1 bowl of rice + three-quarter cup of cooked vegetables + palm-sized amount of meat (fish/poultry/beef/lamb) + fruit

Let’s compare it to what Gawidan claimed she was given.

She said she was given only 2 meals per day. Her first meal consists of two to three slices of bread and instant noodles, one slice of tomato and cucumber, and a miniscule piece of meat about the size of her little finger. Her second meal would be five to six slices of bread.

Well, that certainly sounds close enough to MOM’s regulations.

Lim tried to argue that his wife Chong had bought her food from outside. However, Gawidan claimed that she was only occasionally given eggs.

9. Her malnutrition was largely caused by the lack of food rather than other illnesses

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s Chief Dietician Ms Gladys Wong took the stand yesterday and came to the same conclusion as the doctors who examined her — that Gawidan was malnourished and suffered from food deprivation.

Ms Wong said that Gawidan was lacking 300 – 500 calories per day and most likely lacked important vitamins and minerals including Zinc and Iron.

10.Her employers were relatively well off

For God’s sake, they stay at a condominium at Orchard Road. It would be foolish to suggest that they could not afford to feed her decent meals.

For starters, an Orchard Road condominium cost millions. Mr Lim and Ms Chong are well-to-do, and have no excuse to say that they could not pay for normal meals for their domestic worker.

#mindblown

The other side of the story

The psychopathic owners have responded and are starting to make excuses for their actions.

The trial would enter its second tranche on 30 Dec.

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Featured Image via Yahoo
With Reference to Channel NewsAsia, Today, The Straits Times, The Straits Times

The post 10 Shocking Facts About The Maid Abuse Case That You Should Know was created and published on MustShareNews.com.

Nothing lasts forever, and as of 16 Dec, the famous and loved Punggol #InstagramTree has been removed.

If you did not already know, the famous Punggol Instagram tree was due for removal in the interest of public safety as the Housing and Development Board (HDB) found no signs of life in it after it was struck by lightning. Apparently, parts of the tree were falling off without warning.

Now, we know that nothing can come close to replacing THAT tree, but these places have their own magic that can hopefully satisfy the passionate Instagram photographer in you.

1. The one right beside it

Although not quite on the same scale as THE #InstagramTree, this tree is just 25m to the left of the original tree.

2. Upper Seletar Reservoir

This is a close contender, we think, with its lovely shape. Check out how picturesque it looks in the middle of the two benches.

This place is not that unknown though, as couples have been known to take their wedding shots here.

How to get there: At Upper Seletar Reservoir, this tree is near the iconic tower that resembles a rocket ship.

3. Bukit Timah Saddle Club

The next time you go for brunch at Riders Cafe, don’t forget to check out this spot for a lovely photo op.

Imagine posing by the tree while horses leisurely trot across the greenland behind you.

How to get there: 51 Fairways Dr, Singapore 286965. It is more accessible if you drive as the nearest bus stop is a good 16-minute walk away.

4. Chinese Garden

In the western part of Singapore there lives a lone tree too, at Chinese Garden.

How to get there: Nearest MRT, Chinese Garden MRT Station

5. Quayside Isle, Sentosa Cove

Now you know a place in the luxurious Sentosa Cove at Quayside Isle for your photo needs. As if Sentosa Cove itself isn’t Instagram-worthy enough already, though.

How to get there: Quayside Isle (right in front of W Hotel) at Sentosa Cove, the tree is all the way down at the end of the path.

6. Sentosa Ficus Tree

Yet another picturesque tree in Sentosa Island. This ficus tree is against the backdrop of Tanjong Golf Course, and is set in front of a charming pond. We hear this location has also been the backdrop of many weddings!

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How to get there: Located at Allanbrooke Road in Sentosa, opposite Suburbia. Sentosa Bus 3 serves the area, and you can alight at the stop named Ficus.

7. Tembusu tree at Botanic Gardens

Let’s not forget the iconic Tembusu tree and its distinct lateral branch that is pictured behind our $5 note.

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Even though it has since been fenced (meaning you can’t take that “casual” shot of you perching on the branch while looking off into the distance), there is no harm paying a visit to Singapore’s most famous Tembusu tree.

How to get there: Nearest MRT, Botanic Gardens. The tree is located near the Tanglin entrance of the Gardens.

8. Bidadari Park

Located at the former Bidadari cemetery, now known as Bidadari park.

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It is actually a very vibrant and lush place with plenty of magnificent trees, as seen from these pictures.

Just a word of warning first though, this place might not be like this for much longer as the area is slated for BTO flats.

How to get there: Along Upper Serangoon Road. Nearest MRT, Woodleigh Station, which brings you right to the park.

And that’s it! Get ready your VSCO Cam/Afterlight, and we hope you will have fun taking your next artsy shot at the above places.

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Featured image via Amanee12
With reference to Channel News Asia

The post 8 Alternative Places You Can Go Now That The Punggol #InstagramTree Is Officially Gone was created and published on MustShareNews.com.

Is the Singapore startup scene too small for growth? 

Despite being awarded the world’s top location for ease of doing business by the World Bank, Singapore is not a viable place for a nascent company to grow, according to some.

Desmond Lim, a Singapore-born Harvard graduate who now runs a thriving startup called Quikforce in Boston, is among those people who share such sentiment.

New startup called Quikforce

Quikforce — established as a product of Harvard Initiative Lab — is a digital platform that connects moving companies with potential customers, enabling them to do their transactions through the site.

The company has generated more than US$50,000 in profit and is in partnership with more than 50 moving companies. QuikForce has experienced exponential growth of 70 per cent in orders per week, with a number of user base reaching 3,000 customers.

Why not Singapore?

For Mr Lim, although Singapore has equipped him with a strong foundation in entrepreneurship, he found expanding his market base in Singapore onerous.

He says,

I think Singapore is great, I learned so much there, but I feel it’s small – there’s so much more to learn in the world.

Besides Singapore’s small market, he feels the language barrier and cultural differences in the SEA region pose as major hurdles for Singapore startups to expand. This is because they must be versatile and financially capable to find the right niches in different countries. Whereas in the US, the companies can tap into larger, but less diverse market base.

Hence, although the process for acquiring a business permit in Singapore — including for foreigners — is faster and more feasible than that of the US, the prospect of setting up a business in the US was more promising to Mr Lim.

As of now, Quikforce has branched out its service to Miami, and has seen prospects of setting up in cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York.

Developer talents are difficult to obtain by Singapore startups

Another much-bemoaned problem in Singapore’s startup scene he observed is the lack of steady pipeline for developer talents. The problem is underscored by Compass Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2015 report. The report highlights while Singapore has leaped from 15^th place to 10^th in terms of conducive startup environment, it doesn’t fare well in talent employability.

The report asserts:

Singapore enjoys a significant inflow of talent, yet it is still difficult for startups to find experienced software engineers because of the competition of larger companies and a culture that does not value risk-taking.

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In contrast, Lim posits startups in tech-concentrated cities such as Silicon Valley and Boston have access to developer talents from prestigious schools such as Harvard, MIT, and Boston University.

The road to QuikForce is a bittersweet tale of hardship

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Mr Lim’s desire to revolutionise the moving industry might stem from his own personal connection with the occupation. Simon Lim, his father, was working as a mover in Singapore for over 35 years.

Witnessing his father working round the clock just to find customers has motivated him to improve the efficacy of the industry.

But prior to Harvard, the road to success was not easy. Being the first of his family to go to university, Mr Lim had to fund his own tertiary education at SMU by working as a tutor and later a waiter at a Thai restaurant.

­The thought of pursuing a Master’s Degree at Harvard did not occur to him, until after his school trip to Silicon Valley with SMU. Upon his graduation and a stint at Merrill Lynch in Singapore, Mr Lim made a move to the US.

What aspiring entrepreneurs should know

The observations made by Mr Lim on the nation’s startup scene should not be taken as a deterrent for anyone wishing to create a startup, specifically in tech-entrepreneurship.

Yes, running a startup in Singapore will never be without a hitch.

But aspiring entrepreneurs should take note of these observations, so that they could anticipate any downturns in the startup market.

Additionally, the Compass report on Singapore has also highlighted positive aspects on Singapore’s startup scene. The report indicates that the country experiences rapid development in the startup ecosystem due to the strong government’s support, with initiatives such as tax incentives and government funds for newly-established companies and investors.

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Featured Image via Biz Journals, Meetup
With reference to TechinAsia, Bostinno, QuikForce

The post Greener Pastures Overseas? Singaporean Harvard Graduate’s Boston-Based Startup Generates Over US$50,000 was created and published on MustShareNews.com.

In memory of the SG50 celebrations

To some, SG50 might be an overpriced celebration packaged as a moment of nationalism and patriotism, seemingly trying too hard to impress due to the hype about the jubilee celebrations.

In addition, people have been irritated with how everything is packaged with an SG50 logo, which gave rise to the hashtag #simisaialsosg50.

However, let us also look back on some of the benefits we reaped from our jubilee celebration.

1. For the first time, the fireworks were twice as long, psychedelic and the most extensive in SG

The Chairman of the fireworks committee Manimaram Ganesan said:

This year is special as we are celebrating our Golden Jubilee, therefore the fireworks committee has planned well ahead to have the largest ever fireworks display.

Highlights include fireworks forming the word “SG50”. In addition, there were 165 types of fireworks displayed. The kaleidoscopic pyrotechnic display was unforgettable and consisted of rainbow arcs and golden sparkles.

But that’s just the start of our long list of SG50 things that were good.

2. SG50 promotions

Discounts and more discounts — who can resist them?

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Shops islandwide were having sales with 50% off, or pricing items and services at $50 or $5.

Even the Zoo, River Safari, and Jurong Birdpark had 50% off admission fees. Totally a good deal.

For Singaporean fashionistas, they probably went wild at the 50% midnight sale at H&M. Major Swedish furniture retailer IKEA also had sales for SG50, which includes 50% off, $50 and 50-cent items.

3. SG50 Golden Jubilee baby gifts

There are so many reasons to give birth this year.

These lucky SG50 babies will receive a suitcase of 8 items, consisting of a medallion, a shawl, a baby sling, a set of baby clothes, a diaper bag, a scrapbook, a photo frame, and a set of baby books.

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We’re sure that medallion will be really useful.

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4. Free goodie bag for every Singaporean household

The SG Funpacks were distributed to all 1.2 million Singaporean and Permanent Resident households. The Funpack included a tote bag chosen at random amongst 50 designs. Additionally, the bag contained relics of the past, such as paper balls, old card games like “snap”, flags erasers and haw flakes.

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5. Senior Citizens were entitled to an SG50 seniors package

Bet your ah gong and ah ma were delighted — those over the age of 50 received a package consisting of a 50-page booklet, a free 5-year Passion card membership as well as a top up of $25 for current ActiveSG members and $100 for new members.

Singaporeans over age 60 received even more freebies — a $50 transport voucher, a special Kopitiam iCard with other discounts, as well as complimentary admission tickets to the Zoo and Bird Park.

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6. Free entry to attractions nationwide

There was free entry to places of attraction like Sentosa, Singapore Science Centre, and the Art Science Museum from 7 to 9 Aug.

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Various museums such as the Asian Civilisations Museum and the National Museum of Singapore were also open to public with free admissions.

7. Longer National Day holidays

The SG50 celebrations included a long weekend from Friday (7 Aug) to Monday (10 Aug).

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8. M1 and Singtel users got to enjoy free local mobile data

We know that Singaporeans just can’t live without their phones, and by extension their mobile data. M1 users got to enjoy free calls, SMSes as well as unlimited local 3G data, from the midnight of 7 Aug to 23.59 pm 10 Aug.

Singtel also offered free unlimited mobile data for the same period as M1.

9. Special SG50 notes to commemorate our golden jubilee

These limited edition babies were quickly snapped up by Singaporeans. They come with a satin red album and include five 10-dollar notes as well as a 50-dollar note.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) later announced that there would be new commemorative folders available from 11 Nov onwards to meet the strong demand of Singaporeans.

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On the 50-dollar notes, our beloved former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew is pictured blazing the trail for Singapore.

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10. National Pride

Despite groaning at everything branded with #SG50, you probably felt a sense of pride and achievement in the nation’s jubilee year. SG50 has forged a collective Singaporean identity and instilled in us a sense of patriotism.

The Lion in our hearts must have been roaring as we celebrated this Golden Jubilee.

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SG50 in a nutshell

There were indeed some great stuff for Singaporeans young and old alike from our SG50 celebrations. Come 2016, we’ll probably be missing all these goodies.

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Image via VZ Print
With reference to The Straits Times, The New Paper, The Straits Times, Singapore 50, The Straits Times, Great Deals 

The post 10 Things That Prove SG50 Wasn’t All That Bad was created and published on MustShareNews.com.

Final round: Ngerng 0 – 1 Lee

Yesterday (17 Dec), blogger Roy Ngerng was ordered by the Supreme Court to pay Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong $150,000 for defamation. This sentence consists of $100,000 in general damages as well as $50,000 in aggravated damages.

Looks like the $83,000 Roy had in surplus from crowdfunding would be gone in no time.

On the other hand, PM Lee would be $150,000 richer. This is more than enough to cover his week-long holiday in Korea.

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Ngerng, who blogs at The Heart Truths, had accused PM Lee of misappropriating Central Provident Fund (CPF) monies in a blog post titled Where Your CPF Money Is Going: Learning From The City Harvest Trial. In the post, Ngerng compared City Harvest Church’s misuse of church funds to how the government allegedly used its investment arms — Temasek Holdings and GIC — to do the same thing.

In a three-day hearing in July, Ngerng was indicted of defamation and found guilty. As a result, the blogger had to pay $29,000 for PM Lee’s litigation costs as well as related expenses.

$150,000 is actually considered cheap

According to the Supreme Court Judge Lee Seiu Kin, the actual amount of damages Ngerng was supposed to pay had been reduced in consideration of his plebeian status.

Judge Lee said:

While the cases indicate that the damages awarded to Prime Ministers who have been defamed have been substantial, some in excess of S$300,000, none of them involved a defendant of modest standing. The comparatively low standing of the defendant warranted a substantial reduction.

That means Ngerng got a 50% discount. #SG50 #simisaialsoSG50

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What Ngerng was sentenced for

Firstly, the allegations made by Ngerng could have deleterious effects on PM Lee’s credibility.

The judgment read:

In the present case, the allegations that the plaintiff had criminally misappropriated monies paid by citizens to a state-administered pension fund was one of the gravest that could be made against any individual, let alone a head of Government. It struck at the heart of one’s personal integrity and severely undermined the credibility of the target, and was a grave defamation that a fair-minded person would react with indignation

The judge added that to be able to lead, leaders must gain the trust and confidence of the people. This ability to lead as well as the mandate to lead, is thus contingent on their reputation.

The judge described Ngerng’s actions as “malicious”, as the blogger knew that what he said was untrue and likely to harm PM Lee’s reputation.

The judge said:

It was likely that the defendant had cynically defamed the plaintiff in order to increase viewership of the blog

Furthermore, Ngerng appeared to be unrepentant and published the “letter of demand” which he had received. The judgment interpreted it as “aggravating” to spread the reach of his defamatory material and its probability of being republished.

Well Ngerng, publishing that “letter of demand” cost $50,000.

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The real reason why Ngerng was not charged $300,000

A “substantial reduction” of payment for damages was based on his societal standing.

According to the judge, although Ngerng’s blog was popular, it was not reflective of his credibility.

The judge said:

[The] portrayal of himself as the voice of truth were not indicative of his standing amongst Singaporeans.

[There was] no evidence of his perceived credibility or the influence he actually wielded.

Therefore, due to Ngerng’s background, he couldn’t possibly have injured PM Lee’s reputation to the extent a political opposition could have done. This is because political opposition leaders have a wider reach and can appeal to international audiences.

Although Ngerng had attempted to portray himself as an investigative journalist of sorts he never concealed the fact that he was just an ordinary citizen. In addition, the information he put out was available to everyone, thus there was no extra credit given to him publishing information that others were already privy to.

How both parties responded

PM Lee’s press secretary Chang Li Lin said that the PM has accepted the judgment and award of damages.

Ngerng has also accepted it and said:

At this point, I have put this case behind me and am trying to move on with my life.

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Featured image via The Online Citizen
With reference to The Straits Times, Today, Channel NewsAsia

The post PM Lee Makes Roy Ngerng $150,000 Poorer + Season Finale Of The Defamation Case was created and published on MustShareNews.com.

Teo Ser Luck’s huge PR Fail after posting insensitive comments on FB

In July, Minister Tan Chuan-Jin’s comments about the elderly picking up cardboard as “a form of exercise” drew flak from netizens.

More recently, Manpower minister Mr Teo Ser Luck also made a comment that infuriated netizens. The insensitive comment was published via the Ministry of Manpower’s Facebook page on 11 Dec and has generated much controversy.

The Ministry’s spokesperson said Mr Teo visited the dormitory to mark International Migrants Day.

Mr Teo said:

I learnt that some workers prefer to sleep without their mattress as they are used to it back in their country.

Most people are probably going:

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Mr Teo also had a photo op of him lying awkwardly, but looking ecstatic, on a foreign worker’s bed in a dormitory.

Foreign worker Ibrahim Khalil responded to Mr Teo’s comments, clarifying the actual reason why the workers prefer not to use their mattresses. Ibrahim says that it was due to the weather making the room hot, as well as the lack of fans in the room.

This comment was what appeared to many:

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But this was actually his original post.

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This is what you see when you click on the ‘edited’ button on the comment.

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Wonder what triggered him to make that edit?

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To Mr Teo’s credit, he replied that he would see what he can do to help the foreign workers and requested for the worker to private message him the details.

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Netizens respond

As usual, netizens had a lot to say — some would leave you guffawing in laughter.

We lol’d so hard at this.

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Why sleep on a mattress when you can sleep on a plank?

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Others were enraged, and began to flame Mr Teo saying that the comment was downright “insensitive and condescending”:

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Some enlightened netizens have taken the opportunity to speak up for foreign workers and tried to give Mr Teo a clearer idea of the life of migrant workers staying in Singapore’s dormitories. Netizen Liu Longhao describes the workers’ dorms he visited as having poor air circulation and high humidity, making it uncomfortable to sleep on mattresses.

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Mr Teo denies making that statement

Who made the statement then? Could it be… a ghost?

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According to the BBC, Mr Teo claimed that he did not make that statement.

MOM told the BBC that it would not be removing the post and had no further comment.

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Feature Image via Facebook
With Reference to Facebook, BBC

The post Teo Ser Luck Denies Making Comment He Posted On Facebook was created and published on MustShareNews.com.

Fads we’re fed up with in 2015

In 2015, there are trends in toys, food, fashion, as well as technologies which have become increasingly annoying over the past year. 

MustShareNews presents to you a list of 10 things we want gone by 2016. 

1.Kendama

This traditional Japanese toy has been a hit with Singaporean youth. A kendama looks like a gavel, but with a stick emerging from the top which fits into the hole in the ball.

This hipster toy is the epitome of privileged kids in today’s society. One kendama ranges from $13 to $200.

Pricey, aren’t they? After all, you’re just paying for a block of wood.

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2. Salted egg everything

Before 2015, salted egg was mainly used in dishes with crab, lobster, prawn, as well as buns.

However, in 2015, the craze for salted egg exploded. Suddenly, there were salted egg croissants, salted egg fries, and even salted egg sauce for pancakes.

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This sinful treat has since then permeated many dishes.

3. Onesies

These hideous jumpsuits are such blasphemy — seeing one is quite a fashion faux pas.

Originally worn as sleepwear, people have started wearing them out onto the streets.

#Stahpmyeyesaregoingblind

Okay, so these bloggers can pull it off, but let’s just admit that not everyone looks good in them.

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4. Korean spicy noodles

Enter the new age of hallyu stars and the Korean wave — even the food we consume has been invaded by Korean culture.

Eating Korean spicy ramen or ramyeon is a trend of 2015 which pays tribute to yet another Korean food trend.

Many enjoyed enduring the burning sensation these noodles brought, and ended up with their faces swelling like a tomato after trying the spicy ramen.

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JCube shopping mall even held a Seoul Spicy Noodle Challenge, whereby participants had to consume three different bowls of Samyang noodles at a different level of spiciness. We know Singaporeans love their food spicy — this competition attracted over 250 contestants.

5. Neko Atsume game

Cute cats? Check. Mindless game? Check.

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Too kawaii.

6. SG50

Come on, people are sick of seeing the word SG50. #simisaialsosg50.

We can’t wait for SG50 to get out of our hair.

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Except that we wouldn’t mind 50%  discounts.

7. Electric Scooters

Basically a one-way ticket to obesity.

These electric scooters can completely cut out exercise from Singaporeans’ lifestyle, a saviour to those who hate walking. But there’s a price to pay, of course — the scooters can range from $1000 to $2000 and above, and run on electricity.

According to Facebook page Electric Scooter, these scooters are “the future of commuting”.

And perhaps, they also mark the demise of diet plans and healthy living.

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And we thought that the government was stepping up their game to promote healthy lifestyle campaigns.

8. Truffle everything

The hype about truffle infused dishes is real.

There is truffle in almost everything. Truffle fries, truffle mash potato and even truffle wanton mee. McDonald’s has even rolled out their truffle *ahem ahem* flavoured fries.

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Enough liao lor. Can maintain anot?

9. Hoverboards

These babies aren’t exactly cheap — they range from $600 to $1000. Hoverboards are an invention adapted from 1985 American sci-fi adventure comedy film Back To The Future. They do not actually hover but move around on wheels and are self-balancing.

These novelties burst into Singapore’s technological scene and their demand has been growing, especially with the Christmas season nearing since it would be an ideal gift (apart from the price). 

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10. Nike Roshe Run

These famous Nike Roshe shoes have been a hit.

In fact, they have become so popular that there are many fakes sold all over Singapore on apps such as Carousell.

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Remember the times when having these pair of shoes made you special?

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Who knows — they might become passé come 2016.

2015 in a nutshell

We’ve had enough of those ridiculous suits, gimmicky devices that will help Singaporeans put on weight, as well as the various food crazes. With 2015 coming to an end, we certainly hope to see no more of these absurd trends.

#plsstahp

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A recap on 2015’s words/ phrases

In 2015, we’ve heard some pretty interesting words and phrases that left us stunned like vegetable.

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1.SG50

Pretty self-explanatory.

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As much as we groan at the word SG50, the kiasu in us did manage to snag some pretty good deals thanks to SG50 promotions. Not forgetting the free places of attractions during the NDP weekend.

Maybe SG50 wasn’t all that bad after all.

Still, we don’t really want to see that word anymore.

2. “Treat it as a form of exercise”

Indeed, the elderly folks are just exercising. Why head to the park’s fitness corner when you can collect cardboard?

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3. Peat

What in the world is peat?

Before this year’s haze crisis that engulfed Singapore and the region with hazardous smog, no one knew.

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If you’re still unaware, peat is a mixture of partially decayed organic matter or vegetation that is unique to natural areas called peatlands or mires. When fires occur in areas with soils laid over peat, it results in a peat fire.

The lingering haze could be largely attributed to the outbreak of peat fires as they tend to smoulder under the surface for months since they are hard to put out. Peat fires also release unusually large amounts of certain pollutants compared to other types of fires. For one, peat fires emit three times more carbon monoxide and ten times more methane than savanna fires.

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4. Bae

This was the year couples randomly started calling their other halves a Danish poop.

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For the uninitiated, maybe Urban Dictionary explains it better:

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And no, Ma, Bae is not short for bacon.

5. Un-un-un-un-unbelievable

 We so stunned like vegetable.

The industry veteran has surely established himself as a Singaporean household name by now.

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6. “I will oblige to dance with him (Lee Hsien Loong)” 

In Amos Yee’s controversial anti-Lee Kuan Yew YouTube video made after our founding father’s death, Yee brazenly invited PM Lee to sue him for his opinions.

If Lee Hsien Loong wishes to sue me, I will oblige to dance with him.

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Unfortunately, even after Yee got slapped, had suicidal thoughts, and was sentenced to jail, he did not get to dance with the Prime Minister.

Poor thing.

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7. “Thumbs up man!”

“Boo to PAP!”

We can’t decide which line is more memorable, but whichever it is, we’re sure National Solidarity Party’s Choong Hon Heng’s rally speech will go down in history as one of GE2015’s biggest fails.

8. “Ownself check ownself”

Yet another quotable quote from this year’s GE that we’ll remember forever.

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Here’s a quick #throwback to Pritam Singh’s speech:

Fellow WP member Chen Show Mao probably took heed and presumably voted for himself during the last GE.

Why not? Nothing wrong with “ownself check ownself”, even if it means checking a box [X].

9. “I don’t want to hear any more complaints”

After the release of the sample counts, a visibly displeased Kenneth Jeyaretnam said:

All this is a mandate for authoritarianism and brainwashing. Singaporeans get the government they deserve. I don’t want to hear any more complaints.

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Asking a nation of champion grumblers not to complain would be quite a “tall order”, as Choong Hon Heng would say.

10. “Extremely/ gravely/ deeply concerned”

Following the Great MRT Breakdown on 7 July this year, then-Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew took to Facebook and shared that he was “extremely concerned”.

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Meanwhile, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong was gravely/ deeply concerned about the cluster of hep C cases in Singapore General Hospital.

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We also sibeh concerned.

Some buzzwords are here to stay

Of course, not all buzzwords are bad. Some help to convey an idea effortlessly, like “ownself check ownself”. Others, on the other hand, have emerged thanks to popular culture.

Who knows – one day, words like bae might even be added to the Oxford Dictionary.

Oh wait – the dumb word has already been legitimised.

R.I.P., English.

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Life has to go on without EWF

In short, EwF had always been there for Orchard Central, and even watched it grow, and this is how OC shows their gratitude — by kicking them out.

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Okay, not really. After all, Far East Organization did give EwF six months to make alternative plans, but EwF chose not to make any.

And as sad as we are about this piece of news, life has to go on. So, to all of you EwF fans out there, this one’s for you.

We have put together a list of 10 alternative places for you to dine in around Orchard, at a price of $10 and below (just like good ol’ budget-friendly EwF), and the best part — we made sure that everything still comes with fries :’)

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1. Smoothie King

Moolah required: $6-7 , $8-10 (with fries/wrap)

This is great especially for days you wanna eat healthy. These pastel coloured smoothies will not only fill you up, but give you instant happiness as well :’)

A smoothie easily costs about $6-$7, but the $9.90 set meal gets you an additional wrap or salad. A meal under $10 just like EwF, and also under 500 calories. DEFINITELY A DOUBLE WIN.

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But if you do wish to add some fries, well, then go ahead. It’s only $1.50 for a small packet of fries from McDonald’s which is conveniently located at *Scape or Centrepoint

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Address: 313@Somerset, 313 Orchard Road, #01-14/15, S(238895)

2. Quiznos

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Moolah required: $6.90, $8 (with fries)

With one of its many outlets located at Orchard Central,  Quiznos Sub is made with artisan-baked bread, juicy meats, all-natural cheeses and chef-inspired sauces. To top it off, the subs are toasted to perfection, with all the ingredients melded to give one a wonderful, hearty meal.

Basically, it’s kinda like Subway, but tastier and classier.

We still love you Subway.

And the prices are more or less similar to Subway’s with $6.90 for 6-inch sandwiches!

Once again, if you wish to add fries, just an additional $1.50 from McDonald’s

Address: Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road, #03-31, S(238896)

3. Central Hong Kong Cafe

Moolah required: Under $10

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With patterned tiles and grilles, old school celebrity posters and a soundtrack made up of Cantonese oldies, this shop makes you stop in your tracks to admire the furnishing and its ambience. Popular street food such as egg noodles and specialty toasts are priced affordably — you can easily dine for less than $10, with a wide variety to choose from!

And a meal’s never complete without ze fries!

Address: Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road, #02-30, S(238896)

4. River Indonesian BBQ

Moolah required: $6, $7.50 (with fries)

Craving for authentic Indonesian food?

Well, then you’re in luck because you’re about to save a whole lot at this place. If you’re a fan of the ever famous Indonesian BBQ Store in Plaza Singapura’s Kopitiam, guess what!? They have 2 other branches at 313 Somerset and Ion Orchard! What’s so special about this store? Known for their Ayam Panggang, this shop is also known for using only FRESH chicken. Yup.

Machine-dipping it into their signature black sauce, it’s served with steamed rice and topped with some fragrant coconut curry.

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The fries are pretty self-explanatory at this point. GO FOR IT.

Address: 313@Somerset, 313 Orchard Road, #B3-44, S(238895)

5. Kushi Kushi Japanese Kushiyaki

Moolah required: $7, $8.50 (with fries)

Kushi Kushi is all about quality, fresh and tasty Kushiyaki grab-and-go epicurean concept dedicated to Japanese cuisine and ingredients. The term “kushiyaki” refers to grill skewered food in Japanese terms, encompassing poultry, seafood, and vegetables. You have a choice of having it cooked with natural seasoning ingredients, or with specially blended Tare sauce, which is generally made with mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar. The sauce is applied to the skewered meat which is delicately grilled until cooked.

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Sounds good? Well look at this.

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This right here is Salad Bento Set D: chicken thigh, quail eggs, chicken meatball and salad, served with Goma (sesame) dressing.

They offer various bento combinations, and just a heads up, if you’re a chicken lover, you’re in for a treat with the variety of chicken combinations they offer. Chicken breasts, chicken meatballs, chicken karaage AND SO MUCH MORE!!!

And the best part. Under $10 :’)

An average bento set costs about $7 here.

Address: 313@Somerset, 313 Orchard Road #B3-45 s238895

6. JWHotdog

Moolah required: Under $10 (with and without fries)

Craving for something all-American? Get your hot dog set at JWHotdog – you get a hotdog, nachos or fries, and a drink for just $8.90. The hot dogs all look equally good – take your pick from the Coney Dawg, the Cheesy Crush, the All Day Brekkie, the New Yorker, and the Classic Onion.

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Address: 313@Somerset, 313 Orchard Road #B3-48A singapore (238895)

7. Sushi Express

Moolah required: Under $10 (with or without fries)

Craving for some sushi but your wallet doesn’t think so? SUSHI EXPRESS TO THE RESCUE!

As the name suggests, Sushi Express is a place where one can quickly satisfy their sushi craving at just $1.50 per plate of sushi.

You get what you pay for, so don’t expect top quality food on the little pink plates going around the restaurant. If you’re a true foodie looking for an authentic sushi bar, this is not your place. But this is definitely a place for one to fill one’s stomach instead of satisfying one’s palate. And definitely the place to binge eat Singaporeans’ favourite salmon sashimi without burning a hole in your wallet.

Of course, due to its low prices and convenience, there’s always a long queue up front. Hence, it’s best to visit during off-peak meal periods.

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Address: 313 Orchard Road, #B3-28/29, 313@somerset, 238895

8. Gyoza Ya

Moolah required: Under $10 (with or without fries)

You’ve probably walked past this store at Ion, but did you know that there’s an outlet at Robinsons as well?

Well known for their inexpensive gyozas (Japanese meat dumplings) with convenient outlets in central Singapore, Gyoza Ya has upped the ante in the recent few months with variations of their pan-fried gyozas.

These selections include the Mentaiko Gyoza and the Cheese Gyoza (both S$7.80 for 5 pieces).

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This little-known place is ambient and surprisingly affordable. Sides are priced between $3.80 – 6.80, while mains cost $6.50 -$6.80. It’s Robinsons’ well-kept secret!

Address:  260 Orchard Road, Robinsons Orchard, The Heeren, B1-02A, Singapore 238855

9. Saizeriya Ristorante E Caffe

Moolah required: Under $10 (with or without fries)

Cheap western food? Look no further.

You may think it is unlikely to find cheap Italian–Japanese food in Singapore, but it is actually possible. Saizeriya サイゼリヤ is a type of Japanese chain of Italian family-style restaurants (also known as famiresu) which make up the middle range of eateries that fill the gap between gourmet restaurants and fast food joints.

Here is an indication of how inexpensive the food is: spicy chicken drumlets ($4.40 for 5 pieces), black pepper smoked duck ($4.40), seafood chowder ($2.80), forcaccia ($1.80), double cheese pizza ($5.20) and gratin ($6.80). We are talking about a restaurant here.

Yup.

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Why are the prices so damn cheap?

Here’s why: the current president of the company Yasuhiko Shōgaki, wanted to sell Italian cuisine in Japan but did not get many customers. After he cut prices by 70%, the restaurant gained instant popularity and prices remained low ever since.

Address: 277 Orchard Road, #B2-11 Orchard Gateway, Singapore 238858

10.  Cafe Mondo (for desserts)

Moolah required: Under $10 (with or without fries)

An awesome place for desserts would be Cafe Mondo. If you’re a chocolate lover, make sure to get your hands on Cafe Mondo’s Chocolate Fudge Cake or Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Other under-$10 desserts on the menu include the apple crumble, kronuts and cheese cakes.

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Address: 181 Orchard Road, #02-31/32 Orchard Central, Singapore 238896

Yay, we did it

See, it is possible to go on with life without Everything with Fries and yet still have all our meals with fries, at $10 and below!

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Best part, you don’t even need a student card to enjoy all these budget friendly deals. We hope this article has helped you discover more choices in the bustling streets of Orchard Road, not too far away from EwF’s former home, Orchard Central.

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Should women serve National Service (NS)?

Yup, it’s that question again.

What sparked the age-old debate all over again is this Facebook post from 2013 that has recently resurfaced.

Two years ago, Director of tech firm Nebulas Tree Zen Leow posted a screenshot in response to a female netizen who said that women should be asked to serve NS only when men can give birth.

He said that he does not support the idea of mandatory conscription for women, but women should not use the excuse of childbirth to avoid conscription.

The debate of whether women should conscript goes on. It is at times gender divisive and has stirred up many strong emotions of anger, indignation, injustice and jealousy.

Insulting statement is insulting

A  comparison between NS and childbirth is unfair and ridiculous. They differ in length, pain, effort etc. The consequences of comparing both would only result in both genders blaming each other, and increased polarization of society.

In a survey from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), 98% of Singaporeans supported male conscription. However, in the same survey, it was found that only 9% of women were willing to conscript.

There are also instances of hypocrisy and apathy from other females. In a YouTube video titled “Singapore’s most hypocritical girl”, a woman said that NS makes a “man more responsible”.

However, when asked if she would volunteer to serve NS, she replied that she would not want to waste 2 years and push back her studies.

NS for women?

Although some guys like Leow believe that women should not be forced to serve NS, some are clearly dissatisfied and want “equal treatment”. Others like Banyan Tree Holdings’ executive chairman Ho Kwon Ping felt that NS should be for women too.

He wrote:

Female conscription for social purposes would indeed supplement and to some degree even replace foreign professional caregivers.

Hmm, it sure would be interesting to know the percentage of men who want women to serve NS.

But in the meantime, we can already envision girls enlisting into NS — basically an episode of Ah Girls to Women.

Should NS be for women? Let us know what you think.

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What could be worse than serving NS?

*Disclaimer: Some crude language is used when quoting the boy genius. 

The Boy Wonder has struck again, successfully creating news for himself by offending more people. It started with anti-Muslim offensive comments which escalated to the police charging him with “Deliberate Intent to Wound the Religious or Racial Feelings of any Person”. Amos Yee, who became an overnight sensation after uploading an anti-Lee Kuan Yew video titled ‘Lee Kuan Yew Is Finally Dead!’ on YouTube, has managed to capture and retain the attention of netizens.

And he is revelling in it.

He has showed no signs of repentance thus far, and his behaviour of late (actually, not just recently) makes one can’t help but think that he misses jail already. After all, he’d rather go to jail than be kept in remand. Or maybe the 17-year-old just wants to stay behind bars so he doesn’t have to serve National Service next year.

MustShareNews scrutinises the last few blogposts written by Amos Yee and here are 5 signs that show that he’d rather go to jail than NS:

1. Amos’s blogpost in response to Calvin Cheng’s inflammatory comments

Ex-Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Calvin Cheng made a radical statement about killing the children of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) members, “in case they grow up to be terrorists”.

In response, Amos Yee wrote a profanity-ridden blogpost titled Thoughts on Calvin Cheng wanting to kill children, in which he said:

Oh yes and fuck islam, and allah doesn’t exist, but say you see a prick from ISIS who wants to kill or has even killed before, don’t think that’s a scenario where it’s alright to kill him.

This was also probably what triggered the police charge.

2. The genius continues to post seditious remarks on Facebook

Okay if he’s not asking for trouble, then what is it? Mind you, he must be oblivious to the fact that there are laws in the country which have to followed.

As if the previous blogpost wasn’t enough, criticising Muslims and Islam would only help dig Amos’s grave deeper.

Amos said in his Facebook post:

I have obviously gained condemnation from the dumb muslim community in Singapore. and like mecca itself, the islamics seem to have lots of sand in their vaginas too, because the number of stupid death threats I got is voluminous. But don’t mind them, they do after all follow a sky wizard and a pedophile prophet.

Other than the fact that his use of crude and offensive language is totally bizarre, the post displays his total lack of knowledge, and discriminatory attitude towards Muslims and Islam.

3. Amos does not seem to have a shred of repentance

Despite having multiple posts taken down by Facebook , the 17-year-old fails to keep his mouth shut.

In a blogpost titled the banned anti-Islam Facebook post by Amos Yee, the unapologetic teenager wrote:

The truth is that these religious pricks are offended, but either don’t want to admit it, or want to ‘forgive’ me (which you can’t really ‘forgive’ someone who hasn’t done anything wrong.)

That’s right, our golden boy still thinks that he is correct and has done no wrong.

4. Brazen boy continues to insult Islam and Muslims

A certain “Mohammad Hussein”, who claimed to be related to the ISIS, has issued a death threat to Amos Yee through Reddit after the teen’s offensive remarks against Muslims and Islam.

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Kinda strange to send death threats via Reddit though.

Of course, Amos was undeterred by the threat, and wrote a response with a wide vocabulary of expletives to explain why Muslims should not believe in Islam.

But thank you hussein, from your act of issuing this death threat to me, you have provided another wonderful reason why muslims should be disgusted by their belief of shit-face allah, immediately convert to atheism, and have islam burned to the ground.

The teenager also mocks “Hussein” for not publishing his address, and insults the supposed ISIS supporter at every opportunity.

But maybe he doesn’t really want jail after all…

5. Escaping charges

Amos Yee is apparently “on the run from the law” and avoiding his charges. Instead of facing the music he chooses to escape — perhaps he is setting himself up for a longer and harsher jail sentence.

Fuelling his overinflated ego?

Looks like all this attention from the media, netizens, and Amos supporters alike has been pumping his overinflated ego.

But with the police knocking at his door, it’s time Amos takes responsibility for his own actions.

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What will Singapore look like in the future?

Designer William Koh has shared several of his realistic designs of Singapore in a few decades to come. The concept artist at interactive entertainment and game development services studio Lakshya Digital has titled his personal project S2085.

William, who hails from Jakarta Indonesia, studied Visual Communication (Graphic Design) at Singapore’s LaSelle School of the Arts.

Some of the designer’s depictions of Singapore’s future landscape looks like a scene taken from the Hunger Games Capitol.

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Futuristic Singapore, according to William

Kudos to William — these graphics and images must have taken hours of hard work and an immense amount of brain juices to design.

According to William, his works were inspired by “futurist” consultant Syd Mead, who produced design for huge projects such as Star Trek — The Motion Picture, Tron, 2010.

Hmmm, but wait — where are the flying spaceships and futuristic transport systems?

Comparison between current and “future” Singapore

1. People’s Park Residences

Reality: The current People’s Park Residences looks a bit worn down and shabby. The building’s faded yellow facade showcases the toll time took on the exterior.

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Future: William’s version of People’s Park Residences in the future looks posh and clean compared to the old residences. Slanting panels in his design — which appear to look like solar panels — hints that he might be envisioning a more environmentally-friendly Singapore. The modernistic vibe from the whitewashed structures sure appeals to viewers — someone should just work with William and turn his designs into a film already.

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2. The Cityscape

Reality: Our current cityscape has skyscrapers dotting the landscape with modern building structures surrounding Marina Bay.

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Future: The imagined future cityscape has an organic architectural design by linking buildings together to form an interconnected web. Marina Bay seems to be partially covered by buildings and structures.

An all air-conditioned pathway from Marina Bay MRT to Gardens by the Bay in future, perhaps?

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3. Marina Bay

Reality: The current Marina Bay Sands building is indubitably one of the most iconic images of Singapore.

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Future: William envisions the future Marina Bay to possess holographic technology. We spy two futuristic buildings resembling the shape of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab too.

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He also visualises how Marina Bay Shopping district would looks like by redesigning iconic areas such as the Super Tree grove.

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4. KK Hospital

Reality: The current KK Women and Children’s Hospital (KKH) has a whitewashed exterior.

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Future: The futuristic version of KK hospital shows a fusion of nature, technology and architecture. The contemporary look and feel breathes life into KKH.

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5. Chinatown

Reality: Currently, Chinatown remains one of our heritage sites and evokes the feeling of nostalgia thanks to the presence of old shophouses as well as the hustle and bustle of the area.

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Future: William’s new Chinatown looks futuristic and beautiful, however, it lacks the liveliness of Chinatown. In addition, the shophouses here seem to have gone through too many times of adaptive reuse, and are unable to reflect the rich traditional Chinese heritage of Chinatown.

Is this the fate all heritage sites must succumb to in the future?

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Singapore’s landscape in the future

William’s designs definitely possess the wow factor, and it’s enlightening to see a glimpse of future Singapore through the eyes of one designer.

However, as Singapore’s landscape changes, we hope that our sense of identity and heritage would not be diminished.

Nonetheless, we are still hoping for a futuristic transport system with flying spaceships/trains or at least airborne trains, as well as no train breakdowns.

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The Solution: Feeling Helpless

In his latest blogpost (21 Dec) on the upcoming opening of Downtown Line 2, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said engineers have spent many months preparing and testing the entire system, from the operations control centre to the trains and tunnels.

He even linked the opening of the new MRT line to back when his first newborn daughter grew her first tooth. Titled “Cutting teeth”, the Minister lamented that his wife and him were helpless, not knowing how to relieve their daughter’s discomfort, and that they subsequently became better at managing their younger daughter’s teething.

Well, I will soon experience my first rail line’s “teething” .

— Transport Minister, Khaw Boon Wan

We’re not too sure how you interpret this statement, but to us, it’s pretty clear. He’s basically try to say that, he will once again be “helpless” during the teething of his FIRST rail line.

Where’s the tooth fairy when we need her the most!?

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Jokes aside, we do understand where Mr Khaw is coming from. In the later part of his blogpost, he then brought up the two breakdowns which occured after the opening of Downtown Line 1 back in Dec 2013 – one happened barely a month after the opening in Jan 2014 and the other in Mar 2014.

As he refers to the new opening as a “teething” period, the Transport Minister simply hopes for Singaporeans to manage their expectations, and not expect the newly-built railway system to be breakdown-free.

We must also anticipate the worst, and have drawer plans for contingencies in the event that disruptions do occur.

After all, he is reliving his job as a dad again and this time playing the role of both parents to his child. It definitely won’t be easy, and we should definitely be as understanding as possible.

We’re positive that as time passes by, he’ll be the best “mom and dad” ever :’)

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SMRT shows the behind-the-scenes in the life of an SMRT engineer

Other than making their trains break down, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) knows how to make videos — and is pretty good at that.

In a YouTube video titled “24/7 | My Father My Pride” (22 Dec), the video paints the life of an unsung hero in the form of an SMRT engineer who works in the wee hours of the morning to maintain the train system.

His daughter works at an office and takes the train at 8.30am, while the father only goes to bed at that time.

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We don’t remember the train being that empty at 8.30am though.

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At night, the daughter comes home at about 10pm, while the father leaves for work. From 11pm onwards, the video shows the father diligently working on the train tracks while sweating profusely.

What happens in the end? We’re not gonna spoil it for you — you’ll have to watch it yourself.

This video should be in line with SMRT’s recent campaign with the slogan “We are working on it”. The campaign paints a more human and personal side to SMRT — seemingly the company’s way of trying to gain the understanding of ordinary Singaporeans.

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Train breakdowns not the only transport problems

These questions are constantly lingering in our minds — Since oil prices have decreased, when will our fares decrease too?

Furthermore, when will the trains be less crowded?

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Singapore’s most spectacular countdown celebration

Ever since its inception in 2005, Marina Bay Singapore Countdown (MBSC) has become the largest and most spectacular countdown celebration in Singapore, having attracted more than 300,000 people to the Bay on New Year’s Eve.

Jointly presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and Urban Redevelopment Authority, here are 10 reasons why you should be at #MBSC2016 this year to create exciting new memories for the New Year ahead. We are sure that there is definitely something for everyone on 31 Dec.

MBSC2015 Photo Competition – People’s Choice Award Winner – Terryl Eugenio

1. It is the biggest, most dazzling New Year’s Eve event in Singapore

#MBSC2016 will be the 11th edition of this signature New Year’s countdown event – proving that these folks sure know how to make a memorable and lasting impression year on year!

2. The iconic location at the heart of Singapore

Held at Marina Bay — arguably the most iconic location in Singapore – this magnificent venue is a visible representation of Singapore’s remarkable transformation from a fishing village to a first-world modern metropolis.

3. Free musical performances at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre

Starting from 7pm, spend your last evening of 2015 with a myriad of performances by The Mad Company and Roze and the Family Soul, who will be dazzling the audience with popular music numbers to gear you up for the final countdown.

Head on to the Esplanade’s website here for the detailed schedule for the evening.

4. A waterfront bazaar along the promenade

Earn brownie points with your bae by taking him/her on a unique shopping experience as you stroll down the Marina Waterfront Bazaar at the promenade from 3pm all the way to 3am. You’ll be greeted with an array of handicrafts, collectibles, fashion apparel and accessories, party novelties and lighted gadgets. Oh, and not forgetting the actual food. Light refreshments are also available at affordable prices.

5. Concert at The Float (tickets required)

Featuring a star-studded ensemble of local artistes and international star Adam Lambert, this concert — organized by Mediacorp — will pack your evening with high-energy entertainment and excitement as you party it up to 2016 with them.

6. Countdown Animation Sequence at The Fullerton Hotel

Image by Andrew JK Tan, Courtesy of Urban Redevelopment Authority

A special light presentation depicting Singapore’s dynamism and vibrant future will be displayed on the façade of The Fullerton Hotel. You can look forward to stunning images that show our identity as a nation that grew from shophouses to the high-rise HDB flats we know of today, as well as the sprawling world-class city we have become. It will be shown hourly between 8pm and 11pm from 26 to 31 Dec 2015. On New Year’s Eve itself, the final showcase at 11.55pm will culminate in a countdown sequence to midnight.

The exact timings of the animation:
26-30 Dec 2015 – 8.15pm, 9.15pm, 10.15pm and 11.15pm nightly;
31 Dec 2015 – 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, 11.55pm.

Image by Bryan van der Beek, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

7. 8-minute long fireworks display

End the year with a bang (literally) with the highlight of the evening: an eight-minute long firework display at the stroke of midnight. For the first time ever, this spectacular firework display — accompanied by a rousing musical score specially choreographed and composed by local music talent Julian Wong — will span the entire length of Marina Bay. And hey, this ensures that you will no longer be craning your neck just to look at a section of the fireworks anymore.

Image by Wesley Loh Kar Wai, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

8. The Wishing Spheres Project

Noticed the various wishing stations that were set up all over Singapore ever since mid-November?

Hopefully you have been duly penning your hopes and dreams onto those spheres, for 20,000 of those spheres will be set afloat onto the bay, and lit with coloured lights on New Year’s Eve to create a magnificent visual showcase. The installation represents the collective wishes by residents and visitors for Singapore’s future in the years to come. Did you know that there were only 2,500 wishing spheres back in 2005 during the first ever celebration? This installation has been a tradition of MBSC celebrations ever since.

9. A chance to win travel vouchers worth $5,000

We love competitions, and we love competitions with attractive prizes even more. This year’s Photo Competition theme is “A Better Future”, and participants are to submit photos of the various festivities and events of #MBSC2016 that reflects this theme. The photo entries should try to capture people celebrating the event, highlighting the kinship, friendship or community ties, as well as to reflect hope and anticipation for the nation’s future as Singapore journeys into the next 50 years and beyond. Participants stand to win attractive travel vouchers sponsored by #MBSC2016’s Official Airline Partner, Tigerair.

More details are available here: http://www.marinabaycountdown.sg/photo-competition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

10. It is the final Golden Jubilee event

And last but not least, this will be the last ever #SG50 (yes, we know you’re tired of seeing this hashtag too) event, and the start of a new chapter for Singapore. We are all excited about the infinite possibilities that 2016 will bring in.

With lights, music and action, what more can we ask for? Definitely the most unforgettable way to celebrate the start of 2016, and we can’t think of a better way to count down to the New Year than at #MBSC2016.

*Bonus

Gear up for the celebration by liking and following #MBSC2016’s Facebook and Instagram page, and stand a chance to win amazing prizes by participating in their weekly contests!

For more information, check out the website here for updates and detailed schedules.

Website: marinabaycountdown.sg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marinabaysg?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
Instagram: www.instagram.com/marinabaysg?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

This post was brought to you by Marina Bay Singapore Countdown.

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Featured image via Urban Redevelopment Authority
With reference to Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2016

The post 10 Reasons Why Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2016 Is The Best Event To Ring In The New Year was created and published on MustShareNews.com.