Government to help in re-employment of Singaporeans aged 65 and up

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

Singapore's government promises to help its citizens who would still like to continue working after they pass their retirement age, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Speaking at his May Day Rally at the newly-opened Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong East on Thursday, PM Lee said changes will be made to Singapore's Employment Act. This will help older citizens find work.

He also revealed that another continuous education and training (CET) institute is slated for opening later this year in Paya Lebar. These two CET facilities are funded by the government to the tune of $300 million.

Time needed

Without sharing too much detail, he said the government will amend the Retirement and Re-Employment Act to help these elderly workers, but doing so will take some time because of the need to consult with unions and employers on the best ways to do this.

Currently, employers are legally bound to offer their staff re-employment opportunities when they are due for retirement between the age of 62 and 65, provided that they have satisfactory work performance and are healthy. Then-Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin also said in February that his ministry was planning to raise Singaporeans' re-employment age to 67.

Operated by the NTUC subsidiary e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), the Devan Nair Institute is a seven-storey complex that, according to a release from e2i, can train up to 50,000 workers each year in a wide range of sectoral and generic skills.

These — which include sectors ranging from early childhood and education to landscaping and digital animation, as well as employability skills, service excellence and productivity — are aimed at preparing workers to take on better-paying jobs. The centre will also provide training, career and employer services.

Connected to the world

In his rally speech, PM Lee said that despite dealing with teething issues, Singapore's economy needs to remain open to foreign investment and talent so that it can continue to grow for the betterment of the lives of citizens.

Mentioning that the government is taking steps to stem the inflow of foreign workers — and with the Fair Consideration Framework — he stressed that "we must not send the wrong signal that Singapore no longer welcomes investments, or is turning away talent".

He also stressed the need for Singaporeans to continue to remain competitive as a workforce, amid growing competition from our neighbouring countries.

"We cannot tell them to go away and leave us alone, but we can provide you the resources and the means to stay one step ahead of them," he said. "If you apply yourself and make the effort, you will succeed."

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/government-to-help-in-re-employment-of-singaporeans-aged-65-and-up-054625943.html

Police warn Gilbert Goh against plan to deface PM Lee poster at May Day protest

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

Police on Wednesday warned activist Gilbert Goh against an online call he made to deface a poster of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at his protest event at Hong Lim Park, planned for Thursday.

In a public post Goh shared on his personal Facebook page on Saturday, 19 April, he encouraged participants of his planned "labour day protest" to "vent their anger" at a "huge poster" of PM Lee, which he planned to display at the event.

"You can spit, throw eggs, splash dog poo, draw graffiti and kick at the poster of our Prime Minister," he wrote. "We don't need to respect him at all… for he has never care [sic] for us one bit."

Some 145 people liked his post, where he called PM Lee "a disgraced leader to all Singaporeans", claiming that he "constantly side [sic] with all foreigners residing here and chastised his own people who incidentally have voted him into office".

In a follow-up post on its own Facebook page, police spokespersons said Goh "was advised against carrying out such activities during the demonstration", as they would risk committing criminal offences.

"Mr Goh was also advised to remove any online postings that called on participants of his demonstration to conduct activities that might be against the law," they said. Checks on Goh's Facebook page at about 9:15pm on Wednesday showed that his initial post is still accessible, however.

Goh responded at 4:30pm on Wednesday with a post on his Facebook page, saying, "But that doesn't mean we can't scold him for his errant pro-foreigner policies right? Which PM in the world invites others to take over his own country?" His latest post had 154 likes and 19 shares.

This isn't the first time Goh has risked trouble with local police. He and participants of a protest last year faced a similar run-in with police officers after unveiling an "effigy" of transport minister Lui Tuck Yew, which they initially planned to burn, but ended up splashing water at after they were warned against it.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/police-warn-gilbert-goh-against-plan-to-deface-pm-lee-poster-at-may-day-protest-133506490.html

Tuesday #sgroundup: Tan Chuan-jin and Lawrence Wong promoted to full ministers by 1 May: PM Lee

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

Here are today's top trending stories in case you missed them.

Tan Chuan-jin and Lawrence Wong promoted to full ministers by 1 May: PM Lee
 Tan Chuan-Jin and Lawrence Wong become full ministers by 1 May. (Yahoo photo)
Acting Minister of Manpower Tan Chuan-jin and Acting Minister of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) Lawrence Wong will be promoted to become full ministers from Thursday (1 May), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in a press statement on Tuesday.

The changes are part of a fourth round of shifts in the cabinet since 2011's general election.
 
PM Lee praised both Tan and Wong's performances since taking office, saying, "They have performed well since taking office, and mastered their portfolios. They have also worked hard on the ground, winning the respect and trust of Singaporeans."

Full list of cabinet changes: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/tan-chuan-jin-and-lawrence-wong-promoted-to-full-ministers-by-1-may--pm-lee-084755012.html
 
Singapore cuts down on traditional sports for 2015 SEA Games
 
The SEA Games Federation Exco announced on Tuesday afternoon the finalised list of sports (36) and events (402) at the Games, to be held from 5 to 16 June next year.

This number of sports is six more than the 30 first announced last year, with the additions being boxing, equestrian, floorball, petanque, rowing and volleyball.
But it is still an ideal figure, according to Dr Tan Eng Liang, chairman of the SEA Games Federation Exco.
https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-sports/sea-games-singapore-feature-36-sports-044550047.html
 
South Korean president apologises to ferry victims' families
 South Korean President Park Geun-hye speaks as she visits the show "DMZ - Gruenes Band" (Demilitarized …
President Park Geun-hye apologised on Tuesday to families of the 302 victims in last month's ferry capsize and pledged to revamp safety regulations, as an investigation proceeded into South Korea's worst maritime accident in 21 years.

Park and her government have been criticised over the authorities' slow response to the sinking of the ferry on 16 April, and for lax regulation of the shipping industry.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/south-korean-president-apologises-ferry-victims-families-070702382.html
 
Hishammuddin: Technical committee in MH370 search will decide on Bay of Bengal lead
 Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Minister of Defence and Acting Transport Minister, during a press conference on …
The technical committee on the search for missing Malaysian jetliner will decide if it will follow up on reports that MH370 may have crashed in the Bay of Bengal, Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today.

"I will not comment on it until there is confirmation... in past there were oil slicks, satellite images of wreckage in the South China Sea, but proved to be untrue," he said.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/hishammuddin-technical-committee-mh370-search-decide-bay-bengal-061600216.html
 
Obama warns China, backs Philippines
 Barack Obama delivers remarks to US and Philippine troops at Fort Bonifacio in Manila on April 29, 2014
US President Barack Obama ended an Asian tour Tuesday with a warning to China against using force to resolve territorial disputes, and an "ironclad" promise of military support for the Philippines.

Obama used an address to US and Filipino troops in Manila to again voice concern over the increasingly tense maritime rows between China and US allies in the region, an issue that has dominated his four-nation trip.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/obama-warns-china-backs-philippines-052728612.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/tuesday--sgroundup--tan-chuan-jin-and-lawrence-wong-promoted-to-full-ministers-by-1-may--pm-lee-093813894.html

Monday #sgroundup: Online Hello Kitty sales kill in-store McDonald’s queues

By Jeanette Tan | What's buzzing? – 

Here are the top trending stories of the day in case you missed them:

What Hello Kitty craze? Online sales kill in-store McDonald's queues

No queue spotted at the McDonald's outlet at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at around 8.40am on 28 April 2014.

The craze for Hello Kitty appears to have abated significantly from last year, when irate customers argued fiercely with store managers after a spate of queue-jumping.

Queue lines were empty on the morning of the commencement of plushie sales, with fans who visited various McDonald's outlets around Singapore having no difficulty with procuring their KeroKeroKeroppi kitties.

https://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/what-hello-kitty-craze--online-sales-kill-in-store-mcdonald-s-queues-035553605.html

Missing plane's search area to be expanded

The Phoenix International AUV Artemis is moved by crane over the side of Ocean Shield in the search for MH370 in …

The underwater hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet will be expanded to include a massive swath of ocean floor that may take up to eight months to thoroughly search, Australia's prime minister Tony Abbott said on Monday.

In the latest development to the search, which so far still has not yielded any positive evidence of the plane, Abbott said officials are now looking to bring in new equipment that can search a larger patch of seabed for it.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/missing-planes-search-area-expanded-041039378.html

Volunteers quietly help families of ferry's lost

In this April 26, 2014 photo, Lim Jang-young, 58, volunteer and Japanese restaurant owner, right, ladles out a …

The tragedy of the Sewol ferry that sunk off the cost of South Korea has given way to more than 16,000 volunteers who have quietly come forward to provide different types of help to the grieving families of the missing and deceased passengers.

Some are Buddhist monks, some scrub toilets and bathroom floors, while others offer to help the families wash their clothes as they await any news from authorities and rescue teams out searching for their loved ones.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/volunteers-quietly-help-families-ferrys-lost-091433732.html

Photos of women swooning over North Korea's Kim Jong-Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) is flanked by female soldiers after inspecting the multiple-rocket launching …

After his father, Kim Jong-Il, also known as the Dear Leader died in 2011, Kim Jong-un was revealed to be in charge of the country.

A series of photographs released by the tightly-controlled nation show hordes of women flocking to the young Kim, triggering curiosity and intrigue.

https://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/photos/photos-of-women-swooning-over-north-korea-s-kim-jong-un-1398444446-slideshow/

'Fed-up' national track stars rage against lapses in Singapore Athletic Assocation

Stefan Tseng of Singapore in action during the men's triple jump qualification during day three of the 12th IAAF …

In the space of a week, the Singapore Athetic Association came under heavy fire from two of its star athletes – both national record-holders – who each took to Facebook to air their grievances.

Others, who declined to be identified, also singled out SAA's general manager James Wong as being responsible for some of these incidents that either cut off funding to their sporting career or denied them opportunities to enter regional or international competitions due to various administrative actions.

https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-sports/-fed-up--national-track-stars-rage-against-lapses-in-singapore-athletic-association-065656292.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/monday--sgroundup--online-hello-kitty-sales-kill-in-store-mcdonald-s-queues-102950164.html

Woman dies in car crash moments after *Happy* Facebook post

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

A female driver in the US died in a car crash seconds after a Facebook post about how happy she was feeling after listening to Pharell William's global smash hit, "Happy".

The post reportedly read, "The happy song makes me HAPPY!"

Courtney Ann Sanford, 32, died on Thursday after crashing head-on into a truck along a highway in North Carolina at 8:34am, according to emergency call records to police. Her car was crossing a median road when she crashed head-on into the truck, which ran off the road and hit a tree. The truck driver was unhurt.

Investigations reveal that Sanford's friends told police that seconds before her accident, she had used her mobile phone to post a Facebook message at 8:33am which read, "The happy song makes me HAPPY."

She had also uploaded images of selfies while she was behind the wheel.

The contagious "Happy" track spawned a worldwide phenomenon, as soon as the music video was posted on YouTube last November.

Watch how the singer himself is overwhelmed by the "Happy" trend:

 

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/woman-dies-in-car-crash-moments-after--happy--facebook-post-035019415.html

Singapore Planned Parenthood Association responds to parenthood talk controversy

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

[UPDATE on Saturday, 26 April at 3:50pm: Adding comments from SPPA president]

The talk organised by the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association (SPPA) on Friday was focused on values, and was "grossly misrepresented" by an AWARE representative who attended and live-tweeted from it, said the association's president.

Speaking to Yahoo Singapore on Saturday afternoon, naturopathic physician Dr Sundardas D. Annamalay, who has helmed the SPPA since last year, acknowledged the controversy that ensued after Jolene Tan, a  senior communications manager at women's rights organisation AWARE used Twitter to broadcast updates from Friday's talk, but explained the SPPA had in fact wanted to bring together diverse views.

"That goes without saying," he said. "If our speakers had identical views to us, why would we need to bring them in? (By doing this) we open it up for debate, and have different people commenting... if we really didn't allow diversity, we wouldn't allow people who disagreed with us to attend the programme, make comments, ask questions or make comments about this in public. We are encouraging public opinion."

Event focused on values

Dr Sundardas also stressed that the symposium, called "Towards a Values-Centred Society", was about a person's core values, a facet of the sexuality debate that frequently gets left out in the deluge of information about contraceptives, abortion and other means of planned parenthood.

The talk had attracted some 300 participants from numerous secular organisations. These included the Singapore Kindness Movement, the Parkinson's Society Singapore and a host of other smaller companies and groups.

"When we do our sex education programmes we talk about abortions, contraceptives, making choices," he said. "What the speakers wanted to stress is that if you just provide information without core values, there is no way young people will know how to put things in perspective."

"Personally, I feel we should give people knowledge, core values and give them the information. The speakers were allowed their perspective... everyone is allowed to express what they have to say and the public is expected to make up their own minds," he added.

Tweets were a 'distortion' of what was said

Turning to the tweets from Tan, he said, "I want to give people a fair representation of what happened, and this means that even divergent opinions about the conference and what was said should be aired, while at the same time misrepresentations need to be corrected."

Tan, using the @AWAREnews account, tweeted that keynote speaker, California-based behavioural psychologist Dr Melvin W. Wong, had made a number of polarising comments about religion and sexuality.

In her words, Wong praised anti-gay sex law Section 377A as a "model for the world" and that "the whole world needs (to have) American values".

Wong had also reportedly said marriage and religion were "a must for everyone".

This despite the SPPA's website saying it "defend(s) the rights of all young people to enjoy their sexual lives free from all… discrimination" and under its core values, says it is "committed to gender equality" and "eliminating discrimination" against young women.

In response, Dr Sundardas told Yahoo Singapore that Wong did not say those things, but instead spoke of an original set of core values espoused by Americans in the past, long before alternative perspectives and sets of values emerged.

The rise of these alternate sets of values, said Dr Sundardas, threw America's society into confusion, a state in which it remains today, in Wong's view.

Wong's comments about Section 377A being a "model for the world" were also not expressed in the manner portrayed by Tan, noted Dr Sundardas.

Instead, he had expressed his personal views that it was a "considered statement, a wise decision that (Wong, being an unapologetic Christian) feels others should look at in greater detail".

While Wong was also quoted as saying the "media should reflect (the) Christian agenda" and that husbands should love their wives but it's "not easy with women these days", Dr Sundardas said he wasn't able to speak on his behalf as he was not present at the time.

Who is Melvin Wong?

Beyond that, according to more tweets from Tan, Wong -- who in late 2003 peddled a controversial "treatment" for homosexuality known as "Reparative Therapy" through a seminar in Singapore --
said parents "should have (the) right to decide on (the) sexual orientation of (their) children" among other anti-homosexual comments like it is "almost child abuse" for one to have gay parents.

Dr Sundardas again defended Wong, saying he did not use the word "decide" but "guide"and that he was expressing his personal view that parents should have the right to guide their children from young.

"(Wong) made no apologies about being a Christian; he talked about his own opinions... there was significant distortion here," said Dr Sundardas. "At no point did he say that homosexuality is inherently wrong; neither did he say that every homosexual should be converted to a heterosexual relationship."

Also shown at the conference was a video featuring Glenn Lim, who describes himself on his blog as a "writer, motivational speaker, trainer and curriculum developer". According to Tan, Lim "slammed" comprehensive sexuality education, and called for the teaching of "abstinence only".

These, said Dr Sundardas, were simply Lim expressing his own views as well -- views that are fair in their divergence, an aim that the SPPA was driving toward in their selection of speakers at the conference.

Apart from Wong and Lim were also Mathew Mathews, a research fellow with the Insitute of Policy Studies, whom Dr Sundardas said spoke almost solely on the findings of a study he led on the topic, as well as National Institute of Education lecturer Jessie Ee, who shared her own views on the values-centred argument.

Asked why the lineup of speakers appeared to be mostly conservative, Dr Sundardas stressed the difference between gender and core values.

"Honour, trust, respect, industriousness, accountability -- those are core values," said Dr Sundardas. "I don't want to see heterosexuality as a core value -- that's gender. It's okay to know different sexual preferences but we should first and foremost ground children in good core values before they grow older and decide for themselves what sexual orientation they are or want to be."

Users on Twitter following the live tweets on @AWAREnews reacted in anger and shock at them.

Hey #sppasymposium, I value kindness, and empathy, and love, and not holding the human race back by being a deluded bigoted asswipe

— V. Lim (@limvee) April 25, 2014

why is a "planned parenthood" symposium not talking about contraception and abortion and other actual family planning stuff #sppasymposium

— robert, punslinger (@robertbivouac) April 25, 2014

Bigots who use their uninhibited access to public spaces to share their ignorance are a waste of privilege. Shame on the #sppasymposium

— Melissa Tsang (@eightMILESwide) April 25, 2014

When she tried to speak up and ask questions or express disapproval of what was being said, Tan said she was either asked to keep quiet or leave, and tweeted that she was called "confrontational".

Responding to Tan's claims that she was suppressed, Dr Sundardas said Wong had initially told her to stop interrupting him while he was talking, as she was clapping in response to parts of what he said that she agreed with.

Later on, in closing comments toward the end of the event, though, Tan tweeted him saying that the position of the SPPA does not align with the stance of its parent network, the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

"Freedom to make right choices through info with core values of responsibility [sic]," she tweeted, with regard to the SPPA's stance.

Dr Sundardas clarified this, saying the SPPA and various other planned parenthood associations disagreed with the IPPF's position (held by some of its administration) that people should be allowed to exercise their rights to express their sexuality without having to deal with the responsibilities or consequences that followed.

"We were really upset about that, and they got upset with us for not standing up for people's rights," he said, adding, however, that subsequent regional meetings on the issue ended with the IPPF acknowledging that that line can be worded better and clearer and will work to do so.

Yahoo Singapore is also trying to get in touch with others who attended the event.

Women's and gender equality advocacy group AWARE itself attracted headlines on Thursday for its opposition to the government's plan to enhance housing, healthcare and education benefits for NSmen, on the basis that the benefits should be linked to military service.

In 2009, the group also made national headlines after a leadership tussle sparked debate and scrutiny over the group's supposed pro-gay agenda.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/controversy-erupts-over-parenthood-symposium-in-singapore-035500709.html

Singapore Planned Parenthood Association president responds to controversy over tweets from symposium

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

[UPDATE on Saturday, 26 April at 3:50pm: Adding comments from SPPA president]

The symposium organised by the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association (SPPA) on Friday was focused on values, and was "grossly misrepresented" by an AWARE representative who attended and live-tweeted from it, said the SPPA's president.

Speaking to Yahoo Singapore on Saturday afternoon, naturopathic physician Dr Sundardas D. Annamalay, who has helmed the SPPA since last year, acknowledged the controversy that ensued after Jolene Tan, a  programmes and senior communications manager at women's rights organisation AWARE tweeted live updates from the conference on Friday, but explained that the SPPA in fact wanted to bring together diverse views.

"That goes without saying," he said. "If our speakers had identical views to us, why would we need to bring them in? (By doing this) we open it up for debate, and have different people commenting... if we really didn't allow diversity, we wouldn't allow people who disagreed with us to attend the programme, make comments, ask questions or make comments about this in public. We are encouraging public opinion."

An event focused on values

Dr Sundardas also stressed that the symposium, called "Towards a Values-Centred Society", was about a person's core values, a facet of the sexuality debate that frequently gets left out in the deluge of information about contraceptives, abortion and other means of planned parenthood.

"When we do our sex education programmes we talk about abortions, contraceptives, making choices," he said. "What the speakers wanted to stress is that if you just provide information without core values, there is no way young people will know how to put things in a sense of perspective."

"Personally, I feel we should give people knowledge, core values and give them the information. The speakers were allowed their perspective... everyone is allowed to express what they have to say and the public is expected to make up their own minds," he added.

Tweets were a 'misrepresentation', 'distortion' of what was said

Turning to the tweets from Tan, he said, "I want to give people a fair representation of what happened, and this means that even divergent opinions about the conference and what was said should be aired, while at the same time misrepresentations need to be corrected."

In response to tweets she sent that attributed the assertion of marriage and religion being a must for everyone as well as the idea that the world needs American values to the conference's keynote speaker Dr Melvin W. Wong, Dr Sundardas explained that Wong did not say those things, but instead spoke of an original set of core values espoused by Americans in the past, long before alternative perspectives and sets of values emerged.

The rise of these alternate sets of values, said Dr Sundardas, threw America's society into confusion, a state in which it remains today, in Wong's view.

Wong's comments about Section 377A being a "model for the world" were also not expressed in the manner portrayed by Tan, noted Dr Sundardas. Instead, he had expressed his personal views that it was a "considered statement, a wise decision that (Wong, being an unapologetic Christian) feels others should look at in greater detail".

While Wong was also quoted as saying that the "media should reflect (the) Christian agenda" and that husbands should love their wives but it's "not easy with women these days", Dr Sundardas said he wasn't able to speak on his behalf as he was not present throughout the time Wong was speaking.

Tan, using the @AWAREnews account, tweeted that California-based behavioural psychologist Dr Melvin W. Wong had made a number of comments about religion and sexuality that drew the ire of people on Twitter.

In her words, Wong also praised anti-gay sex law Section 377A as a "model for the world" and that "the whole world needs (to have) American values".

This despite the SPPA's website saying it "defend(s) the rights of all young people to enjoy their sexual lives free from all… discrimination" and under its core values, says it is "committed to gender equality" and "eliminating discrimination" against young women.

Who is Melvin Wong?

Wong, who is based in California, in late 2003 peddled a controversial "treatment" for homosexuality known as "Reparative Therapy" through a seminar in Singapore. A group of American psychologists came together at that time to write a letter to The Straits Times questioning Wong's claims of being affiliated with the American Psychological Association, and expressed other concerns about his approach to homosexuality.

Beyond that, according to more tweets from Tan, Wong said parents "should have (the) right to decide on (the) sexual orientation of (their) children" among other anti-homosexual comments like "leftists are fascists", it is "almost child abuse" for one to have gay parents.

Responding to the first tweet, Dr Sundardas said Wong did not use the word "decide", but instead said "guide", and spoke his view following an explanation that in some states in the US, it is against the law for parents to guide their children in sexual orientation when they are below the age of 18. It was at this point that he expressed his personal view, which is that parents should have the right to guide their children from young.

The tweet where Tan claimed Wong said "leftists are fascists" was also wrong, because Wong was listing leftists and fascists as two of a host of political agendas that small governments around the world are struggling to deal with now. He did not at any point equate the two, said Dr Sundardas.

"(Wong) made no apologies about being a Christian; he talked about his own opinions... there was significant distortion here," said Dr Sundardas. "At no point did he say that homosexuality is inherently wrong; neither did he say that every homosexual should be converted to a heterosexual relationship."

Also shown at the conference was a video featuring Glenn Lim, who describes himself on his blog as a "writer, motivational speaker, trainer and curriculum developer". According to Tan, Lim "slammed" comprehensive sexuality education, and called for the teaching of "abstinence only".

These, said Dr Sundardas, were simply Lim expressing his own views as well -- views that are fair in their divergence, an aim that the SPPA was driving toward in their selection of speakers at the conference.

Apart from Wong and Lim were also Mathew Mathews, a research fellow with the Insitute of Policy Studies, whom Dr Sundardas said spoke almost solely on the findings of a study he led on the topic, as well as National Institute of Education lecturer Jessie Ee, who shared her own views on the values-centred argument.

Asked why the lineup of speakers appeared to some to be mostly conservative, Dr Sundardas stressed the difference between gender and core values.

"Honour, trust, respect, industriousness, accountability -- those are core values," said Dr Sundardas. "I don't want to see heterosexuality as a core value -- that's gender. It's okay to know different sexual preferences but we should first and foremost ground children in good core values before they grow older and decide for themselves what sexual orientation they are or want to be."

Users on Twitter following the live tweets on @AWAREnews reacted in anger and shock at them.

Hey #sppasymposium, I value kindness, and empathy, and love, and not holding the human race back by being a deluded bigoted asswipe

— V. Lim (@limvee) April 25, 2014

why is a "planned parenthood" symposium not talking about contraception and abortion and other actual family planning stuff #sppasymposium

— robert, punslinger (@robertbivouac) April 25, 2014

Bigots who use their uninhibited access to public spaces to share their ignorance are a waste of privilege. Shame on the #sppasymposium

— Melissa Tsang (@eightMILESwide) April 25, 2014

When she tried to speak up and ask questions or express disapproval of what was being said, Tan said she was either asked to keep quiet or leave, and tweeted that she was called "confrontational".

Responding to Tan's claims that she was suppressed, Dr Sundardas said Wong had initially told her to stop interrupting him while he was talking, as she was clapping in response to parts of what he said that she agreed with.

"When it was time to ask questions, she started speaking up -- more than anyone else had," he said. Also, before the SPPA according to Tan "declined comment" on reparative therapy, Wong had spent a significant length of time explaining the disparity of approaches toward it in the US, as well as his own experience in carrying it out, also offering case studies at various points.

Later on, in closing comments toward the end of the event, though, Tan tweeted him saying that the position of the SPPA does not align with the stance of its parent network, the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

"Freedom to make right choices through info with core values of responsibility [sic]," she tweeted, with regard to the SPPA's stance.

Dr Sundardas clarified this, saying the SPPA and various other planned parenthood associations disagreed with the IPPF's position (held by some of its administration) that people should be allowed to exercise their rights to express their sexuality without having to deal with the responsibilities or consequences that followed.

"We were really upset about that, and they got upset with us for not standing up for people's rights," he said, adding, however, that subsequent regional meetings on the issue ended with the IPPF acknowledging that that line can be worded better and clearer and will work to do so.

Dr Sundardas said the symposium attracted some 300 participants from numerous secular organisations. These included the Singapore Kindness Movement, the Parkinson's Society Singapore and a host of other smaller companies and groups.

Yahoo Singapore is also trying to get in touch with others who attended the event.

Women's and gender equality advocacy group AWARE itself attracted headlines on Thursday for its opposition to the government's plan to enhance housing, healthcare and education benefits for NSmen, on the basis that the benefits should be linked to military service.

In 2009, the group also made national headlines after a leadership tussle sparked debate and scrutiny over the group's supposed pro-gay agenda.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/controversy-erupts-over-parenthood-symposium-in-singapore-035500709.html

Controversy erupts over parenthood symposium in Singapore

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

The keynote speaker at a parenthood symposium in Singapore on Friday has made shockwaves with a series of controversial remarks on religion and sexuality during his address.

California-based behavioural psychologist Dr Melvin W. Wong's call for "media to reflect Christian agenda", that marriage and religion were a must for everyone and that husbands must love wives though it's "not easy with women these days" were made during the the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association (SPPA) symposium at the Fullerton Hotel.

These are based on live tweets from Jolene Tan, programmes and senior communications manager at women's rights organisation AWARE, who attended the talk and was tweeting through the official AWARE account @AWAREnews.

Wong also praised anti-gay sex law Section 377A as a "model for the world" and that "the whole world needs (to have) American values".

This despite the SPPA's website saying it "defend(s) the rights of all young people to enjoy their sexual lives free from all… discrimination" and under its core values, says it is "committed to gender equality" and "eliminating discrimination" against young women.

Who is Melvin Wong?

Wong, who is based in California, in late 2003 peddled a controversial "treatment" for homosexuality known as "Reparative Therapy" through a seminar in Singapore. A group of American psychologists came together at that time to write a letter to The Straits Times questioning Wong's claims of being affiliated with the American Psychological Association, and expressed other concerns about his approach to homosexuality.

Beyond that, according to more tweets from Tan, Wong said parents "should have (the) right to decide on (the) sexual orientation of (their) children"among other anti-homosexual comments like "leftists are fascists", it is "almost child abuse" for one to have gay parents.

Also shown at the conference was a video featuring Glenn Lim, who describes himself on his blog as a "writer, motivational speaker, trainer and curriculum developer". According to Tan, Lim "slammed" comprehensive sexuality education, and called for the teaching of "abstinence only".

Users on Twitter following the live tweets on @AWAREnews reacted in anger and shock at what was reportedly being said.

Hey #sppasymposium, I value kindness, and empathy, and love, and not holding the human race back by being a deluded bigoted asswipe

— V. Lim (@limvee) April 25, 2014

why is a "planned parenthood" symposium not talking about contraception and abortion and other actual family planning stuff #sppasymposium

— robert, punslinger (@robertbivouac) April 25, 2014

Bigots who use their uninhibited access to public spaces to share their ignorance are a waste of privilege. Shame on the #sppasymposium

— Melissa Tsang (@eightMILESwide) April 25, 2014

When she tried to speak up and ask questions or express disapproval of what was being said, Tan said she was either asked to keep quiet or leave, and tweeted that she was called "confrontational".

Tan tweeted also that she did speak to the SPPA president, listed on the SPPA's site as Dr Annamalay Sundardas, who defended his speaker lineup on the basis of having a "diversity of views".

Later on, in closing comments toward the end of the event, though, Tan tweeted him saying that the position of the SPPA does not align with the stance of its parent network, the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

"Freedom to make right choices through info with core values of responsibility [sic]," she tweeted, with regard to the SPPA's stance.

Yahoo Singapore is contacting the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association for more comments and is also trying to get in touch with others who attended the talk.

Women's and gender equality advocacy group AWARE itself attracted headlines on Thursday for its opposition to the government's plan to enhance housing, healthcare and education benefits for NSmen, on the basis that the benefits should be linked to military service.

In 2009, the group also made national headlines after a leadership tussle sparked debate and scrutiny over the group's supposed pro-gay agenda.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/controversy-erupts-over-parenthood-symposium-in-singapore-035500709.html

Friday #sgroundup: Drunk passenger causes hijack fear on Bali flight

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

Here are today's top trending stories in case you missed them.

Drunk passenger causes hijack fear on Bali flight
 The actions of one drunken passenger was the cause of hijack fears around a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane …
The actions of one drunken passenger was the cause of hijack fears around a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Bali.

Flight VA41, a Boeing 737 which left Australia at about 11am (Australian time), was disrupted when he tried to force his way into the plane's cockpit at about 1:05pm (Bali time).

The pilot was forced to send a hijacking signal while the flight crew handled the passenger, who was later identified by Bali police chief Beni Mokalu as 28-year-old Australian Matt Christopher.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/breaking--virgin-blue-flight-to-bali-hijacked-073118410.html
 
Laser lights pointed at aircraft pose big risks, Singapore aviation authorities warn
 The number of incidents of people shining laser lights at planes flying in and out of Changi Airport has risen, …
The number of incidents of people shining laser lights at planes flying in and out of Changi Airport has risen, prompting Singapore aviation authorities to issue a warning against the practice.

According to local media reports, 45 incidents were reported in 2012, as compared to five in 2009.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/laser-lights-pointed-at-aircraft-pose-big-risks--singapore-aviation-authorities-warn-054430721.html
 
2 Malaysia kidnap victims now in Philippine jungle
 Filipino officials say Muslim militants have brought a Chinese tourist and a Filipino hotel receptionist to their …
Filipino officials say Muslim militants have brought a Chinese tourist and a Filipino hotel receptionist to their jungle stronghold in the southern Philippines after kidnapping the women from a dive resort in eastern Malaysia early this month.

Three Philippine security officials say that based on numerous intelligence reports and accounts from villagers, the women are now being held in the predominantly Muslim province of Sulu, where the militant group Abu Sayyaf has been holding several foreign and Filipino hostages for ransom.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/2-malaysia-kidnap-victims-now-philippine-jungle-074837898.html
 
Malaysia to release MH370 report
People walk past a billboard in support of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at the Metro Park Hotel in Beijing … 
Malaysia will release a preliminary report next week on the disappearance of flight MH370, Prime Minister Najib Razak said, as his government battles criticism over the transparency of its investigation.

"I have directed an internal investigation team of experts to look at the report, and there is a likelihood that next week we could release the report," Najib told CNN in an interview.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/malaysia-release-mh370-report-235859006.html
 
 
Obama visit to South Korea tinged by mourning
 President Barack Obama is sitting down with South Korea's President Park Geun-hye, whose attention is unavoidably …
President Barack Obama is sitting down with South Korea's President Park Geun-hye, whose attention is unavoidably split between her economic agenda with Obama and the unfolding aftermath of a tragic ferry disaster.

Obama was due at the Blue House, the South Korean equivalent of the White House, on Friday for a busy evening of meetings with Park, including a working dinner and a news conference. The visit is Obama's first to Seoul since Park became the key US ally's first female president.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/obama-visit-south-korea-tinged-mourning-060647955--politics.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/friday--sgroundup--drunk-passenger-causes-hijack-fear-on-bali-flight-093522839.html

Laser lights pointed at aircraft pose big risks, Singapore aviation authorities warn

By Hannah Teoh | Yahoo Newsroom – 

The number of incidents of people shining laser lights at planes flying in and out of Changi Airport has risen, prompting Singapore aviation authorities to issue a warning against the practice.
 
According to local media reports, 45 incidents were reported in 2012, as compared to five in 2009.
 
Last year, 25 such incidents were reported, said The Straits Times in a report.
 
In a letter sent to residents in the east earlier this week, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) warned that laser illumination could endanger the aircraft and the lives of crew and passengers.
 
These laser lights, when shone into the cockpit, could confuse or distract pilots, and in severe cases, cause the pilots to suffer temporary flash blindness, the agency warned.
 
CAAS said that Changi Airport handled almost 344,000 landings and take-offs last year and that ensuring safe aircraft operations was of "utmost importance".
 
Under the Singapore Air Navigation Order, offenders could be fined up to S$20,000, and repeat offenders could face a S$40,000 fine and/or up to 15 months' jail.
 
However, culprits are seldom prosecuted because it is difficult to find the exact source where the laser beam was pointed from.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/laser-lights-pointed-at-aircraft-pose-big-risks--singapore-aviation-authorities-warn-054430721.html

Thursday #sgroundup: Body found of boy who made first call from Korea ferry: report

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

Here are today's top trending stories in case you missed them.
 
Body found of boy who made first call from Korea ferry: report
 South Korean rescue team members carry the body of a victim recovered from the "Sewol" ferry to an ambulance …
The body of a high school student who made the first distress call from a sinking South Korean ferry was recovered from the submerged vessel on Thursday, news reports said.

The student, identified by his surname Choi, had called the emergency 119 number at 8:52am on Wednesday last week, three minutes before the crew of the 6,825 tonne Sewol sent their first distress signal.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/body-found-boy-made-first-call-korea-ferry-035828727.html
 
Camilla's brother dies in NY of head injury
 Prince Charles and his wife Camilla visit Kate Middleton in St Mary's hospital after the Duchess of Cambridge gave …
The Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla, are "utterly devastated" by the death of her brother, who fell outside a hotel bar and suffered a head injury.

Mark Shand, chairman of an elephant conservation charity, was in New York for a charity auction at Sotheby's.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/camillas-brother-dies-ny-head-injury-051812359.html
 
Waste oil collector struggles after STOMP posts, receives help from kind souls
 
After being photographed at work in Jurong pooling used oil near coffee shops, 50-year-old Valerie Sim has been struggling to keep her family afloat.

Web portals STOMP and The Real Singapore published pictures of her in February, triggering a witch hunt for others like her and comments from readers like "Who knows if they'll use it as cooking oil?" Some readers also said they filed police reports against her and other people they believed were doing the same thing she was.

Actually, according to a report by The New Paper early last month, she was simply collecting waste oil to sell to licensed general waste collector Sky-Land (Oils and Fats), which would process the grease to turn into biodiesel.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/waste-oil-collector-struggles-after-stomp-posts--receives-help-from-kind-souls-022024778.html
 
3 in 10 redundant workers in Singapore failed to get re-employed
According to a release by the Ministry of Manpower, about 3 in 10 employees, or 32%, made redundant in the first … 
According to a release by the Ministry of Manpower, about 3 in 10 employees, or 32%, made redundant in the first three quarters of 2013 failed to get re-employed by December of the same year.

Meanwhile, two-thirds (66%) of residents made redundant in the first three quarters of 2013 re-entered employment by December 2013, within 12 months of redundancy. This was slightly lower than the rate experienced by the preceding cohort in 2012.

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/3-10-redundant-workers-failed-034500483.html
 
Australia rules out link between debris and Malaysian plane
 Map showing the search zones for missing Malaysia Airlines MH370
Authorities ruled out any link between debris picked up on an Australian beach and a missing Malaysian jetliner on Thursday as a tropical cyclone again threatened to hamper a 26-nation air, surface and underwater search of the Indian Ocean.

The debris, found on Wednesday on a beach at the southern tip of Western Australia state, was seen as the first lead since 4 April when authorities detected what they believed was a signal from the black box of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/australia-rules-between-debris-malaysian-plane-045147277.html
 
 

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/thursday--sgroundup--body-found-of-boy-who-made-first-call-from-korea-ferry--report-080844465.html

Photo of a very thin Lee Kuan Yew sparks concern

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/photo-of-a-very-thin-lee-kuan-yew-sparks-concern-042725872.html

Waste oil collector struggles after STOMP posts, receives help from kind souls

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

After being photographed at work in Jurong pooling used oil near coffee shops, 50-year-old Valerie Sim has been struggling to keep her family afloat.

Web portals STOMP and The Real Singapore published pictures of her in February, triggering a witch hunt for others like her and comments from readers like "Who knows if they'll use it as cooking oil?" Some readers also said they filed police reports against her and other people they believed were doing the same thing she was.

Actually, according to a report by The New Paper early last month, she was simply collecting waste oil to sell to licensed general waste collector Sky-Land (Oils and Fats), which would process the grease to turn into biodiesel. She was paid daily based on how much oil she gathered.

After the photos of her surfaced online, she and a colleague were advised by the National Environment Agency to stop work, said the TNP report.

The paper also reported that Sim, a divorcee who received only Secondary 3 education and is the family breadwinner, then had to borrow from relatives to get by. She and her two sons, one of whom requires psychiatric care and attends regular counseling sessions, were also said to be surviving on canned food and rice at the time because she had no more income.

This week, she has received some help from strangers. Gilbert Cheah, managing director of a magazine publishing company headquartered in Switzerland, read about Sim's story a month after it was published in TNP and shared it on his Facebook page inviting help from his friends or anyone who saw the post.

Obtaining Sim's contact through the TNP reporter, Cheah said he pooled cheque donations and NTUC Fairprice vouchers from people who were keen to help and met up with her on Wednesday to hand them to her.

"She was really overwhelmed with gratitude," he wrote in a follow-up post on his Facebook page. "She broke down several times as she talked about her hardships and especially over her 13-year-old son who needs counselling."

Cheah also shared that apart from receiving help from the Community Development Council and the government, she has gotten some job offers and is going for interviews, although she cannot take on a full-time position because of the need to bring her son for sessions.

"Mdm Sim said it means so much to her… to know that people care," he wrote.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/waste-oil-collector-struggles-after-stomp-posts--receives-help-from-kind-souls-022024778.html

Mother of late prison inmate withdraws appeal for further inquest into son’s death

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | Yahoo Newsroom – 

The mother of an inmate who died in prison on 27 September 2010 due to position asphyxia has withdrawn her appeal to continue with the inquest into her son's death, according to a joint statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Madam Selvi d/o Narayanasamy on Wednesday.
 
The statement said that the government had "from the outset" admitted responsibility and will be providing compensation over the death, caused by the negligence of a Deputy Superintendent of Prison Lim Kwo Yin. The son, Dinesh Raman s/o Chinnaiah, was 21 years old at the time.
 
The amount of compensation has not been disclosed.
 
MHA said they arrived at an amicable settlement with Madam Selvi on Tuesday last week.
 
As part of the settlement, Madam Selvi has agreed to withdraw all her allegations of assault and abuse of authority against prison officers towards her late son. She has also accepted the cause of her son's death, and that the discontinuation of the coroner's inquiry in July last year had taken place in accordance with the law.
 
The settlement between Madam Selvi and MHA closes the three-year case, which aroused speculation and questions from the public since it came to light.  
 
After Dinesh Raman's body was returned, the family spotted bruises and blood clots at various parts of the body.
 
According to the Criminal Investigation Department in July three years later, they said, "the deceased was being placed in a prone position on the ground where he died due to breathing".
 
The coroner's inquiry into Dinesh Raman's death was discontinued on 24 July of last year following the findings of criminal inquiry where Lim pleaded guilty and a $10,000 fine was imposed.  

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/mother-of-late-prison-inmate-withdraws-appeal-for-further-inquest-into-son-s-death--123247533.html

Wednesday #sgroundup: Pirates kidnap three on Singapore tanker off Malaysia

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

Here are today's top trending stories in case you missed them.

Pirates kidnap three on Singapore tanker off Malaysia
 File photo of a Royal Malaysian Marine Police patrol boat taking part in an anti-piracy demonstration exercise …
Armed pirates boarded a Singapore-managed oil tanker in the Strait of Malacca, kidnapping three Indonesian crew and stealing some of the vessel's shipment of diesel fuel, the International Maritime Bureau said Wednesday.

The attack occurred early Tuesday off Malaysia's west coast, said Noel Choong, head of IMB's Kuala Lumpur-based piracy reporting centre. The diesel oil tanker was believed to be en route to Myanmar.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/pirates-kidnap-three-japanese-tanker-off-malaysia-report-011005231.html
 
COE falls across most categories in second April bidding
 The latest open bidding exercise for the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) ended with mix results on Wednesday.  …
Premiums for the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) decreased across most categories in the latest bidding for April.
 
Purchasers of small cars, those with 1,600cc and below, are required to pay S$71,335 as compared to S$77,400 in the earlier bidding.
 
Premiums for big cars, those above 1,600cc, have also gone down to S$75,010 from S$84,504 earlier.
More: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/coe-falls-across-most-categories-in-second-april-bidding-095646969.html
 
More powerful sonar likely next step in jet search
 
Australia's prime minister said Wednesday that failure to find any clue in the most likely crash site of the lost Malaysia Airlines jet would not spell the end of the search, as officials planned soon to bring in more powerful sonar equipment that can delve deeper beneath the Indian Ocean.

The search co-ordination center said Wednesday a robotic submarine, the US Navy's Bluefin 21, had scanned more than 80 per cent of the 310 sq km seabed search zone off the Australian west coast, creating a three-dimensional sonar map of the ocean floor. Nothing of interest had been found.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/more-powerful-sonar-likely-next-step-jet-search-090437573.html
 
Material on Australian shore examined in jet hunt
 Crew aboard the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield move the U.S. Navy's Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater …
Unidentified material that has washed ashore in southwestern Australia is being examined for any link to the lost Malaysian plane, authorities said Wednesday.

Police secured the material, which washed ashore 10km east of Augusta in Western Australia, the search co-ordination center said in a statement, without describing the material found.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/material-australian-shore-examined-jet-hunt-095423103.html
 
Mother of late prison inmate withdraws appeal for further inquest into son's death
Coroner's found a huge bruise on Dinesh's cheek. (Photo courtesy of Dinesh's sister)
The mother of an inmate who died in prison on 27 September 2010 due to position asphyxia has withdrawn her appeal to continue with the inquest into her son's death, according to a joint statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Madam Selvi d/o Narayanasamy on Wednesday, bringing the case to a close.

The government had "from the outset" admitted responsibility over the death, caused by the negligence of a Deputy Superintendent of Prison Lim Kwo Yin, and will be providing Madam Selvi with compensation over the death of her son, Dinesh Raman s/o Chinnaiah, who was 21 years old at the time.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/wednesday--sgroundup--pirates-kidnap-three-on-singapore-tanker-off-malaysia-120813369.html

COE falls across most categories in second April bidding

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | Yahoo Newsroom – 

Premiums for the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) decreased across most categories in the latest bidding for April.
 
Purchasers of small cars, those with 1,600cc and below, are required to pay S$71,335 as compared to S$77,400 in the earlier bidding.
 
Premiums for big cars, those above 1,600cc, have also gone down to S$75,010 from S$84,504 earlier.
 
Premiums for vehicles in the open category have fallen to S$73,810 from S$84,100.
 
Goods vehicles and buses see the highest fall in premiums, decreasing by S$16,613 to S$32,890.
 
Meanwhile, premiums for motorcycles increased by just S$13, and are currently set at S$4,502.
 

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/coe-falls-across-most-categories-in-second-april-bidding-095646969.html

Fresh wave of Hello Kitty mania to descend on McDonald’s outlets in Singapore

By Michelle Kwara | Yahoo Newsroom – 

 It may not be safe to enter a McDonald's restaurant in Singapore on Mondays starting 28 April.

To celebrate the iconic Japanese character Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary, the fast food chain announced last Friday that it would be releasing a new collection of six Hello Kitty toys in McDonald's restaurants island wide next Monday.

Singapore will be the first in the world to get the Hello Kitty Bubbly World collection of plush toys. It features Hello Kitty dressed as six other famous Sanrio characters - Kerokerokeroppi, a frog, My Melody, a rabbit, Osaru No Monkichi, a monkey, PomPomPurin, a golden retriever, Tuxedosam, a penguin dressed in a tuxedo and Bad Badtz-maru, a spiky-haired penguin. The Kerokerokeroppi toy will be released first, followed by the others.

Each plush toy comes in its own box and will cost $4.95 each, with the purchase of any Extra Value Meal. McDonald's has said that each customer can purchase up to four toys per store visit. A new toy design will be available every Monday at 11am. The toys will be available all McDonald's outlets excluding the KK Women's and Children's Hospital outlet, McCafes and dessert kiosks. It will also not be available via McDelivery.

McDonald's Singapore marketing director Yvonne Low said, "We are delighted that customers here in Singapore will be the first in the world to get access to this commemorative series, a treat that is sure to excite collectors."

She added, "This year we are excited to give our customers even more convenient options to get their hands on their favourite collectibles."

Even before the toys make their world debut in the restaurants, fans can already purchase them online.

For the first time, McDonald's will also allow fans to purchase the entire collection of plush toys in an exclusive Collectors' Set. The set will include all six individually-boxed plush toys, a 40th Anniversary certificate and six Extra Value Meal vouchers. The Collectors' Set is priced at $80 and will go on sale from 11am on 23 April. However, there is a limit of three sets per transaction.
 
Already, many are looking to cash in on the obsession for Hello Kitty plush toys.
 
Black market offers have popped up online and been taken up. An eBay seller offering the Collectors' Set for $125 has already sold one set. Another eBay seller is offering the set for $188.

On popular Chinese auction site Taobao, the Collectors' set is being sold for $92, with one seller even pricing the set at $178. Individual plush toys are also available on Taobao, priced at $20.

In a response to a Facebook comment about the black market sale of the plush toys, McDonald's Singapore stated, "We do not support resale activities as our intention is for the Hello Kitty plush toys to be enjoyed by as many customers and Hello Kitty fans as possible. We have put in place various measures this year to ensure more customers and fans can purchase the toys they like."
 
Singaporeans have proven to be great fans of the Hello Kitty plush toys, often queuing long hours just to get a hold of a plush toy of the famous cat with no mouth.

The frenzy for the feline toys sparked off in 2000 when McDonald's Singapore launched a collection of the Hello Kitty toys dressed in wedding outfits. The plush toys last appeared here in 2013, when McDonald's launched a Hello Kitty Fairy Tales collection. The first toy released in the promotion was sold out islandwide in a matter of days, leaving many customers frustrated and angry.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/fresh-wave-of-hello-kitty-mania-to-descend-on-mcdonald-s-outlets-in-singapore-103231529.html

Another man arrested for attempted breach at Woodlands Checkpoint

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

In what is the second case this month and the fourth this year, yet another man was arrested for trying to pass through the Woodlands Checkpoint without clearing immigration.
 
The 33-year-old driver, a Malaysian, was unable to produce his passport at the Arrival car counter when he pulled up at about 10:45am on Monday, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a statement.
 
When he was directed to a separate area for further checks, he instead tried to drive out of the checkpoint and into Singapore, a move that triggered the alarm and an immediate lock down of the arrival zone. He was then arrested on the spot, the statement added.
 
The ICA is investigating the case, one that comes barely a week after 42-year-old Koh Chin Had was arrested for trying to tailgate his way out of the Woodlands Checkpoint. He, too, had no travel documents on him.
 
In early March this year, a Singapore-registered gold Mercedes Benz ran over a raised security barrier at the checkpoint while undergoing secondary checks, injuring an auxiliary police officer who tried to stop him from leaving. The 64-year-old Singapore permanent resident is currently remanded in the Institute of Mental Health.
 
Meanwhile in January, a 27-year-old Malaysian woman tailgated her way through the checkpoint, followed a taxi into and out of the Cantonment Police Complex and finally tailgated her way into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs compound over a three-day lapse that brought significant embarrassment to Singapore's police force and drew strong criticism from Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean. The charges against her were dropped after she was found to be of unsound mind when she committed the offences.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/another-man-arrested-for-attempted-breach-at-woodlands-checkpoint-032137063.html

Monday #sgroundup: 19 Singaporean passengers hospitalised as Malaysia bus plunges into ravine

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

Here are today's top trending stories in case you missed them.

19 Singaporean passengers hospitalised as Malaysia bus plunges into ravine

A passenger bus plunged into a ravine after leaving a Malaysian island resort, killing a British man and injuring …

A passenger bus plunged into a ravine after leaving a Malaysian island resort, killing a British man and injuring 40 others, including 19 Singaporeans, police said Monday.

The chartered bus bound for neighbouring Singapore lost control and skidded, falling into the 10-metre-deep (33 feet) ravine in the east coast state of Pahang on Sunday, district police chief Yahaya Othman said.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/british-tourist-killed-malaysia-bus-plunges-ravine-061237795.html

Malaysia Airlines jet turns back after tire burst

A Malaysia Airlines flight heading to India with 166 people aboard made an emergency landing in Kuala Lumpur early …

A Malaysia Airlines flight heading to India with 166 people aboard made an emergency landing in Kuala Lumpur early Monday after it was forced to turn back when a tire burst upon takeoff, the airline said.

The airline said Flight 192 to Bangalore in southern India landed safely at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1:56 am (1756 GMT) Monday, about four hours after it departed.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/malaysia-airlines-jet-turns-back-tire-burst-195358040.html

Ten more bodies recovered from sunken Korean ferry: coastguard

The confirmed death toll stood at 64 but was expected to rise dramatically with 238 people still unaccounted for. …

The confirmed death toll stood at 64 but was expected to rise dramatically with 238 people still unaccounted for.

"The actions of the captain and some crew members were utterly incomprehensible, unacceptable and tantamount to murder," said South Korea's president Park Guen-Hye in a meeting with senior aides.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/ten-more-bodies-recovered-sunken-korean-ferry-coastguard-235623307.html

Sub search for missing jet two-thirds complete

A robotic submarine continued on Monday scouring a desolate patch of silt-covered seafloor in the Indian Ocean …

A robotic submarine continued on Monday scouring a desolate patch of silt-covered seafloor in the Indian Ocean for any trace of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

The unmanned sub has spent nearly a week searching for the plane's black boxes and has covered about two-thirds of its focused search area. But it has yet to uncover any clues that could shed light on the plane's mysterious disappearance.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/sub-search-missing-jet-two-thirds-complete-071645411.html

16-year-old survives in wheel well of Hawaii flight

Officials say a 16-year-old boy is "lucky to be alive" and unharmed after flying from California to Hawaii stowed …

Officials say a 16-year-old boy is "lucky to be alive" and unharmed after flying from California to Hawaii stowed away in a plane's wheel well, surviving cold temperatures at 38,000 feet and a lack of oxygen.

The boy was questioned by the FBI after being discovered on the tarmac at the Maui airport Sunday morning with no identification, Simon said.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/16-old-survives-wheel-well-maui-flight-041150318.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/monday-sgroundup-19-singaporean-passengers-hospitalised-malaysia-bus-100541689.html

COMMENT: Smarter citizen journalism without STOMP?

Apologies but the page you requested either doesn't exist or isn't available right now.

Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Yahoo, try visiting the Yahoo homepage or look through a list of Yahoo's online services.

Please try Yahoo Help Central if you need more assistance.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/comment--smarter-citizen-journalism-without-stomp-031312260.html

COMMENT: Xenophobia rears its ugly head in Singapore once more

By Kirsten Han | SingaporeScene – 

Window cleaners hang from the facade of Ngee Ann city mall in Singapore January 9, 2014. (Reuters/Petar Kujund …

Kirsten Han is a Singaporean blogger, journalist and filmmaker. She is also involved in the We Believe in Second Chances campaign for the abolishment of the death penalty. A social media junkie, she tweets at @kixes. The views expressed are her own.

The 116th Philippine Independence Day is coming up. To commemorate this event, the Pilipino Independence Day Council (PIDC) Singapore decided to organise a celebration at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, in the middle of Singapore's busy shopping belt. So far, so good.

What they didn't expect was the backlash. Spearheaded by the Facebook page 'Say "No" to an overpopulated Singapore', Singaporeans began to protest against their event. Among their objections was the fact that promotional material for the event included an image of Singapore's skyline, and the use of the terms "interdependence" and "two nations". Furthermore, they are also objecting to the fact that the celebration will be in public space, rather than in the Philippines embassy.

Faced with this onslaught, PIDC Singapore had to take down one of their posts, which the 'Say "No" to an overpopulated Singapore' page heralded as a triumph.

Let's be frank here. There is no value in this protest against the Philippine Independence Day celebration. There are plenty of comments slamming the PAP, but this is not about pushing for more democracy in Singapore. It's not about empowering Singaporeans. It's not even about problematic immigration policies.

It's racism and xenophobia, pure and simple. A group of Singaporeans are getting their knickers in a twist about Filipinos having the gall to celebrate a Filipino event on our soil, and are employing siege mentality to portray it as an assault on our identity, our land and our sovereignty when all they're really doing is giving their racist and even fascist views an airing.

Comments left on 'Say "No" to an overpopulated Singapore' refer to Filipinos as "f**king vermin", "scum", "shit heads of a third world country" and "undesirable underlings". Some are calling for Singaporeans to show up at the event to make trouble. One guy even called for men to "put on our number 4s with full battle order" to "surround the Pinoys".

These people are not making valid or logical arguments. These people are racists and xenophobes. Calling for your fellow Singaporean men to show up in combat gear to target Filipinos is fascism. I don't care if these people have Singaporean passports; this is unacceptable behaviour and it is a shame that we have such people in our society.

The event is not about the Philippines trying to exert political control over Singapore. "Two Nations, One Community" is not a Filipino political statement; it's just a theme for this celebration they are holding, to indicate that Singaporeans are welcome if we would like to join in. Mentions of "interdependence" are not about trying to colonise Singapore. The protesters' arguments are as hollow as they are disgusting.

And let's not forget the double standards here: you don't see the same amount of complaining when it comes to Bastille Day or Fourth of July celebrations in Singapore, even though both are national/independence days for France and the USA respectively. We love Oktoberfest. There was a bagpipe parade and a three-day all-things-Irish festival on St. Patrick's Day this year. The number of Singaporeans who wholeheartedly embrace Halloween suggest that we don't have a problem with that intruding on our "identity". We also just had a huge, expensive blow-out of a Singapore Day in London – in which we also used the London skyline as part of our promotional material.

So what gives?

Comments that refer to Filipinos as "vermin" and "scum" highlight a much bigger problem. It reveals to us the number of people who have been swallowed up by their hate for people who are different from them. The images some commenters have posted of spraying insecticide (suggesting that Filipinos are pests or cockroaches) are also alarming; we should not forget that "cockroaches" was precisely a term used to dehumanise the Tutsis during the devastating Rwandan genocide that took place two decades ago. A Hutu radio station had called on people to "exterminate the cockroaches", urging their listeners to go out and kill any Tutsis they came across.

It is not okay to refer to another group of people, whoever they may be, as "vermin" or "scum". Such language dehumanises people and makes it much more acceptable when we treat them differently or badly. It is part of the culture of abuse and exploitation of migrant labour that exists in Singapore.

It's not about protecting our nation (which isn't under threat, by the way). It's about not being horrible people. Unfortunately the people at 'Say "No" to an overpopulated Singapore' page don't seem to see that.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/racism-xenophobia-rears-ugly-head-singapore-once-more-004751861.html

Indonesia’s armed forces chief says “no apology” for warship’s name

By Michelle Kwara | Yahoo Newsroom – General Moeldoko, the head of Indonesia's Armed Forces, has clarified that he had not apologised for the naming …

General Moeldoko, the head of Indonesia's Armed Forces, has clarified that he had not apologised for the naming of a warship after two Indonesian marines who had been involved in the 1965 MacDonald House bombing in Singapore.

In an earlier interview with Singapore news broadcaster Channel News Asia that aired on Tuesday night, Moeldoko seemed to have apologised for the naming of the warship.

However, speaking to Indonesian media on Thursday, the military chief said he had only been expressing his regret that the naming of the warship was a final decision and would not be changed.

"Saying sorry that the naming of the Usman Harun is our final decision, does not mean saying sorry. If things are twisted, that's normal for reporters," he was quoted by local media, adding, "There was no apology. What I meant was: 'Sorry, the naming of the Usman Harun is our final decision'."

During the interview with Channel News Asia, Moeldoko had said, "Once again I apologise. We have no ill-intent whatsoever to stir emotions. Not at all. Second, relations between the two countries are on the mend. There've been communications among leaders. Singapore's Chief of Defence and I have spoken."

Local newspaper TODAY reported that Moeldoko had posted a link to the Channle News Asia interview on his Facebook page, after the interview was aired. However, netizens had a mixed reaction to the interview, with some Indonesians questioned why he had apologised. The post has since been removed from his Facebook page.

In February, the Indonesian navy named a new warship, KRI Usman Harun, after the two marined who had bombed MacDonald House, Usman Mohamed Ali and Harun Said.

Related links:
Singapore accepts Indonesia apology over warship row
Singapore bans disputed Indonesian navy ship
Indonesian military chief wades into ship row with Singapore

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/indonesia-s-armed-forces-chief-says-%E2%80%9Cno-apology%E2%80%9D-for-warship-s-name-013632910.html

Thursday #sgroundup: Singaporeans slam NEA*s $120 licence requirement for tissue sellers

By Jeanette Tan | What's buzzing? – 

Here are the top trending stories of today in case you missed them:

Singaporeans slam NEA's $120 licence requirement for tissue sellers

Will you return hawker centre trays?

Singapore's National Environment Agaency has revealed that it charges roaming street hawkers like tissue sellers $120 a year for a licence to sell their items in places like hawker centres and street corners.

In this light, people who do not pay this fee are unlicensed and are breaking the law, and action could be taken against them if they ignore warnings from NEA officers.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singaporeans-slam-nea-s--120-licence-requirement-for-tissue-sellers-110711376.html

Karpal Singh, Malaysian political veteran, dies in road accident

File photo of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (R) and his lawyer Karpal Singh (L) at a cafeteria in Kuala …

Malaysian political veteran Karpal Singh died in a car accident on Thursday morning, leaving behind his wife, five children and four grandchildren.

One of his sons, Ramkarpal, was injured along with the driver of the car, and he is believed to have died on the spot alongside his longtime assistant Michael Cornelius Selvam Vellu. The Toyota Alphard he was in is believed to have lost control after colliding with a lorry.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/karpal-singh-dies-road-accident-203144961.html

Divers search for hundreds missing after Korean ferry accident

Rescue ships take part in a rescue operation around the Sewol passenger ship, which sank in the sea off Jindo April …

Rescuers are continuing the search for hundreds of people, most of them teenaged schoolchildren, who are missing after a South Korean ferry capsized on Wednesday.

Coast guard, navy and some private divers are scouring the wreckage, about 20km off the country's southwestern coast. Meanwhile, the ship's captain faces a criminal investigation amid unconfirmed reports that he was the first to jump to safety from the vessel, for negligence leading to death.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/hundreds-still-missing-deadly-korea-ferry-accident-055756939.html

I got robbed in Tokyo -- StanChart says it's my fault

Standard Chartered Bank in Japan. (MoneySmart photo)

A man shares his harrowing experience of getting robbed of the contents of his wallet by tricksters in Tokyo, and his bank Standard Chartered's seemingly merciless response to his experience, after he was still made to pay for credit card bills his robbers accrued, because of his "late reporting" of the incident.

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/got-robbed-tokyo-stan-chart-160000148.html

For the first time ever, digital music sales overtake CD sales in Singapore

For the first time ever in Singapore, digital music sales overtook those of CDs and records sales last year. However, …

Digital music sales overtook those of CDs and records sales last year for the first time in Singapore.

The reason for the crossover, was not because of a surge in digital music purchases but a steep decline in CD sales.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/first-time-ever-digital-music-053002441.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/thursday--sgroundup--112422760.html