SMRT again failed to address commuters' daily concerns. Is this a world class transport system or a woe class transport network?
IN SUNDAY'S report ('SMRT: Tighter security will not mean higher fare'), SMRT chief executive officer and president Saw Phaik Hwa's response to the question of overcrowding in trains was unhelpful in bridging the gap between commuter perception and SMRT's stance.
Commuters complain that trains are overcrowded, but Ms Saw is sticking to SMRT's oft-stated view that passenger numbers are acceptable.
If both sides stick to their positions, then there will always be disagreement.
The fact is that there are many stations where passengers are unable to board the trains at all during peak hours.
It is not a matter of choice, as Ms Saw states, but whether commuters can fit in without the train doors closing on their faces.
From my experience, having to give three to four packed trains a miss during peak hours before finally being able to board one is common.
The situation at other stations towards the city are similar. The question Ms Saw should reflect on is whether the situation is acceptable regardless of train load figures.
If we collectively decide that it is, the matter ends there. But if commuters keep pleading that SMRT's train load figures do not reflect that inconvenience to commuters, we should find a solution to the problem together.
I would hesitate to cite passenger load figures in other cities to justify SMRT's train load figures and attempt to close the matter.
There may well be differences which render the analogy incorrect.
Chia Ser Huei
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Quan Yi Feng is Back to Her Nasty Old Habits
This is what Quan Yi Feng did to the taxi.....
According to reports, a taxi driver blamed Singapore television host/actress Quan Yi Feng for verbally abusing him and involved in fights with him on Sunday. The 52-years-old taxi driver, Mr. Tan claimed that Yi Feng wrecked his taxi and beat him in front of crowd. The taxi driver also accused her of not only thrashing the car and beating him but also held responsible for forcefully taking the taxi car keys with her and locking him up in the taxi.
On the other hand, Quan currently spoke from Mauritius, where she is busy in her new project denied all the allegations and accusations and in return stated that the taxi driver was bad-mannered, drove carelessly and even slammed a car door on her. The taxi driver on the other hand also told the press that Quan has locked him inside the car for 15-minutes and pushed him forward on the road with a crowd watching. The Wanbao said police have charged Quan for theft of the taxi keys. Now the case is reportedly being transferred to the police and Quan has to seek a legal advice or compensate the driver over the issue.
In 1996, the 36-years television host was once fined of $1,000 for having a dispute with a bowling path attendant. Quan recently split from her husband after 10 years with the actor Peter Yu. Quan finally asked for the divorced which was finalized on Jan 3, 2009. The couple has a nine-years-old daughter which will be shared under the custody of both the father and mother.
Quan is seen here hailing for another taxi after the commotion...
--------------------------------------------
MEDIACORP host Quan Yifeng spoke to police for 6 hours on Friday over her alleged 'act of aggression' with a ComfortDelGro taxi driver.
Ms Quan was seen arriving at Bedok Police Division Headquarters at 3.45pm, several days after she made headlines for a dispute with the driver, identified only as Mr Chan.
She left close to 10pm, and declined to say why she had spent so long in the police station. Ms Quan, 35, has hired criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan to represent her.
In a statement on Tuesday, ComfortDelGro said Mr Chan was physically attacked by the television host. According to the statement, the fare meter was ripped out during the altercation,
In a Wanbao report, Mr Chan was quoted as saying that the star lost her temper after he did not help her load her luggage into his taxi and asked 'what sort of service attitude is this?'. He claimed Ms Quan also swore at him in Hokkien, kicked him in the groin and locked herself in the taxi for 15 minutes.
Ms Quan denied his allegations and hit back by saying that he was rude, drove recklessly. She also claimed that Mr Chan slammed the taxi door on her, hitting her on the back and leg.
Police said they are investigating the incident.
According to reports, a taxi driver blamed Singapore television host/actress Quan Yi Feng for verbally abusing him and involved in fights with him on Sunday. The 52-years-old taxi driver, Mr. Tan claimed that Yi Feng wrecked his taxi and beat him in front of crowd. The taxi driver also accused her of not only thrashing the car and beating him but also held responsible for forcefully taking the taxi car keys with her and locking him up in the taxi.
On the other hand, Quan currently spoke from Mauritius, where she is busy in her new project denied all the allegations and accusations and in return stated that the taxi driver was bad-mannered, drove carelessly and even slammed a car door on her. The taxi driver on the other hand also told the press that Quan has locked him inside the car for 15-minutes and pushed him forward on the road with a crowd watching. The Wanbao said police have charged Quan for theft of the taxi keys. Now the case is reportedly being transferred to the police and Quan has to seek a legal advice or compensate the driver over the issue.
In 1996, the 36-years television host was once fined of $1,000 for having a dispute with a bowling path attendant. Quan recently split from her husband after 10 years with the actor Peter Yu. Quan finally asked for the divorced which was finalized on Jan 3, 2009. The couple has a nine-years-old daughter which will be shared under the custody of both the father and mother.
Quan is seen here hailing for another taxi after the commotion...
--------------------------------------------
MEDIACORP host Quan Yifeng spoke to police for 6 hours on Friday over her alleged 'act of aggression' with a ComfortDelGro taxi driver.
Ms Quan was seen arriving at Bedok Police Division Headquarters at 3.45pm, several days after she made headlines for a dispute with the driver, identified only as Mr Chan.
She left close to 10pm, and declined to say why she had spent so long in the police station. Ms Quan, 35, has hired criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan to represent her.
In a statement on Tuesday, ComfortDelGro said Mr Chan was physically attacked by the television host. According to the statement, the fare meter was ripped out during the altercation,
In a Wanbao report, Mr Chan was quoted as saying that the star lost her temper after he did not help her load her luggage into his taxi and asked 'what sort of service attitude is this?'. He claimed Ms Quan also swore at him in Hokkien, kicked him in the groin and locked herself in the taxi for 15 minutes.
Ms Quan denied his allegations and hit back by saying that he was rude, drove recklessly. She also claimed that Mr Chan slammed the taxi door on her, hitting her on the back and leg.
Police said they are investigating the incident.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Man! Gong Li is Now Available
A week after Gong Li's interview with Lianhe Zaobao in which she revealed that she became a Singaporean because of her family comes news that she has split from her husband.
In the Zaobao interview last Thursday, Gong nodded in reply when asked if she was referring to Ooi and his parents as "family".Rumours about the actress's split from Singaporean businessman Ooi Hoe Seong surfaced after the actress told Zaobao that she stays in a hotel whenever she visits Singapore.
Her manager Christopher Tseng was quoted in a magazine as saying that Gong and her husband have separated "years ago" and "divorced only recently".
Reports of the divorce have also been confirmed after Mr Ooi was quoted by various Chinese websites as saying that "whatever the rumour, that is it".
----------------------------------------------
Chinese actress Gong Li (巩俐) is on the singles market again.
The 44-year-old reportedly divorced her Singaporean hubby, Ooi Hoe Seong (黃和祥), a year ago.
“Friends” of the actress said they seldom spent time together so decided to make the separation permanent.
The two were married in 1996 after Gong’s eight-year relationship with director Zhang Yimou (张艺谋) came to its natural conclusion, one year after the seven-year itch was scratched.
Gong became a Singaporean citizen in 2008.
Five years ago, Gong made it to Hollywood with her role in Memoirs of a Geisha (艺伎回忆录).
Although she was married, the 36D belle has had a colorful private life.
She has had rumored flings with various actors she has worked with, including Sun Honglei (孙红雷), Colin Farrell (Miami Vice) and John Cusack (in her latest movie Shanghai).
Two years ago, when Gong was shooting Shanghai in Bangkok, her agent was seen giving her hotel room card to Cusack, who visited the belle for two hours and did not leave her room till 2am.
Cusack and Gong were seen arm-in-arm at the Shanghai Film Festival recently.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Sands' SkyPark - Better Than MRT Track
With the opening of the wonder Skypark at Marina Bay Sands, Singaporeans who are thinking of jumping onto MRT tracks to quit this world, can now find a new and more exciting way to end their miserable lives on this tiny red dot on the map.
But before they take their final great leap, they must first go for a dip in the highest swimming pool on earth at 55-storey up, called the "Infinity Pool". They just need to take a short swim to the edge of the pool facing the downstream (see pictures), then roll-over or leap over the edge.
If you fancy a dip in this pool, you'll need a head for heights - it's 55 storeys up.
But swimming to the edge won't be quite as risky as it looks. While the water in the infinity pool seems to end in a sheer drop, it actually spills into a catchment area where it is pumped back into the main pool. At three times the length of an Olympic pool and 650ft up, it is the largest outdoor pool in the world at that height.
It features in the impressive, boat-shaped 'SkyPark' perched atop the three towers that make up the world's most expensive hotel, the £4billion Marina Bay Sands development in Singapore.
The hotel, which has 2,560 rooms costing from £350 a night, was officially opened yesterday with a concert by Diana Ross.
The Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, estimated to have cost £2billion when it opened in 2004, was previously the world's most expensive hotel.
But with its indoor canal, opulent art, casino, outdoor plaza, convention centre, theatre, crystal pavilion and museum shaped like a lotus flower, the Marina Bay Sands has taken its crown.
The infinity pool on the roof is in the 'SkyPark' which spans the three towers of the hotel. The platform itself is longer than the Eiffel tower laid down and is one of the largest of its kind in the world.
Infinity pools give the effect that the water extends to the horizon. In reality, the water spills over the edge into a catchment below, and is then pumped back into the pool. The pools have two circulation systems. The first functions like that of a regular pool, filtering and heating the water in the main pool. The second filters the water in the catch basin and returns it to the upper pool.
The Marina Sands resort was designed by architect Moshe Safdie who based it on a deck of cards.
Inside shoppers can ride along an indoor canal in Sampan boats styled on traditional Chinese vessels from the 17th century.
The owners have also commissioned five well-known artists to create works of art to 'integrate' with the buildings. Among these is a 40m-long Antony Gormley sculpture made from 16,100 steel rods. The whole thing weighs 14.8 tons and it took 60 people to assemble it in the hotel.
Artist Chongbin Zheng created Rising Forest which is 83 three metre high pots with trees in them. The pots were so big the artist had to build a customised kiln the size of a small building to make them in.
Last night, the world's most expensive hotel was given a launch party befitting it. Singing legend Diana Ross performed for 2,500 VIPs in the resort's Grand Ballroom and pop singer Kelly Rowland headlined an outdoor concert.
The opening celebrations also featured a death-defying relay. Seven teams of three participants each scaled the three towers before sprinting across the 340-metre long Sands SkyPark, where the infinity pool is located, to the finish line.
The resort will employ 10,000 people directly and generate up to £48m each year. Entrance to the casino alone is nearly £50 a day - but an average of 25,000 people have visited the casino daily since its initial phased opening two months ago.
Thomas Arasi, president and chief executive officer of the resort, said he expects to attract an astonishing 70,000 visitors a day once it is fully open.
It was due to open in 2009, but was delayed thanks to labour and material shortages, and funding problems due to the global financial crisis.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1289194/Marina-Bay-Sands-resort-opens-Singapore.html#ixzz0rz8z1Yr7
But before they take their final great leap, they must first go for a dip in the highest swimming pool on earth at 55-storey up, called the "Infinity Pool". They just need to take a short swim to the edge of the pool facing the downstream (see pictures), then roll-over or leap over the edge.
If you fancy a dip in this pool, you'll need a head for heights - it's 55 storeys up.
But swimming to the edge won't be quite as risky as it looks. While the water in the infinity pool seems to end in a sheer drop, it actually spills into a catchment area where it is pumped back into the main pool. At three times the length of an Olympic pool and 650ft up, it is the largest outdoor pool in the world at that height.
It features in the impressive, boat-shaped 'SkyPark' perched atop the three towers that make up the world's most expensive hotel, the £4billion Marina Bay Sands development in Singapore.
The hotel, which has 2,560 rooms costing from £350 a night, was officially opened yesterday with a concert by Diana Ross.
The Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, estimated to have cost £2billion when it opened in 2004, was previously the world's most expensive hotel.
But with its indoor canal, opulent art, casino, outdoor plaza, convention centre, theatre, crystal pavilion and museum shaped like a lotus flower, the Marina Bay Sands has taken its crown.
The infinity pool on the roof is in the 'SkyPark' which spans the three towers of the hotel. The platform itself is longer than the Eiffel tower laid down and is one of the largest of its kind in the world.
Infinity pools give the effect that the water extends to the horizon. In reality, the water spills over the edge into a catchment below, and is then pumped back into the pool. The pools have two circulation systems. The first functions like that of a regular pool, filtering and heating the water in the main pool. The second filters the water in the catch basin and returns it to the upper pool.
The Marina Sands resort was designed by architect Moshe Safdie who based it on a deck of cards.
Inside shoppers can ride along an indoor canal in Sampan boats styled on traditional Chinese vessels from the 17th century.
The owners have also commissioned five well-known artists to create works of art to 'integrate' with the buildings. Among these is a 40m-long Antony Gormley sculpture made from 16,100 steel rods. The whole thing weighs 14.8 tons and it took 60 people to assemble it in the hotel.
Artist Chongbin Zheng created Rising Forest which is 83 three metre high pots with trees in them. The pots were so big the artist had to build a customised kiln the size of a small building to make them in.
Last night, the world's most expensive hotel was given a launch party befitting it. Singing legend Diana Ross performed for 2,500 VIPs in the resort's Grand Ballroom and pop singer Kelly Rowland headlined an outdoor concert.
The opening celebrations also featured a death-defying relay. Seven teams of three participants each scaled the three towers before sprinting across the 340-metre long Sands SkyPark, where the infinity pool is located, to the finish line.
The resort will employ 10,000 people directly and generate up to £48m each year. Entrance to the casino alone is nearly £50 a day - but an average of 25,000 people have visited the casino daily since its initial phased opening two months ago.
Thomas Arasi, president and chief executive officer of the resort, said he expects to attract an astonishing 70,000 visitors a day once it is fully open.
It was due to open in 2009, but was delayed thanks to labour and material shortages, and funding problems due to the global financial crisis.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1289194/Marina-Bay-Sands-resort-opens-Singapore.html#ixzz0rz8z1Yr7
Indian-FT Turned Citizen - Called Singaporeans "Dogs"
Want to make money? Follow the example of a Indian-turned-new-citizen-
turned PAP activist.
Mr Sinha Shekhar, who works as an occupational therapist at Thye Hua
Kwan Hospital, wrote that he paid “really high” for a resale HDB flat
and the rent he is collecting is not enough to pay for the bank
instalments.
Mr Sinha also revealed that he owns a private property, implying that
he bought the resale HDB flat NOT for staying but for renting and
making money.
This is yet another example of immigrants jacking up prices of HDB
flats by their entry into the resale market and then profiteering from
it by renting them out, a common practice in Singapore.
Some PRs are known to buy a few resale flats for rental before selling
them at a profit after they leave Singapore.
Due to a limited supply of new flats in the face of rising demand
fueled by the relentless influx of immigrants, the prices of HDB flats
have sky-rocketed in recent years, pricing young Singaporeans out of
the market.
Many of these PRs and new citizens are already established
professionals like Mr Sinha Shekhar when they arrived in Singapore and
therefore it is not surprising that they can afford to buy resale
flats which are unaffordable to most Singapore graduates fresh out of
school.
The Straits Times reported last year of an Indonesian PR who paid an
eye-popping $653,000 for a 4-room resale flat in Queenstown though he
could well afford to buy a condominium.
Despite the evidence on the ground showing otherwise, PAP Minister for
National Development Mah Bow Tan is adamant that HDB flats remain
“affordable” in Singapore and ticked Singaporeans off for being
“fussy”.
Mr Sinha Shekhar is notorious in Singapore blogosphere for his
description of PAP critics as “dogs” on the YPAP Facebook. Ironically,
he was later given an “Outstanding Contributors’ award” by Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the regularity of his contributions on
the PAP REACH Forum and Facebook.
This is an extract from Temasek Review.
turned PAP activist.
Mr Sinha Shekhar, who works as an occupational therapist at Thye Hua
Kwan Hospital, wrote that he paid “really high” for a resale HDB flat
and the rent he is collecting is not enough to pay for the bank
instalments.
Mr Sinha also revealed that he owns a private property, implying that
he bought the resale HDB flat NOT for staying but for renting and
making money.
This is yet another example of immigrants jacking up prices of HDB
flats by their entry into the resale market and then profiteering from
it by renting them out, a common practice in Singapore.
Some PRs are known to buy a few resale flats for rental before selling
them at a profit after they leave Singapore.
Due to a limited supply of new flats in the face of rising demand
fueled by the relentless influx of immigrants, the prices of HDB flats
have sky-rocketed in recent years, pricing young Singaporeans out of
the market.
Many of these PRs and new citizens are already established
professionals like Mr Sinha Shekhar when they arrived in Singapore and
therefore it is not surprising that they can afford to buy resale
flats which are unaffordable to most Singapore graduates fresh out of
school.
The Straits Times reported last year of an Indonesian PR who paid an
eye-popping $653,000 for a 4-room resale flat in Queenstown though he
could well afford to buy a condominium.
Despite the evidence on the ground showing otherwise, PAP Minister for
National Development Mah Bow Tan is adamant that HDB flats remain
“affordable” in Singapore and ticked Singaporeans off for being
“fussy”.
Mr Sinha Shekhar is notorious in Singapore blogosphere for his
description of PAP critics as “dogs” on the YPAP Facebook. Ironically,
he was later given an “Outstanding Contributors’ award” by Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the regularity of his contributions on
the PAP REACH Forum and Facebook.
This is an extract from Temasek Review.
Another 1-in-50-years Downpour Hit Singapore
The Gods must be really angry now. In less than 2 weeks, we are hit by super heavy rainfall in 2 occasions. And each of them is supposed to happen only once in our lifetime.
Blame it on nature or anything else, but surely it is not the fault of the authorities.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Over 60% of June rain fell during morning downpour, causing road chaos
SINGAPORE: Heavy and intense rain fell in many parts of Singapore early Friday morning causing road chaos with fallen trees and floods. The PUB said 100 mm of rain fell within an hour, between 8 and 9.30am. That's the same amount of rainfall on June 16 which led to massive floods in Orchard Road. That amount is more than 60 per cent of the average rainfall for the entire month of June. PUB says the heavy rain caused localised flash floods in a number areas and the waters subsided within 30 minutes.
During the heavy downpour Friday morning MediaCorp received several calls about floods in various parts of Singapore. Among the areas affected were Upper Thomson Road near Sin Ming Road, Jalan Boon Lay, and Bukit Timah Road after the Balmoral Road junction in the direction of Corporation Road. Several roads also had traffic diverted due to fallen trees. An uprooted tree fell across the entire northbound carriageway after the junction with Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 in Friday’s morning's heavy downpour making the expressway impassable to traffic. The incident caused a massive jam which tailed back several kilometres. A van was also trapped by the fallen tree and the SCDF said two people in the van were injured and were sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Traffic Police were also on hand to divert traffic away from the CTE towards SLE in between the Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 exit due to the fallen tree. On Orchard Road, a fallen tree near Orchard Central blocked two lanes of traffic. SCDF personnel were also called in to help evacuate children from a childcare centre at Telok Kurau Lorong G, affected by the floods.
They also had to pump water out of the childcare centre. Traffic police officers were also kept busy regulating traffic and directing motorists at jammed up roads. At the junction of Balmoral Road and Bukit Timah Road, traffic had to be diverted away from due to flood caused by heavy rains.
Blame it on nature or anything else, but surely it is not the fault of the authorities.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Over 60% of June rain fell during morning downpour, causing road chaos
SINGAPORE: Heavy and intense rain fell in many parts of Singapore early Friday morning causing road chaos with fallen trees and floods. The PUB said 100 mm of rain fell within an hour, between 8 and 9.30am. That's the same amount of rainfall on June 16 which led to massive floods in Orchard Road. That amount is more than 60 per cent of the average rainfall for the entire month of June. PUB says the heavy rain caused localised flash floods in a number areas and the waters subsided within 30 minutes.
During the heavy downpour Friday morning MediaCorp received several calls about floods in various parts of Singapore. Among the areas affected were Upper Thomson Road near Sin Ming Road, Jalan Boon Lay, and Bukit Timah Road after the Balmoral Road junction in the direction of Corporation Road. Several roads also had traffic diverted due to fallen trees. An uprooted tree fell across the entire northbound carriageway after the junction with Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 in Friday’s morning's heavy downpour making the expressway impassable to traffic. The incident caused a massive jam which tailed back several kilometres. A van was also trapped by the fallen tree and the SCDF said two people in the van were injured and were sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Traffic Police were also on hand to divert traffic away from the CTE towards SLE in between the Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 exit due to the fallen tree. On Orchard Road, a fallen tree near Orchard Central blocked two lanes of traffic. SCDF personnel were also called in to help evacuate children from a childcare centre at Telok Kurau Lorong G, affected by the floods.
They also had to pump water out of the childcare centre. Traffic police officers were also kept busy regulating traffic and directing motorists at jammed up roads. At the junction of Balmoral Road and Bukit Timah Road, traffic had to be diverted away from due to flood caused by heavy rains.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Swiss Foreign Talent Vandalised MRT Trains
Yet another highly educated foreigner in our helm caught practising his twisted talents in the wrong place.
--------------------------------------------
SINGAPORE (AFP) - – A Swiss business consultant was charged in court Saturday with breaking into a Singapore metro depot and spray-painting graffiti on a train, offences punishable by jail and caning.
SINGAPORE - He pleaded guilty but asked, through his lawyer, not to be given a "punitive custodial sentence". He claimed that he was "cajoled" into committing the offences of breaking into the SMRT Changi Deport and vandalising two train carriages.
But Swiss IT consultant Oliver Fricker (picture) - whom the court heard went on a three-day holiday with his alleged accomplice, Dane Alexander Lloyd, after committing the offences - failed to convince District Judge See Kee Oon that a deterrent sentence was not in order.
Finding that Fricker, 32, had displayed a "calculated criminal conduct", Judge See sentenced him to five months' jail and three strokes of the cane.
The sentence was handed down about six hours after Fricker pleaded guilty, around noon, to charges of vandalism and entering a protected place. A third charge stating that he had committed an act of vandalism by cutting the fence of the depot was taken into consideration.
Judge See agreed with Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharon Lim who said Fricker had committed "a very serious offence" - and that the whole incident had "alarmed the general public" and "shaken their confidence in the security of protected places".
DPP Lim told the court that Lloyd - who remains at large - used a wire cutter to cut a hole in a fence surrounding the depot.
He and Fricker then slipped into the protected area, each carrying a bag of spray paint. Fricker spray-painted the word "McKoy" on the left side of the train, while Lloyd spray-painted the word "Banos" next to it. McKoy Banos is believed to be the names of two persons who have vandalised trains elsewhere.
Lloyd then took photographs of the vandalised train carriages and both of them left the depot through the hole in the fence.
They flagged a taxi and went to Boat Quay before ending up at Fricker's apartment at Sail@Marina Bay. Lloyd showed Fricker the photographs he had taken, before they went to sleep.
The next day, the pair left for Hong Kong for a holiday, the court heard. Fricker returned three days later, while Lloyd, 29, decided to stay on in Hong Kong.
Fricker was arrested on May 25. Singapore police have issued a warrant for Lloyd's arrest.
On Friday, as the sentence was being read out, Fricker, brows furrowed, stood straight in the dock and looked at the judge, his expression unchanged throughout the proceedings.
In mitigation, Fricker's lawyer, Mr Derek Kang, told Judge See that there was no need for a punitive custodial sentence, and that Fricker was "cajoled" by Lloyd into committing the offence.
Speaking to reporters outside the court, Mr Kang said both he and Fricker felt the sentence was too "high" and would be appealing.
For vandalism, Fricker could have been sentenced to three years' jail, fined a maximum of $2,000 and given at least three strokes of the cane.
And for entering a protected place, he could have been sentenced to a maximum of two years' jail and fined up to $1,000.
Singaporeans interviewed by Media-Corp gave mixed reactions to Fricker's sentencing. Of the 10 people interviewed, about half felt that the sentence was too harsh, while the others felt it was appropriate.
Boutique assistant Joseph Wee, 25, who felt the sentence was fair, said: "This is Singapore, we must keep our reputation as a country which is clean and safe to live in."
However, bank officer Mark Sim thought a jail term and a fine would have been more appropriate.
Mr Christoph Oggenfuss, head of marketing and communications at Swiss company Comit AG, where Fricker is employed, noted that this is a "private matter", and "Mr Fricker will stay suspended until he returns to Switzerland".
In the Swiss city of Zurich, several people interviewed by Weekend Today felt that Fricker's sentence was harsh but agreed that one has to abide by the laws of a country one is in.
Economist Felix Kaufmann described caning as being "unusual" in Switzerland. "I think the punishment as a whole - the caning and imprisonment - is unacceptable," said Mr Kaufmann, 38.
While student Christina Frick, 21, believes that the punishment "is not correct", she added that Fricker knew "vandalism is against the law".
Teacher Mrs Verena Dutzi, 52, said: "If you go to another country, you have to be informed of the rules and accept the rules and customs of the country." Additional reporting by Venessa Lee in Zurich
----------------------------------------------
Oliver Fricker, 32, was charged with committing trespass and vandalism in mid-May, and a district judge who described him as a flight risk set bail at 100,000 Singapore dollars (71,000 US). His passport was also impounded.
A worried-looking Fricker told the judge he needed a lawyer and asked that his bail be lowered to 40,000 dollars.
But the judge cut him short and rejected the bail request, stressing the seriousness of the offence.
The official charge sheet said Fricker, who was arrested on May 25, was with a Briton identified as Lloyd Dane Alexander when he broke into the suburban depot, a restricted zone surrounded by fences topped with barbed wire.
It was unclear why Alexander was not charged along with Fricker, and police had no immediate information on the Briton's whereabouts.
The charge sheet said Fricker and Alexander vandalised public property when they cut through a fence and spray-painted two carriages.
A police spokesman described Fricker as a company consultant.
A man by that name is listed in the business networking website Xing as a senior consultant in Singapore in the information-technology field.
Vandalism is punishable by up to three years' jail or a maximum fine of 2,000 Singapore dollars (1,424 US), plus three to eight strokes of a wooden cane, a punishment dating from British colonial rule in Singapore.
An American teenager, Michael Fay, garnered global headlines in 1994 when he was jailed and caned in Singapore after he was found guilty of vandalising several cars. Fay was caned despite a US appeal for clemency.
Prosecutors, arguing for the high bail amount, said Fricker had been due to leave for Switzerland two days after his arrest.
The Swiss embassy is providing consular support to Fricker but says it will not interfere in the trial.
The break-in, believed to have taken place before dawn on May 17, was not immediately detected and the train plied its route in full view of commuters, one of whom filmed it and posted a clip on video-sharing site Youtube.
The train has been scrubbed clean but the clip can still be viewed online.
-----------------------------------------------
What if it is not just Graffiti, but Bombs???
The MRT graffiti saga which rocked the entire nation took another twist yesterday when it was revealed that SMRT took more than 48 hours to lodge a police report.
A Swiss FT was hauled up to Court yesterday for trepassing into a MRT depot at Changi and vandalizing one of the trains by spraying graffiti on one side of the carriage.
It also transpired that he had an accomplice with him Briton McKoy Banos who has since left Singapore.
The security breach allegedly took place on 16 May 2010, but a police report was made only on 19 May 2010 which contradicts an official statement by SMRT that it “reported the breach to the police immediately when it was discovered.”
When queried by the Straits Times, SMRT Head of Security Mr Choy Kin Chong declined to comment on the time lapse, saying that “more security staff had been deployed to increase patrol at its depots.”
Singapore’s biggest security lapse since the dramatic escape of famed terrorist Mas Selamat Kasteri two years ago drew widespread concerns from both law-makers and Singaporeans who wondered what the consequences might be had the vandals been terrorists instead.
GPC chairman for Home Affairs and Law, Mr Alvin Yeo was quick to jump to the defence of the Swiss FT:
“MRT trains are potential soft targets. I dare say that the suspects probably did it in the spirit of fun and adventure and not for something more sinister. But this could have been something more harmful than just graffiti,” he was quoted as saying in the Straits Times.
Netizens were equally flabbergasted at how SMRT could allow the security breach to go unnoticed for so long.
Eddie Chin commented:
“This is a real security concern. If someone can sneak into an MRT depot and spend a sizeable amount of time spraying the graffiti, he would have enough time to plant bombs on many different trains. I wonder what our Minister for Home Affairs going to say about this, that he’s doing a harmless prank so it’s ok?”
Salihin added:
“Worse of all is that SMRT actually deployed the vandalized train with the huge graffiti. Let’s not ask how they actually secure their depots when their staff cant even notice a huge graffiti on their train.”
There are no immediate comments from the Home Affairs Ministry or its Minister Wong Kan Seng yet.
Maybe they are keeping a distance as far as possible from the incident out of fears of re-igniting Singaporeans’ memories of Mas Selamat.
--------------------------------------------
Swiss national charged with vandalising SMRT train
By Lynda Hong
SINGAPORE: A 33-year-old Swiss national has been charged with trespassing into an MRT depot and vandalising a SMRT train.
Oliver Fricker appeared in Court Saturday morning to face the charges.
He is accused of trespassing into Changi depot on late night of May 16 and early hours of May 17 this year.
He also faces two charges on vandalising an MRT train by spraying paint, and damaging public property by cutting a wired fence belonging to LTA.
Fricker has been offered a bail of $100,000.
He said in Court that he cannot afford the amount and asked it to be lowered to $40,000. But the judge said that his is a serious offence, and therefore kept the $100,000 bail.
His case will be heard again in two weeks' time on June 21.
Another man, a Brit named Lloyd Dane Alexander, is also allegedly involved in the offence. It is not known if he is still in Singapore. Police are still investigating.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Singaporeans Prefer Staying Single
SINGAPORE: Singapore's resident Total Fertility Rate (TFR) fell to its lowest at 1.22 in 2009. This is in line with the general trend of higher singlehood rates and later marriages.
The "Population in Brief 2010" publication also noted that marriages between citizens and non-citizens have gone up.
Singaporeans are having fewer children. The National Population Secretariat said this might have to do with the global recession in late 2008.
It added that the impact was smaller compared to previous economic downturns.
This perhaps explains the lowest TFR of 1.22 last year.
The Chinese continued to have the lowest TFR followed by Indians and Malays.
The rate for Malays showed the most significant decline over the past decade.
The median age of citizen mothers at first birth increased from 28.6 years in 1999 to 29.6 years in 2009.
The decline was more pronounced among the younger cohorts aged 30-39 years.
Based on current trends, the National Population Secretariat said this group is less likely to achieve an average of two children by the time they reach 40-49 years old.
Overall, the fertility rates for the prime childbearing age of 20-34 years declined between 1999 and 2009.
The peak childbearing age group also shifted from 25-29 to 30-34 years.
The low TFR may also be due to more Singaporeans staying single.
Last year, of those aged 30 to 34, 42 per cent of men remained single, up from 33 percent ten years ago.
Likewise, 30 percent of women remained single compared to 22 percent in 1999.
Singlehood rates were the highest among males with below secondary educational qualifications and among females with university qualifications.
The secretariat added that those who marry are doing so later.
More are also marrying foreigners from around Asia.
The general marriage rate for male citizens dropped from 53 per 1,000 unmarried males in 1999 to 42 per 1,000 unmarried males in 2009.
Similarly, marriage rates for female citizens also fell from 56.0 to 38.2 over the same period.
The NPS said between 1999 and 2009, the median age of citizens at first marriage increased by one and a half years from 28.4 to 29.9 years for males, and from 25.9 to 27.4 years for females.
Proportionately, more Singaporeans are marrying non-citizens.
Such marriages increased by 10 per cent over the past decade from 31 per cent in 1999 to 41 per cent in 2009.
In particular, close to 80 per cent of such marriages were between Singapore men and foreign brides.
The majority of non-citizen spouses came from Asia, although non-citizen grooms came from more diverse regions. - CNA/vm By Claire Huang
The "Population in Brief 2010" publication also noted that marriages between citizens and non-citizens have gone up.
Singaporeans are having fewer children. The National Population Secretariat said this might have to do with the global recession in late 2008.
It added that the impact was smaller compared to previous economic downturns.
This perhaps explains the lowest TFR of 1.22 last year.
The Chinese continued to have the lowest TFR followed by Indians and Malays.
The rate for Malays showed the most significant decline over the past decade.
The median age of citizen mothers at first birth increased from 28.6 years in 1999 to 29.6 years in 2009.
The decline was more pronounced among the younger cohorts aged 30-39 years.
Based on current trends, the National Population Secretariat said this group is less likely to achieve an average of two children by the time they reach 40-49 years old.
Overall, the fertility rates for the prime childbearing age of 20-34 years declined between 1999 and 2009.
The peak childbearing age group also shifted from 25-29 to 30-34 years.
The low TFR may also be due to more Singaporeans staying single.
Last year, of those aged 30 to 34, 42 per cent of men remained single, up from 33 percent ten years ago.
Likewise, 30 percent of women remained single compared to 22 percent in 1999.
Singlehood rates were the highest among males with below secondary educational qualifications and among females with university qualifications.
The secretariat added that those who marry are doing so later.
More are also marrying foreigners from around Asia.
The general marriage rate for male citizens dropped from 53 per 1,000 unmarried males in 1999 to 42 per 1,000 unmarried males in 2009.
Similarly, marriage rates for female citizens also fell from 56.0 to 38.2 over the same period.
The NPS said between 1999 and 2009, the median age of citizens at first marriage increased by one and a half years from 28.4 to 29.9 years for males, and from 25.9 to 27.4 years for females.
Proportionately, more Singaporeans are marrying non-citizens.
Such marriages increased by 10 per cent over the past decade from 31 per cent in 1999 to 41 per cent in 2009.
In particular, close to 80 per cent of such marriages were between Singapore men and foreign brides.
The majority of non-citizen spouses came from Asia, although non-citizen grooms came from more diverse regions. - CNA/vm By Claire Huang
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Foyce Le Xuan Turned Violent - Beat Man Up
Are Singaporean girls turning violent?
Two recent high-profile incidents of women allegedly beating up men have got people wondering: Is this a growing trend of garang (Malay for fierce) girls going wild?
Singapore's showbusiness circle is buzzing after well-known Cantopop singer Jason Chung, 38, was reportedly beaten up last month by two young women outside Dragonfly club in St James Power Station, where he performs.
One of the women involved in the fracas is aspiring singer Foyce Le Xuan, 30, who in March claimed she had spurned veteran film-maker Jack Neo's advances after he allegedly hit on her in 2004.
On May 25, partygoers and the club's employees watched while Le Xuan and a woman who calls herself X-Tin Lim in her blog confronted Chung, who was screamed at, slapped and kicked in the groin.
The women had to be pulled away by the club's female employees.
Chung, who is the frontman of Singapore's premier Cantopop band Typhoon, allegedly cheated on both of them.
Although the incident happened two weeks ago, news of it emerged only recently after Chinese newspapers reported the incident on June 8.
In another public spat last year, a woman was caught on video hitting a man repeatedly in the groin with a high-heeled shoe. The video was posted on Singapore Press Holdings' online site, Stomp.
Figures released by the Subordinate Courts indicate a growing trend of abusive women. Last year, 326 applications of personal protection orders (PPOs) and domestic exclusive orders (DEOs) were filed by husbands against their wives.
This is a 16 per cent spike from 2008, which saw 280 such cases. The figures exclude other applications filed against ex-wives by their former spouses.
A PPO forbids the abuser to inflict physical or mental abuse on the victim and orders the abuser to keep his distance and not to enter the home of the protected person.
A DEO grants the right of exclusive occupation of a shared residence to a protected person by excluding the abuser.
Counsellors and psychiatrists say the spike in such cases is due to the rise of women's economic power.
Dr Adrian Wang, a consultant psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, says: "Compared to 20 years ago, women are more vocal and assertive now. They hold powerful positions of authority and leadership these days, and it's not only socially and culturally acceptable for women to speak out, it's also politically correct."
When women air dirty laundry, they hope to achieve two things: a show of power and shaming.
Low Teck Keong, a senior counsellor at the National University of Singapore, says: "Not everyone can remain civilised in the heat of anger. When they intend to hurt the person, respect is not a concern. The unkind and cruel words hurt and, in most cases, men are more deeply affected by emotional than physical abuse."
As for the Chung incident, a clearly angry Lim wrote a hit-and-tell account on her blog, saying they had a relationship and labelling him a 'liar' because he neglected to tell her that he had been dating Le since February.
Lim, who got to know Chung in Dragonfly in March, wrote that she began the relationship with him on May 12. She could not be reached for comment.
Chung says that he wants to "move on" and has not made a police report.
Dr Wang adds: "A violent act is sometimes seen as self-defence. The women may feel that 'if you hurt my feelings, it's fair that you get hurt, too, because you must pay'."
When contacted, Le says she regrets her actions. "I did not go to the club with the intention of beating him up," she says.
"But when I became angry, I slapped him and I am sorry for what I have done."
According to her, she was in a relationship with Chung from Feb 20 to May 23 this year. On May 20, a friend told her that the singer was spotted with a long-haired woman in Chinatown at 4am.
Le says she confronted him on the same day but Chung denied it was him.
She adds: "I felt something was amiss when I spotted pictures of him and X-Tin posted on his Facebook account. I contacted her through a mutual friend."
Through their phone conversations, the women found out that they were dating the same man. They decided to confront him at the club on May 25.
Many men do not seek professional help because the idea that they could be victims of violence is unthinkable, and they may not even attempt to report the situation, says counsellor Low.
Chung, who did not retaliate, says: "If I had hit the women, it would've made the situation worse. It could result in a potential assault case."
- The Straits Times/ANN
Also see
Man Who Screw China slut got beaten
Foyce Lim (Le Xuan) 梁智强和乐轩
Foyce Lim (Le Xuan) 乐轩 assaulted by Neo's men?
Two recent high-profile incidents of women allegedly beating up men have got people wondering: Is this a growing trend of garang (Malay for fierce) girls going wild?
Singapore's showbusiness circle is buzzing after well-known Cantopop singer Jason Chung, 38, was reportedly beaten up last month by two young women outside Dragonfly club in St James Power Station, where he performs.
One of the women involved in the fracas is aspiring singer Foyce Le Xuan, 30, who in March claimed she had spurned veteran film-maker Jack Neo's advances after he allegedly hit on her in 2004.
On May 25, partygoers and the club's employees watched while Le Xuan and a woman who calls herself X-Tin Lim in her blog confronted Chung, who was screamed at, slapped and kicked in the groin.
The women had to be pulled away by the club's female employees.
Chung, who is the frontman of Singapore's premier Cantopop band Typhoon, allegedly cheated on both of them.
Although the incident happened two weeks ago, news of it emerged only recently after Chinese newspapers reported the incident on June 8.
In another public spat last year, a woman was caught on video hitting a man repeatedly in the groin with a high-heeled shoe. The video was posted on Singapore Press Holdings' online site, Stomp.
Figures released by the Subordinate Courts indicate a growing trend of abusive women. Last year, 326 applications of personal protection orders (PPOs) and domestic exclusive orders (DEOs) were filed by husbands against their wives.
This is a 16 per cent spike from 2008, which saw 280 such cases. The figures exclude other applications filed against ex-wives by their former spouses.
A PPO forbids the abuser to inflict physical or mental abuse on the victim and orders the abuser to keep his distance and not to enter the home of the protected person.
A DEO grants the right of exclusive occupation of a shared residence to a protected person by excluding the abuser.
Counsellors and psychiatrists say the spike in such cases is due to the rise of women's economic power.
Dr Adrian Wang, a consultant psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, says: "Compared to 20 years ago, women are more vocal and assertive now. They hold powerful positions of authority and leadership these days, and it's not only socially and culturally acceptable for women to speak out, it's also politically correct."
When women air dirty laundry, they hope to achieve two things: a show of power and shaming.
Low Teck Keong, a senior counsellor at the National University of Singapore, says: "Not everyone can remain civilised in the heat of anger. When they intend to hurt the person, respect is not a concern. The unkind and cruel words hurt and, in most cases, men are more deeply affected by emotional than physical abuse."
As for the Chung incident, a clearly angry Lim wrote a hit-and-tell account on her blog, saying they had a relationship and labelling him a 'liar' because he neglected to tell her that he had been dating Le since February.
Lim, who got to know Chung in Dragonfly in March, wrote that she began the relationship with him on May 12. She could not be reached for comment.
Chung says that he wants to "move on" and has not made a police report.
Dr Wang adds: "A violent act is sometimes seen as self-defence. The women may feel that 'if you hurt my feelings, it's fair that you get hurt, too, because you must pay'."
When contacted, Le says she regrets her actions. "I did not go to the club with the intention of beating him up," she says.
"But when I became angry, I slapped him and I am sorry for what I have done."
According to her, she was in a relationship with Chung from Feb 20 to May 23 this year. On May 20, a friend told her that the singer was spotted with a long-haired woman in Chinatown at 4am.
Le says she confronted him on the same day but Chung denied it was him.
She adds: "I felt something was amiss when I spotted pictures of him and X-Tin posted on his Facebook account. I contacted her through a mutual friend."
Through their phone conversations, the women found out that they were dating the same man. They decided to confront him at the club on May 25.
Many men do not seek professional help because the idea that they could be victims of violence is unthinkable, and they may not even attempt to report the situation, says counsellor Low.
Chung, who did not retaliate, says: "If I had hit the women, it would've made the situation worse. It could result in a potential assault case."
- The Straits Times/ANN
Also see
Man Who Screw China slut got beaten
Foyce Lim (Le Xuan) 梁智强和乐轩
Foyce Lim (Le Xuan) 乐轩 assaulted by Neo's men?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Pastor Kong Hee and Wife Live like Hollywood Stars
SINGER Ho Yeow Sun, wife of Revrend Kong Hee, of City Harvest Church, who are being probed for alleged misuse of church funds, lives in a $28,000-a-month estate in same exclusive suburb in Los Angeles as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, reported The New Paper on Sunday.The pop star, 40, popularly known as Sun Ho, who has been shuttling back and forth between Singapore and the US since 2003, is renting the place at Hollywood Hills, which has four buildings in all. She lives in the sprawling estate - which is listed for sale at US$5.6 million (S$7.7 million) - with her son, an assistant, a nanny and her relatives.
She can boast of having Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as her neighbours. She is now back in Singapore to help in the investigation of the City Harvest Scandal.
The New Paper on Sunday team, who went to the estate, spotted a black SUV and black Mercedes Benz CLK550 driving in an out of the estate, which has a total built-up area of 6,766 sq ft - or about the size of five five-room HDB flats - a swimming pool, a sun-deck and two-car garage.
Related Links:
Pastor Kong Hee full of shits
Pastor's Scandalous Wife
CHC under investigation
City Harvest buys Suntec City
By Ion Danker
Imagine living in a S$28,000-a-month rented estate where famous Hollywood celebrities such as Paris Hilton’s sister Nicky, “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera and British singer Leona Lewis are your neighbours.
If luck is on your side, you could even cross paths with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who are also said to own a property in the vicinity.
Sounds too good to be true?
The Hollywood Hills estate is the place singer Ho Yeow Sun, 40, popularly known as Sun Ho, calls home since she moved to Los Angeles for her music career.
She is the wife of Reverend Kong Hee, 45, and co-founder of City Harvest Church and has been commuting between Singapore and the U.S. since 2003.
According to The New Paper, the Hollywood mansion Ho has been renting for the past year is listed for sale at S$7.7 million. It’s reported that Ho lives there with her 5-year-old son, Dayan, an assistant, a nanny and her relatives.
The profile of residents in the neighbourhood is said to comprise millionaires and high-profile businessmen who like the quiet, peaceful and well-policed area with a low crime rate.
The report’s detailed description also indicates that the dark green Spanish Mediterranean-style building Ho is renting stands out from the rest of the properties in the area due to its large size.
The estate stands on 29,000 sq ft of land or about a third of a football field. It’s made up of a main house, three self-contained structures, with quarters for a butler, nanny and maid. Not only does it boast a swimming pool, a sundeck and a two-car garage, its driveway still has space for another 9 cars.
The total built-up area of the estate is 6,766 sq ft or about the size of 5 five-room HDB flats, while the 4,135 sq ft main house has four bedrooms.
The paper also said the housing agent in charge of the property described Kong Hee’s wife as “Singapore’s top singer and entertainer” while a neighbour said she was very “sophisticated and seems traditional” as she often hosts gatherings during special occasions like Chinese New Year.
Back in Singapore, the couple also made some big property moves through the years.
They started off in a five-room HDB flat in Tampines which was purchased at S$127,000 before selling it for S$420,000. They then moved to a unit at Horizon Towers costing S$1 million in River Valley before selling it off to buy a new apartment at The Suites at Central on Devonshire Road, said to be worth about S$2.6 million.
Ho returned to Singapore last Monday to assist the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) in an investigation into alleged misuse of church funds. She was said to have been grilled by police for more than eight hours.
Her husband, Kong Hee recently explained his silence in a Facebook post that said, “Because we’re in the midst of the investigation, I am unable to provide any details about the progress besides what already has been released by the Singapore Police in their statement to the press.”
“But I would like to assure everyone that I, together with the Management Board of the church, am fully cooperative in providing the necessary information needed for the investigation,” said the Pastor, who himself was recently accused of plagiarising three prominent Christian authors.
The couple and at least 16 others connected to the City Harvest Church are currently assisting the CAD in ongoing investigations.
----------------------------------------------
LEADERSHIP CHANGE
(SINGAPORE) There has been a leadership change at City Harvest Church, which is under investigation by the police.
Its founder has taken a backseat while two pastors, Derek Dunn and Aries Zulkarnain, have been put in charge of running the church. This arrangement will continue until the current investigations are completed.
The founder, Pastor Kong Hee, will however remain the president and chairman of the City Harvest board. He is among the 20-odd church members summoned by the Commercial Affairs Department as part of the probe.
Meanwhile, City Harvest has appointed auditors from RSM Chio Lim to conduct an independent review, Pastor Dunn told The Business Times yesterday.The independent review will examine the church’s corporate governance structure and internal control processes.
‘If the review identifies lapses, the church will take necessary corrective measures recommended by the adviser to prevent such lapses in the future,’ said Pastor Dunn. ‘The church is fully committed to accountability and integrity in the church’s dealings and has taken steps to protect its interest and that of its members.’
He broke the church’s silence for the first time since the probe began.
At the start of this month, the police and the Commissioner of Charities said that they were investigating ‘financial transactions involving several individuals and companies, related or connected to the City Harvest Church’, after the Commissioner’s office received complaints of misuse of church funds.
These related companies under probe include those that are not charities or subsidiaries of the church, the Commissioner’s office said.
These objections were apart from complaints over the church’s purchase of a minority stake in Suntec Singapore. The acquisition would cost the church $310 million, including expected renovation and equipment expenses, City Harvest announced in March.
Pastor Dunn declined comment on the ongoing police investigations. ‘We are very grateful for and deeply appreciate the strong love, concern and support demonstrated by all of our members as well as those from the Christian community here in Singapore and abroad, during this challenging period,’ he said.
‘The authorities have been more than professional and have extended their utmost courtesy to our members in the investigative process.’
While the two pastors will take charge of ministerial duties at City Harvest, the 10-strong board will continue taking on the management role. The church created a deeper separation between the executive and board roles after a review by the Commissioner of Charities some two years ago, said Pastor Dunn.
Recommendations from the review on City Harvest and six other religious organisations – which were mostly kept private – included cutting the number of pastoral members sitting on the church board. The church currently has 24 pastors.
‘Following the review, the church has reduced the number of pastoral members on the board to three. This allows a greater degree of independence of the board from the church’s spiritual and pastoral leaders,’ said Pastor Dunn.
Previously, pastoral members made up a majority of the board.
‘There is no doubt, however, that it is not practical for a church to effect a complete separation of the leadership of the governing board from its pastoral leadership,’ he added.
The board looks at the daily operations of City Harvest, which entails ensuring that the accounts of the church are properly audited and recorded, as well as managing its investments.
Its other duties extend to administrative matters, which were previously under the purview of the pastoral department.
The board members are nominated by an executive member and voted in by a simple majority. They serve for a year, before being put up for re-election at the church’s annual general meeting (AGM) the next year.
BT understands that there are 750 voting members of the church, who are eligible to vote in board members. These include ordinary members who take on more responsibilities, having been with the church for a longer time and receiving training.
As part of the 2008 review, the Commissioner also asked the church to consider a strategy for board renewal, with ‘particular attention’ to the roles of the chairman and the treasurer, said Pastor Dunn, adding that the plan was put in place by the 2009 AGM.
Investigations into the church and its financial dealings have flung the door open to debate over the segregation of commercial and religious pursuits of the church, which had total funds of $103 million, including a $65 million building fund, for its fiscal 2009.
And what are the church’s views on the comfortable lifestyle enjoyed by Pastor Kong and his wife, Ho Yeow Sun?
Pastor Dunn stressed that claims of extravagance have been exaggerated.
‘Concerning the lifestyle of Rev Kong and his wife, we know them well. Rev Kong is a dedicated and motivated senior pastor of the church. He has been working hard for the past 20 over years and is a renowned and recognised personality on the speaking circuit. His wife is a successful singer,’ he said.
‘While their lifestyle reflects their own accomplishments, we do not see it as lavish or excessive.’
----------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.singapore
From: wiseguy
Subject: Sun Ho: Hollywood Star???
(http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/20/pastors-wife-lives-lavishly-
in-l-a/)
Patrick says:
The fact is, there are way more inconsistencies and suspicious "facts"
regarding Sun's music career that far overshadow any humanitarian work
that Sun has done on behalf of the church.
For one, in Singapore, outside her church followers, she is hardly
considered a pop star or celebrity. At best, she is known for being
the pastor's wife who is trying to be a pop star.
Even though her own websites and wiki suggests she is big, there is
hardly any media who writes about her or reviews her music. Do a
simple Google search and see how little 3rd party info there actually
is. Compare that with if you google "Stephanie Sun" or "J J Lin" who
most Singaporeans will consider bonefide successful Singapore pop
stars. A legit mainstream celebrity should have online mentions beyond
church supporters.
Her "lavish lifestyles" are really no issue if it is her own money.
However, the suspicioon sets in when no actual numbers are available
for the number of albums she has actually sold in Asia. Her supporters
have claimed "millions" have been sold but there is no 3rd party or
documented collaboration.
In addition, she would have no money coming in from her first two
albums since she donated the proceeds of both albums to charity as
reported in The Straits Times.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/2148/poon-says-sorry-pastor-asks-chur...
But, what is published fact is that her sole music management company
has lost way more money than record sales have brought in; based on
financial records, as widely reported in the media and available
through ACRA. Latest available FS from 2007 shows in lost S$5.8mil
dollars.
So, any objective person would question where her money comes from?
Her other businesses have made little or no money (based on released
FS) and her husband does not draw a salary as a Pastor. She has not
released a single album in the US so it is unlikely her recording
label will pay $28k a month on her acccomodation when she brings in no
money. Her dance chart hits are not indicators of sales as shown and
she does not tour.
So how does one live it up in Hollywood when there are no indication
of big money rolling in?
These are not accusations but simple questions that have not been
answered yet, which is why there is a police probe in possible misuse
of funds. The unfortunate possibility for her or her husband is that
the CAD have an impeccable conviction rate once they start an official
investigation.
This has nothing to do with pesercution of religion or media-bashing
on Sun. It is the asking of questions that have never been answered.
Because CAD has stepped in, the public, disenchanted members of the
church and ex-church members have seen it appropriate to begin asking
the hard questions and not reply so much on "blind faith".
Friday, June 18, 2010
Law Minister Shan Screwed Up Again
Yong Vui Kong, a Malaysian national currently on death row in Singapore, may finally be getting a shot at keeping his appeal alive, as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz and our Ministry of Foreign Affairs have reportedly agreed to a meeting with his lawyer.
NONEM Ravi (left), a human rights lawyer representing Yong on a pro-bono basis, said the government has requested to meet him when he visits Kuala Lumpur next week, between June 25 and 29.
“They have requested that I write a formal letter to them, which I have just forwarded to the media. I will keep you informed of the developments,” said Ravi, in an SMS to Malaysiakini yesterday evening.
Ravi says the Singapore Malaysian High Commission's second secretary Rohani Hussain conveyed the request.
Ravi met with Rohani and Juraida Abd Jamil, the other second secretary from the Consular's officer, for about an hour in Hotel Hilton this morning to discuss Yong's case.
Rohani visited Yong, who was caught trafficking 47g of heroin into the island city in 2007, in Changi prison yesterday following media reports seeking Malaysia's intervention in the case
Duty to protect citizens
At the same time, Ravi said he is exploring with Malaysian lawyers to file an application in court for mandatory injunction to compel the Malaysian government to file a complaint in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“This would be done if (Malaysia) fails in its duty to exercise its right to this vital legal remedy, which is available to our client via the ICJ,” he said.
NONE“We note with regret the de facto law minister of Malaysia's (Nazri) response, that the case was an internal matter. His remark was of grave concern to us, our client as well as the legal community and civil society in Malaysia,” he added.
“It is the duty of the Malaysian government to protect the rights of its nationals,” he stressed.
Ravi, in his letter to the High Commissioner, explained that Yong was making a clemency petition to the Singapore cabinet and President SR Nathan.
S'pore minister prejudiced case
His recourse for remedy was unfortunately pre-empted when Singapore Law Minister K Shanmugam made a remark about the latter's case even before he could file the clemency, said Ravi.
Ravi added that Shanmugam's remark has prejudiced Yong's relief to the clemency process.
“In our view, as well as based on the opinion of legal experts in London, this is a serious breach of due process. We would urge the Malaysian government to file a complaint at the ICJ on behalf of its national facing imminent death arising out of the breach of local and international laws by Singapore,” he said.
“In view of the denial of the clemency process, the only option available to the Singapore government is to commute Yong's death sentence, which is the same remedy that can be sought by the Malaysian government at the ICJ”.
On May 9, Shanmugam said publicly that “Yong Vui Kong is young, but if we say, we let you go, what is the signal we are sending?”
The island's legal experts said that these comment had potentially prejudiced an appeal before it had been decided in court, making Nathan's rejection of Yong's clemency appeal both “illegal and flawed”.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Orchard Road Flood......God's Wrath?
On Jun 17, 8:37 am, zero
> I talked to a Singaporean friend about the flood in Orchard Road and
> since he is a "devout" christian, he said the flood "is God's way of
> cleansing materialism out of Singapore", and he blamed the two casinos
> for invoking God's Wrath.
> According to him, Singapore has become some sort of Sodom and Gomorrah
> of the East.
> Next, I asked him about the 50 year flood in Bukit Timah Road which
> happened right in front of LKY and GCT home residence. Is this God's way
> of punishing the ruling PAP party or Singapore?
From: Frankie Lee
**Your type of understanding and analysis sort of reminding me about
those obnoxious nuts which I encountered during my younger days.Many
of those Straight As student were constantly being bombarded by would-
be drop outs and Ah Beng,since they were loud mouth,crude and rude and
vulgar,so the decent and righteous student had to be silent for good.
After decades went by did I realised,if those smart kids were to teach
those fools some lessons,wouldn't those Ah Beng became clever,gain
experience and excel well in class?Doing away one competitor is
better,isn't it?
I help others to become multi-millionaires,and myself remain poor.
If I tell you such stories would you believe in me?They say,if you are
smart,then try out yourself,and don't talk rocks here.
So I did.
Now,at which stage would you think business-people give me more
confidence to my theories?
Now, about Orchard Rd.The flood in Orchard Rd is due to the
incompetent engineers,who was paid so much but do so little.We are in
the 21st century,and would you believe me if I tell you we have third
world mentality in Orchard Rd?
Somebody and someone living in Istana don't bother,or civil servants
are lazy.Now which part you don't understand which you require
invoking of God?
A simple and minor incidenrts such as Orchard flood would require
someone to enter into extra-revelations and toured the whole Heavens
to question the Creator,why don't ask LHL?
--------------------------------------------
Heavy rains prompted flooding at the Orchard Road,practically turning the entire place like a body of water.
The SCDF is conducting rescue operation to help people who are trapped in their vehicles.
Cars along the road are stalled as engines refuse to start as the water rises.
A spokesperson for the SCDF said:
“At the junction of Orchard Road/Paterson Road, the SCDF dispatched two fire engines and assisted about 60 passengers from 2 SBS Transit double-decker buses and about ten people from six cars stranded in their vehicles to safety.
“In some cases, SCDF personnel had to carry children out of the vehicles. None were injured.”
The SCDF also rendered assistance at several other locations.
Orchard Road has been considered as Singapore’s number one Shopping distict as streams of new built malls are situated here.
Surely, the flood is not good for business.Fortunately,no injuries have been reported as of this moment.
----------------------------------------------
Insurance claims from Orchard Road flood estimated to be at least S$6m
By Julie Quek, Janice Teo | Posted: 17 June 2010 2230 hrs
SINGAPORE: The insurance claims from Wednesday's Orchard Road flood is estimated to amount to at least S$6 million for now and will likely increase when more cases are filed.
Insurance companies expect the claims to come mainly from businesses which are equipment intensive or are located at the basement of buildings.
The flood in Orchard caused shopkeepers many problems but now, the problems are flowing over to insurance companies.
Firms like NTUC Income are expecting a number of claims from businesses which suffered losses.
And insurance companies would have to compensate for damages filed under "works of nature".
But experts have a tip for shop owners.
Pui Phusangmook, senior vice president & general manager, General Insurance, NTUC Income, said: "They should also consider buying the policy that covers flood. On top of that, they could have a choice of whether the cover of what we call "business interruption". To cover the period where they have to close down and they may lose income during that period.
And a possible loss of income is what American restaurant, Wendy's, might have to deal with.
It's expected to close for up to six weeks and it'll incur over S$500,000 worth of damages to its equipment and infrastructure.
Despite the flood of insurance claims expected, experts don't believe this will increase premiums across the board.
Derek Teo, president, General Insurance Association of Singapore, said: “Unfortunately we have two events here within the last seven months and these could trigger some kind of premium increases in areas that are prone to floods. For example, if the location at risk is within the Bukit Timah area or in the case of what happened yesterday, chances are that you might pay an increase. But even if there is an increase, it’s not going to be very significant.”
Observers believe that most of the shops affected in Orchard would likely have adequate insurance coverage. CNA
-----------------------------------------------
Or are we preparing for this to be staged at Orchard Road...?
Jemaah Islamiah’s Threat From Malaysia
TUMPAT June 16, — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants authorities to tighten security to prevent Jemaah Islamiah (JI) from influencing students and taking root in the country.
He said the spread of JI ideology, if unchecked, would pose a threat to national security.
“We must be wary of JI threat to recruit students. They can be coerced into committing violence by militant and extremism thinking,” he said after a “Pemimpin Bersama Rakyat’ programme at Wat Matchimmaram, Kampung Jubakar near here today.
Grab a Celcom Blue Bear(TM) and stand to walk away with RM10,000!
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein yesterday said JI had made efforts to recruit local university students as members.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said foreign JI members tried to revive the militant group by trying to recruit youths including university students.
Najib said it was proven that JI spread not only among students but also lecturers.
“A lecturer involved with JI had been known to explode bombs. We have to tighten security via intelligence reports to check the menace,” he added. — Bernama
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Mahathir Humiliates Singapore Malays
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad has issued a dire warning to the Malays about their future and urged them to reflect on their fate.
In his latest blog posting, titled 'Melayu Kemana' (Whither Malays), Mahathir, who also served as prime minister for 22 years, said he was willing to face the consequences of voicing his views on this matter.
After a lengthy history lesson ranging from the Malayan Union to the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, the 84-year-old statesman lamented that the Malays were now separated along three political boundaries, Umno, PAS and PKR.
“With these three parties, the Malays, who were once the majority making up 60% of the population, are now broken up and divided.
“None of these parties command the support of the majority, each receiving not more than 30%. So in other words, the Malays have become the minority in this country,” he said.
Furthermore, Mahathir warned that being the minority group, the Malays would cease to be the major force if they joined mixed parties.
“They might be placed as the top leaders in the federal and state governments, but they would have to follow the directions of their friends,” he added.
The Perak and Singapore examples
Citing the collapse of the Pakatan state government in Perak, Mahathir said: “A particular race had felt as if it was a government which belonged to that race which was ousted.”
This was an obvious reference to the Chinese community as detractors had accused the state's former Pakatan menteri besar, PAS' Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin of being a DAP stooge.
Painting a bleak picture for the Malays under Pakatan's rule, Mahathir said even those holding top federal posts would have to operate under the guidance of others.
“There is a big possibility that the Malays have become a minority group and no longer possess power in their own country.
“If they feel they would be treated well even without power, they should look at the fate of the Malays who are the minority in a neigbhouring country,” he added in reference to Singapore.
Mahathir also reminded the Malays of the proverb, “united we stand, divided we fall”. “The choice is yours,” he said.
The former premier also made it clear that he was not concerned about the criticisms which his comments would court.
“I would be accused as a chauvinist and racist for this. But I am willing to be labelled anything. My intention is to remind you (the Malays) before it is too late,” he said.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Pastor Mark Ng (New Creation) Insulting Other Religions
Speaking in broken English, very much in the mould of Ris Low's Singlish, Mark Ng mock and make fun of Chinese festival of 7th Month Ghost Festival and Chinese Deity Idol Kuan Kong....
happyman4072 — 11 June 2010 — Here we have Pastor Mark Ng of New Creation Church making fun and insulting the Chinese beliefs and tradition. I don't have any problem with people preaching. But I find that preaching and making fun of people's beliefs are two different things. I don't think that the preaching the word of god includes insults and degrading others. Pastor Mark Ng is a good example why there is an divide growing between groups of different beliefs and religions.
pigcanfly007
The whole sermon sounds like Jack Neo's "Gao Siao Xin Dong" talking show..
Christian policemen pray to Jesus, some robbers also pray to Jesus, so how?
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MrTheholydead
Clearly, its saddens me to see such leaders in the christian community wanting to set people 'free' with jokes about other people's beliefs and religion. There is no truth in anything if you dont have faith in it. Every religion teaches us values and the right morals.Be it Buddhist,hinduism or christianity. Truly,Making fun of other people religions and beliefs is an action from supposedly a leader in the church community. I am taken aback...
#
pookeelahh
seriously, tell him to improve his english before criticizing or even preaching. bad bad bad speech mark. we know, we know so stop you know you knowing already. and amazing how the chinese gods are regarded as 'idols'? you mean Jesus isnt one too? no offence, but im a Christian believer too.
#
FrostWurm
Aiyah...this is a free society what. He can say whatever he wants. It's just like a hypothetical example of an atheist telling a group of christians that god does not exist. Then what? Prosecute him?
@FrostWurm Not really. As mentioned countless of times, this is Singapore where we have peoples of different religions and customs. He can of course say what he wants, but there will be consequences. And there are laws in Singapore which ensures that people respect each others religion and customs.
First of all, a church is supposed to be an open place where everyone can freely enter. Secondly this is a sermon. This is supposed to be spread among the masses, no? Thirdly, no matter which own "christian grounds" you are in, you are still in SG. You have to follow SG laws. And finally, I didn't record it, I merely posted it for awareness that there are such dangerous pastors out there. If you think that it is "ME" causing divisions in SG, then by all means, pls report me.
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nusld
He devoted his sermon to poking fun,demonising and putting down the Chinese religious beliefs as much as he could to laughter from his congregation.
Frankly, i shudder when i think of my fellow Singaporeans friends among the congregation. Wonder these people who recite the Pledge everyday really believed in it or otherwise. In times of difficulties can we depend on them as fellow s'poreans to assist those who didn't share their beliefs.
This is a urgent social problem in S'pore now.
Sad!
#
mattscout
6 hours ago
Firstly, No one knows how Jesus looks like nor God. And, even though we may be a democratic nation, Pastor Mark should not use his pulpit as a stage to provoke other religion, when you are on the pulpit, people believe that whatever you're saying, is from God, but when you misuse the pulpit and people would believe that whatever he's saying is true and from God. Which is not. Therefore, I guess he should apologize and not misuse the authority that has been given to him.
#
haohao93
The whole sermon is held within our own christian grounds where do you get the right to record and post online on youtube and STOMP. anyway your faith toward your beliefs is weak that's why you drift away giving yourself a chance to step into church grounds. Pastor did not insult or degrade others he is only evaluating common superstition neither did he judge those chinese customs. Pastor is not the reason for the division between religion it's people like happyman4072 creating unease amongst.
#
sorryalsomustexplain
5 hours ago
I wanted to hear the full sermon but realized I could not get it anywhere, either from the the online bookstore or the actual retail bookstore in Suntec. I checked and found out that this sermon was actually preached about 2 years ago. The church must have taken action to remove it after the Rony Tan fiasco that happened earlier this year. Won't be surprised the if ISA had already warned the church to be more cautious, considerate and sensitive about what and how they preach in church.
---------------------------------------------
By Yen Feng
THE internal Security Department (ISD) has looked into an incident involving the New Creation Church over a 2008 sermon being circulated online that mocks Taoist beliefs.
The 10-minute audio clip was posted on YouTube last Friday. In it, a church pastor, Mr Mark Ng, can be heard joking with the congregation about Chinese rituals; in one instance, he compared praying to Taoist deities to ’seeking protection from secret society gangsters’.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said yesterday in a response to queries from The Straits Times that the church had, on its own accord, contacted YouTube to remove the clip. It has also apologised.
‘We are aware of the case. ISD has looked into it and taken up the matter with the New Creation Church.’
In a six-paragraph letter posted on its website on Sunday, New Creation said that Mr Ng, who heads the church’s Chinese ministry, did not intend for his comments to be disrespectful to other faiths.
It added that earlier this year, the church had reviewed its archive of sermons and had stopped reproducing that particular sermon and other insensitive content that had been previously sold in the church bookstore.
‘We recognise our responsibility in this major oversight in allowing this sermon not only to be preached, but also, as a usual practice, to be made available as a resource for sale,’ the 20,000-strong independent church said.
‘It is unfortunate that while we have endeavoured in every way to stop the circulation of this sermon, its recent appearance on the Internet continues to possibly cause offence.
‘We would like to express our deepest apologies to any person who may have been offended by the remarks made by Pastor Mark Ng.’
The user who uploaded the New Creation clip declined to identify himself, but told The Straits Times in an e-mail interview that he hoped to raise public awareness on preaching styles that were disrespectful to other faiths.
‘If such preaching continues unabated, it would definitely be trouble for multiracial and multi-religious Singapore,’ said the 37-year-old Singaporean man, who uses the nickname ‘happyman4072′ on YouTube.
The clip has since been re-posted on more than a dozen websites, including Stomp!, tech forum hardwarezone.com and social networking site Facebook.
On YouTube, it has been viewed about 4,000 times.
In February, the founder and senior pastor of another independent church, Lighthouse Evangelism, was censured for making comments that were insensitive to Buddhist and Taoist believers.
Mr Rony Tan, 64, mocked the religious precepts, such as reincarnation and nirvana. His remarks were recorded on video and uploaded on the church’s website.
In days, the video clips were re-posted on YouTube and online forums.
Mr Tan was interviewed by the ISD and has since recanted and apologised for his remarks.
Mr Ng, who is 48 and married, could not be reached for comment.
The church, however, said on his behalf: ‘Pastor Mark offers his unreserved and unmitigated apology to the public for his insensitive comments… He humbly appeals to those whom he has offended to forgive him for this serious indiscretion.’
The user who uploaded the clip said he had received CDs containing the sermon last month from a church-goer, presumably from New Creation.
‘I am pretty sure that he didn’t realise that these kind of recordings could give offence to others. Perhaps that could be the problem in our society right now?’
He added that he was not religious and did not subscribe to any faith.
Taoist Federation chairman Tan Thiam Lye yesterday called on religious leaders to start paying more attention to what they say during services.
He said: ‘Such comments do not promote religious harmony -- that is obvious. There is just no need to criticise other religions when promoting your own faith.’
---------------------------------------------
Pastor Mark Ng issued a public apology for his comments about Chinese Taoist diety. Though, it is an old incident of two years but the statement was made public only last Friday when someone posted an audio clip on YouTube. It is an audio clip in which Mark Ng can be clearly heard making racy comments about the superstitions. There is also a picture of Pastor Ng on the clip. New Creation Church peeped through the matter and after finding pastor guilty they forced him to issue apology. Church also banned the sale and circulation of this sermon and told its Pastors that sermons of that nature were not acceptable. Church then issued a statement and mentioned that Pastor Mark was ashamed on whatever he said about a religion and he wanted to make clear that he would not do it again.
Pastor Ng is the second pastor who issued apology for his comments, the first such person was Pastor Rony Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism Church, who also issued apologies after being heavily criticized. It was in February when Pastor Tan was called by the Internal Security Department for the matter because there were lots of complaints against him. He too made comments about Buddhist and Taoist.
Ministry of Home Affairs has also released a statement regarding this matter in which they have said that they are aware of the case. Ministry also revealed that church had made a request to YouTube to remove that clip from their site.
Indonesian Celebrity Sex Scandal Caused Internet Traffic Jam
Actor Ariel Peterpan and Luna Maya in Lux Ads in Jakarta
Actress Cut Tari
Messages of Support Flood in for ‘Peterporn’
Hundreds of messages of support have flooded in for Peterpan frontman Ariel in the wake of the developing sex tapes scandal involving at least two celebrity starlets.
The messages come as the term Peterporn, used to describe Ariel, is the most popular for word on Twitter, an International social networking site.
Though Ariel does not have a listed Facebook profile and his twitter account is inactive, hundreds of fans — and a sprinkling of critics — have posted messages on Facebook’s Official Peterpan Band site.
One fan, identified as Mahesa Wonk, advised Ariel — who has not commented publicly on the videos that also allegedly feature model Cut Tari and his current girlfriend, Maya Luna, — to “keep going.”
“Nobody’s perfect, don’t worry about the video and keep on making music,” he wrote.
Linda Wardani said the videos were possibly leaked by people who were jealous of Ariel and his friends’ careers.
Rini Riyadi asked Ariel to clear the air by holding a news conference.
“Ariel, please hold a news conference. If you’re right, please talk to the media. Don’t run or hide, don’t let it develop into something uglier. I am so sad because there’s a new video and the man looks so much like you, Riel,” Rini wrote.
Not all comments were supportive and others were angry.
“Anyone who still supports Ariel means he or she also supports adultery, you’re all pro-adulterers, aren’t you? Luna, I thought your love [for Ariel] would end up in a marriage but it only ended up in an adultery in a seedy motel room. F**k for Ariel,” wrote Syech Puji, who has a poor grasp of the definition of adultery.
Sex between two consenting adults, including between men, is not illegal in Indonesia.
One commentator on the Jakarta Globe Facebook Web site was left wondering if Ariel’s private video collection had been stolen, while another said he’d heard that 34 other videos were in existence.
“Ariel is the successor of Edison Chen, I guess hahahaha... Rock on, dude!” wrote Globe Facebook fan Nino Chandra, in reference to the Hong Kong actor whose career folded after pornographic photographs and videos with himself and a Chinese celebrities Gillian Chung, Bobo Chan and Cecilia Cheung were leaked to the Internet in 2008.
Jakarta Police, meanwhile, say they are focusing their investigations on finding the people who published the graphic sex tapes on the Web and charging them under the Electronic Information and Transaction Law.
“We will investigate whether the video was leaked by other people or the people in the video themselves,” Jakarta Police Spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar told Detik.com, adding that the police would not summon Ariel and Luna until they had finished investigating how the tape was leaked publicly.
--------------------------------------------
WATCH VIDEO HERE
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Indonesian celebrities in online sex video scandal
By Channel NewsAsia's Indonesia bureau chief Sujadi Siswo
Indonesian celebrities in online sex video scandal
JAKARTA : Indonesia is in the grips of a sex video scandal involving some of the country's top celebrities.
The clips allegedly involve Ariel - the vocalist from popular band Peterpan - and Luna Maya - a top actress and presenter.
The two videos - which are about eight minutes long - were posted online on Facebook.
Another clip allegedly features Ariel and another television presenter Cut Tari.
All the videos have been removed from the social networking website but not before they were downloaded and spread through the Internet.
All three celebrities deny the videos are of them.
But several media experts say the people in the clips do resemble the celebrities.
Unilever Indonesia has stopped airing a television soap commercial featuring Ariel and Luna Maya.
Indonesian police are investigating.
This is not the first time sex videos of prominent Indonesian personalities have been posted on the Internet.
But so far no arrests have been made. - CNA/jy
Actress Cut Tari
Messages of Support Flood in for ‘Peterporn’
Hundreds of messages of support have flooded in for Peterpan frontman Ariel in the wake of the developing sex tapes scandal involving at least two celebrity starlets.
The messages come as the term Peterporn, used to describe Ariel, is the most popular for word on Twitter, an International social networking site.
Though Ariel does not have a listed Facebook profile and his twitter account is inactive, hundreds of fans — and a sprinkling of critics — have posted messages on Facebook’s Official Peterpan Band site.
One fan, identified as Mahesa Wonk, advised Ariel — who has not commented publicly on the videos that also allegedly feature model Cut Tari and his current girlfriend, Maya Luna, — to “keep going.”
“Nobody’s perfect, don’t worry about the video and keep on making music,” he wrote.
Linda Wardani said the videos were possibly leaked by people who were jealous of Ariel and his friends’ careers.
Rini Riyadi asked Ariel to clear the air by holding a news conference.
“Ariel, please hold a news conference. If you’re right, please talk to the media. Don’t run or hide, don’t let it develop into something uglier. I am so sad because there’s a new video and the man looks so much like you, Riel,” Rini wrote.
Not all comments were supportive and others were angry.
“Anyone who still supports Ariel means he or she also supports adultery, you’re all pro-adulterers, aren’t you? Luna, I thought your love [for Ariel] would end up in a marriage but it only ended up in an adultery in a seedy motel room. F**k for Ariel,” wrote Syech Puji, who has a poor grasp of the definition of adultery.
Sex between two consenting adults, including between men, is not illegal in Indonesia.
One commentator on the Jakarta Globe Facebook Web site was left wondering if Ariel’s private video collection had been stolen, while another said he’d heard that 34 other videos were in existence.
“Ariel is the successor of Edison Chen, I guess hahahaha... Rock on, dude!” wrote Globe Facebook fan Nino Chandra, in reference to the Hong Kong actor whose career folded after pornographic photographs and videos with himself and a Chinese celebrities Gillian Chung, Bobo Chan and Cecilia Cheung were leaked to the Internet in 2008.
Jakarta Police, meanwhile, say they are focusing their investigations on finding the people who published the graphic sex tapes on the Web and charging them under the Electronic Information and Transaction Law.
“We will investigate whether the video was leaked by other people or the people in the video themselves,” Jakarta Police Spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar told Detik.com, adding that the police would not summon Ariel and Luna until they had finished investigating how the tape was leaked publicly.
--------------------------------------------
WATCH VIDEO HERE
--------------------------------------------
Indonesian celebrities in online sex video scandal
By Channel NewsAsia's Indonesia bureau chief Sujadi Siswo
Indonesian celebrities in online sex video scandal
JAKARTA : Indonesia is in the grips of a sex video scandal involving some of the country's top celebrities.
The clips allegedly involve Ariel - the vocalist from popular band Peterpan - and Luna Maya - a top actress and presenter.
The two videos - which are about eight minutes long - were posted online on Facebook.
Another clip allegedly features Ariel and another television presenter Cut Tari.
All the videos have been removed from the social networking website but not before they were downloaded and spread through the Internet.
All three celebrities deny the videos are of them.
But several media experts say the people in the clips do resemble the celebrities.
Unilever Indonesia has stopped airing a television soap commercial featuring Ariel and Luna Maya.
Indonesian police are investigating.
This is not the first time sex videos of prominent Indonesian personalities have been posted on the Internet.
But so far no arrests have been made. - CNA/jy
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