The IS terror attack at Puchong, KL, Malaysia, is now the closest to Singapore, displacing Jakarta from the proximity list. And the bad news is, it is getting nearer and nearer. So how ready is Singapore for the first attempt by IS to launch an attack in Singapore? Given how easily Mas Selamat escaped, and how easily bank robbers can obtain what they want from softies bank officials, we have our doubt, seriously.
Since the declaration of the so-called Islamic State in June 2014 in Syria and Iraq, the Malaysian authorities have supposedly stopped nine plots to attack Malaysia. However, they were unsuccessful in detecting and disrupting the attack in Puchong. The nature of the current wave of terrorism had changed from group attacks to networked attacks making it a challenge even for the best security and intelligence services to prevent all the attacks.
A week before the attack in Malaysia, Mohd Rafi Udin alias Abu ‘Awn al-Malizi appeared on a video released by the Islamic State Philippines on 21 June 2016, threatening Malaysia. In response to the video, Malaysian Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar challenged Rafi Udin who is from Negri Sembilan, to return home from Syria and take the authorities head-on, saying: “If you dare to make threats from afar, come back here and do it.”
The IS attack in Malaysia, despite continuing counter terrorism operations, demonstrates that the IS ideology has spread and established a regional presence, in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines, with support in Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei.
Since the Russian air campaign in Syria in 2015, IS has suffered but continues to replenish its losses. Although the IS threat in Iraq and Syria has plateaued, IS is in a growth phase in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caucasus. To counter the threat, governments will have to develop greater intelligence and operational capabilities both in the physical and cyber space to counter the extant and emerging threat. With its mastery in exploiting the social media, IS succeeded in creating pockets of supporters and sympathisers throughout the Muslim world, including in Southeast Asia.
In addition to building greater capacities to monitor and counter the threat, the strategy of governments and their community partners should be to reach out to vulnerable segments of Muslim communities to prevent radicalisation and enhance detection.
Another first for Singapore. The first bank robbery since the passing of our great leader Sir Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. It is also the first by a Caucasian, and also a first by an Australian. And it it pretty coolly done too. No weapon used according to various reports. Just ask for the money or else he would do something, like pissing on the sofa, perhaps.
And guess what, he got away with only $30,000. What a stingy teller. From the news, seemed like the guy is well disguised glasses and/or hat or cap, and the Police do not seem to know how he looked like from the CCTV. He is probably a small guy, as the police were seen in the video busy looking for him in the rubbish bins of houses nearby.
I wonder if he had his boat ready. To do such a Italian Job (or shall we call Singaporean Job), this is first priority. Unless he had something else, like a big Drone that can fly him to JB or Batam.
Let's look at some news reports for reference and discussions:
In a statement on Thursday, police confirmed that a case of robbery had occurred along Holland Ave at 11.25am, but did not state which bank it was. They added that their investigations are ongoing.
According to reports from Shin Min Daily and Channel NewsAsia, here’s how it supposedly happened.
At around 11.25am 7 July 2016, a Caucasian male wearing a cap slipped a piece of paper demanding money at the StanChart branch in Holland Village.
No confirmation on whether he was armed.
He took off after the heist.
Now the police have launched an islandwide manhunt for the man.
No injuries have been reported.
This is supposedly Singapore’s first bank robbery in over a decade, the last one taking place in 2004.
Police are rather quiet on the case. The secrecy might be justified due to the supposed threat level of the case, and even the biggest source of news in Singapore found themselves in the dark at this wholly-unexpected turn of events.
The suspect is on the run after the robbery which took place at about 11.25am, the police added. TODAY understands that the robber slipped a note at the counter to a young bank teller, under 30, and escaped on foot towards Chip Bee Gardens. He is believed to have made off with about S$30,000.
When contacted, a StanChart spokesperson said all its employees and customers are safe. "The bank immediately filed a police report and is working closely with the police on the investigations," said the spokesperson. He noted that the customer and staff safety are the bank's "top priority" and "our branch staff are all well trained to react to such situations".
The Holland Village branch remained closed on Thursday for police investigation.
Police have cordoned off a large area in front of the bank. Eyewitnesses reported heavy police presence in the area around lunch time on Thursday.
According to a nearby shopkeeper, the police asked for camera footage that captured the bank’s entrance but the cafe did not have any. She said she did not hear anything out of the ordinary before the police arrived.
A business development executive, Mr Tan Chia Latt, 52, saw about 30 policemen walking around in the area in bulletproof vests. “When I saw them wearing bullet proof shirts, that means something is up,” he said.
According to a Mediacorp hotline caller who had been in Holland Village, the police had stopped him and asked if he had seen a male Caucasian wearing a cap.
Standard Chartered bank’s Holland Village branch was robbed on July 7 morning at about 11.25am, and according to Shin Min Daily News this was the note the robber handed to the bank teller before she quickly handed him $30,000.
From the various reports in the newspapers and social media, it is established that the suspect is is a tall, skinny, Ang Moh Australian who was wearing a grey hoodie and mustard-coloured pants. There were no security at the bank when the robbery occurred.
Since the robbery, most banks in the Holland Village area have beefed up their security. It is unclear why the banks in the area chose not to invest in good security before the robbery. It could be because of a false sense of security since bank robberies in Singapore are almost unheard off. Or it could be because of cost cutting measures.
The Business Times reported in March 2016 that Singapore banks are in for tough times in 2016. StanChart had said to the reporters at that time that it had provided for 0.7 time of bad loans, after including collateral value.
Mystery heist: how did robber steal US$22,000 from Singapore bank armed with nothing more than a piece of paper? (SCMP)
Singapore police said on Friday they are hunting a man who managed to steal more than US$22,000 from a bank using nothing but a piece of paper.
The suspect, described as Caucasian, strolled into a Standard Chartered branch in Holland Village, an expatriate enclave of the city, around lunchtime on Thursday and handed staff a note with his demands.
Minutes later, he walked out of the branch with S$30,000 (HK$172,500) in cash, a source close to the investigation said.
A police spokesman confirmed the robbery and said no weapon was used, but gave no details of the note’s contents.
One resident, who lives in the Chip Bee Gardens estate across the street, told The Straits Times that police visited his home with a picture of the suspect. He was described as Caucasian and dressed in a grey hoodie and mustard trousers.
In a statement later, a Standard Chartered Bank spokesman said that no employee or customer was injured in the incident.
The spokesman added that the bank has filed a police report and is assisting with investigations.
“We would like to highlight that the safety of our customers and staff are our top priority and our branch staff are all well trained to react in such situations,” the spokesman said.
Bank robberies are rare in Singapore, whose tough stance against crime and strict ban on private gun ownership have made it one of Asia’s safest cities.
The last attempt was in November 2008 when a man disguised himself as a woman threatened tellers with what he called a “bomb” in a paper bag. He was restrained by bank staff and arrested.
I think Singaporeans and commuters deserve a thorough independent investigation into why safety issues were not shared with the public and why the award for more trains are coming from the same "sub-standard" supplier. The transport minister should also let us know his views on the grave matter. Singaporeans may feel let down on the "perceived" covet operation. Does this also explains why the trains are noisier with rattling and squeaking sounds all over the place. If safety is a major concern, all the more the public should be made aware, so they can feedback any unusual sounds or observations they may encounter in their travel when the trains are in operation to the relevant SMRT officials for further investigation.
We are also beginning to understand why the previous Transport Ministers resigned or did not want to carry on. They probably knew of some things that we, the public, don't. In short, just simply too much shits around.
Why LTA must secretly send back those trains to China in the cover of darkness?
More than two dozen are in operation here and are barely five years old. They were made by China Southern Railway (CSR) Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company, which together with Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries, won the first contract to supply 22 six-car trains for the North-South and East-West lines in 2009.
According to reports by online news portal FactWire, some of the trains had windows shattering repeatedly, and in 2011, one of the trains’ Chinese-made uninterruptible power supply batteries exploded during repair.
FactWire said cracks were also found in structural components of trains, including the sub-floor – a compartment under the passenger floor holding the equipment box and electrical wires – and bolster function parts connecting the car body to the bogie, the latter having the most serious problems.
With 26 trains out of service (11% of total), MRT commuters might want to consider waking up a few hours earlier than usual or bunking in at the office to avoid being late for work as it sure as hell is going to be more crowded than ever.
Even China’s own railway operator condemns CSR Sifang
By: 永久浪客/Forever Vagabond
At the end of last year, the China Railway Corporation (CRC) (中国铁路总公司) held a company’s conference to discuss train safety issues. CRC observed that the trains which they are operating continue to be fault-prone.
Fault incidents continue unabated, posing threats to passenger safety. CRC concluded that the decline in quality of the manufactured trains from the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) (中国中车股份有限公司) is the main cause (http://companies.caixin.com/2016-03-22/100922969.html).
CRC is the national railway operator of China, under the regulation of the Ministry of Transport and the State Railways Administration. It operates rail commuter and freight transport services via several subsidiaries.
CRRC, on the other hand, is China’s state owned rolling stock manufacturer. It has some 190,000 employees and is the largest rolling stock manufacturer in China as well as in the world. One of its subsidiaries is none other than CSR Sifang, which has been contracted to build trains for SMRT. CRC blames CRRC
At the conference, CRC noted that the rail system experienced a total of 1,710 cases of train incidents in 2015. Of these, 210 cases were due to negligence during operations but 1,500 cases were due to malfunctions in trains.
The number of malfunctions in trains in 2015 increased steeply from 2014’s figure by 45%. CRC put the blame with regard to the rise in number of malfunction cases on falling quality standards of trains made by CRRC, China’s main train manufacturer.
The CRC’s management also said that its local offices should take some responsibility because they overlooked quality issues when making the train purchases and did not tell headquarters even after they discovered safety risks.
CRC has instructed its local offices to establish a proper system for checking the quality of trains, and that it plans to seek compensation from CRRC for “serious accidents” that are due to the poor quality of the manufactured trains.
CRC specifically mentions CSR Sifang, subsidiary of CRRC
At the conference, CRC felt that one of the reasons for the declining quality is because of the rush to deliver the new trains. Some of the CRRC’s factories, in the words of CRC, start to “not wash the carrots before selling them” (“萝卜快了不洗泥”).
A CRC staff disclosed to the media that during the 2nd quarter of 2015, a newly built CRH380A train from CSR Sifang’s factory had already encountered traction motor issues when it was en-route to be delivered to CRC. In the end it had to be towed back to the factory for repairs when it just came out of the line from the factory.
The most prominent problem of all happens on CRH1 trains from CSR Sifang. It has multiple problems with its bearings for years, which the staff said CSR Sifang did not fix. In 2015, 17 incidents were due to the bearing issues. In addition, problems like accessories breaking off, fire and break failures still occur frequently.
But CRC also acknowledged that its operating subsidiaries may have management irregularities too. For example, the operating units may not be strict in their supervision, hiding quality problems from top management and not meeting operating standards.
In the case of LTA buying C151A trains made by CSR Sifang, it’s not known how much time LTA spent on checking the quality of those trains. Rather than being defensive, perhaps LTA should send its CEO, RADM (NS) Chew Men Leong, to liase with CRC management so as to understand the kind of problems CRC is facing with CSR Sifang everyday.
The defence sounds awkward and desperate. It is void of logic and common sense. But this video also provided Amos with a serie of death threat, following this uncensored video below:
Death threats from comments in this video:
(Uncensored comments)
Peasham - 2 weeks ago
He ripped apart a book? BURN HIM TO DEATH
Gaith Elaiwi 1 week ago
fuck you I wish I can go there ill beat the shit out of your ass Motherfucker
blonde beauty2 weeks ago
This is to all the mother fucking racist people against Islam
You racist who talks shit about you have a place in hell you ripped the Quran of how dare you ???you even licked it and put your private part on it you have a castle out of fire in hell you fucker??? استغفر الله و أتوب اليه ...انت واحد حيوان قلت أدب ما تستحي على وجهك يا حمار I hope you die!!!
MAKAZEMI Vlogs 2 weeks ago
U SMELL LIKE SHIT AND UR GOD IS. A BAD PERSON TEACHS U TO DESTORY ISLAM IF U TAKE ISLAM IN UR HANDS OUR GOD CAN KILL U AND ISLAM IS THE FIRST RELIGON
zayn Malikvevo 1 week ago
ehat the fucks is wrong with this motherfucker although it is Ramadan I have to use this kind of language come to bradford me and my zquad will kill you. you son of a bitch
ali almuslim 2 weeks ago
may god kill you and burn you in hell
ShanGamer 212 weeks ago
IM SO DONE if I ever meet I'm going to beat the shit out of you cunt
Riaz Wilkins 2 weeks ago
if I see I will kill you
Zhar Rugrats 2 weeks ago
I would kill this stupid idiot but it is Ramadan
Daniel's 2 weeks ago
Cuba la datang malaysia
assam Shiyam 2 weeks ago
He is the reason for the terrorist attacks
HAZE 123 2 weeks ago
I know you live in Singapore I will find you Stupid B**ch
sasan lukman 2 weeks ago
you will die within a yaar
iTzSlayerzZ- 1 week ago
Fuck u who made this video u know Isis is coming for u
adnane el1 week ago
If someone chops your head you can't get them back you would be dead you are an idiot
Kamran Khalid 2 weeks ago
i will kill you
TYT slasher 2 weeks ago
I will kill you watch out
Shehr Yar 2 weeks ago
Burn in hell
Stopmotionkid 2 weeks ago
I will fuck your dead parents......
Bassam Shiyam 2 weeks ago
ISIS IS PROBABLY COMING FOR YOU
RioSkillz 2 weeks ago
5 MUSLIM BROS RECOGNIZES U ND U R DEAD.... REMEBER THT MUHAMMED ALI'S SON IS A MUSLIM AND IS STILL ALIVE
ThecallOfduty Killer 2 weeks ago
You mutherfucker you bastard I can kill you if you was in front of my face
During your first intercourse, were there people around you? Well, this man had his WHOLE family member by his side when he make love for the first time with his newlywed wife! Yeap, you heard me right, all the family members were there!
A family living in Woodlands New Town, Singapore has this “special” traditions passed down through generation, where they would witness their male family members’ first sex! The uncle of this man posted a picture of the process online and it went viral! The picture depicts an unexpected scene: a male and female lie on the bed, in the middle of intercourse!
“WHILE MOST PEOPLE MAY CONSIDER IT ODD, FOR OUR FAMILY THERE IS NOTHING MORE PROUD THAN CELEBRATING A SON, BROTHER OR NEPHEW HAVING SEX FOR THE FIRST TIME,”
“WE SEE IT AS THE LAST STEP ON THE LONG JOURNEY TO ADULTHOOD, AND IT’S ALSO A SPECIAL CHANCE TO WITNESS THE MOMENT THAT A NEW LIFE IS FORMED.”
The uncle explained that his family also witness his first intercourse with his wife. He said he’s glad that his family were there to give him guidance. Same happens to this newlywed couple, the mother and sister were sitting at the edge of the bed, seems to be giving some advice and encouragement.
“I FELT LESS NERVOUS HAVING MY FAMILY THERE TO ACCOMPANY ME, AND ALSO GIVE ME GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PROCEED. AT FIRST I HAD TROUBLE ENTERING MY GIRLFRIEND, BUT MY MOTHER SUGGESTED I TAKE THINGS MORE SLOWLY AND RELAX, AND I WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY SLIP IT IN.”
“I SNAPPED THE PHOTO RIGHT AT THE MOMENT BEFORE HE CAME, AND IT WAS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL SCENE.”
This photo grabs a lot of attention from the public. They commented under the post, saying that this is disgusting, weird, abnormal. However, there are also a few optimistic people, who says its interesting.
“It’s quite disgusting that such a private act must be witnessed by the man’s who family,”
“Sex is something that should be behind closed doors, without your parents and siblings observing.”
“I think it’s actually quite charming that the family supports their children so much during a pivotal moment in their development. It can’t hurt to have some extra advice when things are hard.”
Singaporean social media has been captivated by an unusual story concerning a family living in Woodlands New Town. A photo was posted by a member of the family earlier this week, and it has since gone viral, receiving thousands of comments from members of the public. The image depicts a unexpected scene: a male and a female lie in bed, in the middle of intercourse, while members of their family watch on. The intimate moment was captured by the man’s uncle, who revealed it was a family tradition that has been passed down through generations.
“While most people may consider it odd, for our family there is nothing more proud than celebrating a son, brother or nephew having sex for the first time,” wrote the uncle, in a post accompanying the explicit photo. “We see it as the last step on the long journey to adulthood, and it’s also a special chance to witness the moment that a new life is formed.” The uncle explained that he’d also had his family present to witness his first intercourse. “I felt less nervous having my family there to accompany me, and also give me guidance on how to proceed. At first I had trouble entering my girlfriend, but my mother suggested I take things more slowly and relax, and I was able to eventually slip it in.” The photograph also captures the man’s mother and sister, who were sitting on the edge of the bed to provide tips and encouragement. “I snapped the photo right at the moment before he came, and it was truly a beautiful scene.”
Feedback on social media has been divided over the family’s unusual tradition, with some Singaporean netizens labelling it as unnatural and obscene. “It’s quite disgusting that such a private act must be witnessed by the man’s who family,” wrote one commenter. “Sex is something that should be behind closed doors, without your parents and siblings observing.” Meanwhile, some users did have more positive thoughts on the practice. “I think it’s actually quite charming that the family supports their children so much during a pivotal moment in their development. It can’t hurt to have some extra advice when things are hard.”
In other Singapore-related news, a local man on a holiday in Hong Kong has received a lifetime ban from a popular Lan Kwai Fong nightlife venue. According to reports by HK media outlets, the Singaporean man was caught engaging in intercourse on the dance floor.
Here are the facts of this historical milestone case.
On May 12, a man was hospitalised at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital after developing a fever and rash. He had travelled to Sao Paulo, Brazil, between March 27 and May 7.
The 48-year old was tested positive for Zika virus on May 13, 2016.
NEA has advised residents in the Watten Estate area to monitor their health and seek medical attention if unwell, especially if they develop fever and rash.
Those who are unwell should also inform their doctors of the location of their residence.
The 48-year-old man, who became the first person to be diagnosed with the Zika virus in Singapore, has been discharged from hospital.
According to a joint statement by the Ministry of Health and National Environment Agency (NEA), the Permanent Resident was discharged from Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Tuesday (May 17) afternoon.
The statement added that the man, who lives in Watten Estate in Bukit Timah, tested negative for the Zika virus and that he will not transmit the virus even if he was bitten by the Aedes mosquito.
His family members have also not reported any symptoms of the virus.
Even LKY's daughter is getting sick and tired of the restriction imposed upon her when she was a writer in SPH. She finally blew up when they refused to publish her articles that she wrote about her father's request to demolish their iconic home. The truth is out on her Facebook posts. Enjoy listening to her words of wisdom from the horse's mouth.
Here is the list of the 10 worst MRT breakdowns on record in Singapore. The number of people affected is the key to the position of each breakdown in the list. Let's hope this is the last video on MRT Breakdowns, and not another new top ten listing in Youtube anytime soon.
More troubles ahead if you look at the future plan for all the MRT stations when completed in 2030. With such a complicated network of train track in a tiny island, you can expect more giant breakdowns in the coming years.
I saw the pictures circulating in the internet and realise that I know Wendy Lim and her husband. Ms Wendy Lim and her husband all actively supported MP David Ong in GE2015. Even if we forgive David Ong for the affair, we should not forgive him for wrecking a family.
MPs of both Workers’ Party (WP) and PAP (People’s Action Party) have had affairs in the past. WP’s Yaw Shin Leong allegedly had an affair with a married Chinese national who had assisted him with translation work, while Michael Palmer’s affair was with Ms Laura Ong, constituency director of Pasir Ris West Constituency Office. Both men had affairs with women who were single.
But David Ong had an affair with a married woman who is the mother of 3 children. He is a traitor who used his supporter’s trust to take advantage of his wife. I am not sure if the husband pleaded with David Ong to end his relationship with Wendy Lim and let his wife go, but it is not unbelievable that he did so before going to the media about the affair.
David Ong is a Christian and I am surprised that he can do this kind of despicable thing with a married woman with children. How can the PAP field such a heartless candidate?
David Ong is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. How are Singaporeans to trust any candidate the PAP fields in the future?
Here are 9 quick things we found out about the affair.
1) The woman in question is Wendy Lim.
2) Lim is a Group Sales Manager at a logistics firm and Deputy Honorary Treasurer at the Singapore Logistics Association.
3) She is also a member of the Bukit Batok PAP Women’s Wing and grassroots volunteer.
4) According to her LinkedIn profile, she attended Singapore Polytechnic (1993 – 1995) and Christchurch Secondary School (1989 – 1992). That should make her 41 years old this year.
5) She is an ex-SQ (Singapore Airlines) stewardess.
6) The affair is believed to have gone on for 6 months.
7) It was her husband who complained about it.
8) Lim had uploaded on Facebook various photos of grassroots events she attended with Ong including a photo with him and a placard of his caricature on nomination day at Keming Primary School.
David Ong’s Grassroots Work Began in the Late 1990s.
Although David Ong was first elected an MP for Jurong GRC (Bukit Batok) in GE2011 and then for Bukit Batok SMC in GE2015, his grassroots work went back to the late 1990s. We’re talking about over a decade of time and effort dedicated to making other people’s lives better.
He was active as a grassroot leader in Kreta Ayer. He was then chairman of the Citizens Consultative Committee in Jalan Besar GRC’s Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng ward.
Did you know he was part of the team who organised the annual River Hongbao Festival? He continued to involve himself in this when he became MP.
We understand that he was also involved in the Lantern Festival programme.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman, who used to work with Ong under the Jurong GRC, shared that Ong worked extremely hard for Bukit Batok.
“He’s a really hard-working MP. He spends four to five times a week in Bukit Batok – weekends, weekdays, nights.”
In the Bukit Batok ward, Ong introduced programmes to help needy families with groceries, provide job and healthcare support, and give a fresh start to individuals with repeated problems.
In Parliament, Ong had spoken up for the elderly in his speeches, ranging from issues on retirement age and Central Provident Fund (CPF) policy.
Residents Say He’s a Good MP.
The Straits Times also carried out interviews with the residents. Clerical worker Lim Soon Hiang, 59, said,
“I am not very concerned about his personal life. He is a very good MP and has helped my family a few times. I will still support him if he stays.”
Ong also helped another resident, Arul Raja, a manager at a heavy equipment manufacturing company, with his daughter’ school transport arrangement.
“She was sent to a school in Jurong and was carsick on the school bus every day. Mr Ong helped us (write a letter to appeal to a nearby school) and she was transferred to the school close to home after one month…
I have three other friends he has helped…”
Chinese evening daily, Wanbao, headlined this news today, and carried three full pages of reports and updates on the story. Here’s one part of it.
For the Chinese readers, the articles carried interviews with Bukit Batok residents and also grassroots volunteers who had worked with Ong before.
Most of the Bukit Batok residents that the media spoke to have very positive impression of Ong. Almost everyone talked about how friendly and helpful he was, and how often he could be seen visiting residents and the estates. Many said he was a very good and conscientious MP who did his best for the residents, and they were sad to see him go.
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Latest update is that Wendy has passed away, if the obituary is to be believed....from breast cancer.
Even though there are annual surpluses, we see the Admin is determined to raise the fee at their own whims and fancy to the detriment of the poor students.
