Monday, April 29, 2019

Yishun cleaner makes sacrifices for a better tomorrow, gets support for a better today - CNA

Yishun cleaner makes sacrifices for a better tomorrow, gets support for a better today - CNA

Yishun cleaner makes sacrifices for a better tomorrow, gets support for a better today

In the estate he cleans, Mohammed Hanif is not just any foreign worker but a friend, and even family. It has made a big difference to a young man with much to bear.

CNA Insider
In Yishun, town council cleaners like Hanif don't just keep the estate clean – they're family too. This is the story of one young man, his two families (in Bangladesh and Singapore) and a painful sacrifice.
(Updated: )

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SINGAPORE: He has visited their homes. He has joined in their festive celebrations, from Hari Raya to Deepavali to Chinese New Year. The cleaner from Bangladesh has even hosted barbecues for the Yishun residents whose estate he cleans.

They, too, have treated him to meals. They talk to him daily. A resident even helped to arrange for his wife's visa for a visit to Singapore. They have provided a home from home for their cleaner of 13 years.

It is here where Mohammed Hanif found a job that has given him more than he thought possible. It is where his baby was conceived. It is where he is not just any foreign worker but a friend of residents.

All the little efforts from the residents and from the Nee Soon Town Council have given the 35-year-old a better today, so that he can continue making sacrifices to give his family in Dhaka a better tomorrow.

A Yishun resident helping Mr Hanif with a trolley.
A resident helping Mr Hanif with a trolley.

"Sometimes I'd think of my family. But (when) I see residents, I can forget about everything in Bangladesh," he said.

CNA Insider's video of Mr Hanif's Yishun family and his family back home has been viewed 330,000 times on Facebook and YouTube. And viewers have responded with words of encouragement for him and other estate cleaners.

"They deserve our respect. Truly, these cleaners are very hardworking," Ms June Ho posted on Facebook. "So … a smile, a wave, a hello, how are you (or) thank you to them goes a long way."

Ms Sue Samm commented on YouTube: "Let's appreciate the hard work and kindness of these cleaners by being courteous (and) humble."

Watch: This Yishun cleaner and his two families (8:06)

Not too long ago, however, Mr Hanif's stay in Singapore could have been cut short if not for a small intervention, one of several that have made his life what it is today.

FROM DHAKA TO NEE SOON

He was 22 when he found himself at the crossroads that brought him to Singapore.

The eldest of six children was midway through his degree in social work when he saw that it was getting "very difficult" for his father to support the family.

Nee Soon town council cleaner Mohammed Hanif with his father in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Mr Hanif with his father.

The father has had a tea shop since Hanif was born, but its income of S$200 to S$300-plus a month was no longer enough as the children climbed the educational ladder.

"Actually, I (wanted to) study more," admitted Mr Hanif. "(But) by coming to Singapore, I could get a good salary, then all my brothers and sisters could study."

After working here for about two years, his manager asked him to become a supervisor, to his consternation.

"I said (being a) supervisor, actually, is something (of a) headache. You can choose another person. I'm sorry, I don't want it," he recalled.

Nee Soon town council cleaner Mohammed Hanif works 10 to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

His manager returned the next day to say he had to step up because of his educational level. Mr Hanif was "not happy", worried that it would be "too much" to handle. The extra income was far from his mind.

"If I can take care of my job (and) everything, then I can be happy. Now as a supervisor, I have money … but if I can't control everything, it won't be good," he reasoned.

But he grew to love his job. As a supervisor, he mainly goes around to check on his colleagues, with fellow cleaner Yousuf, 31, attesting that Mr Hanif "never gets angry" with them.

When work gets heavy going, he pitches in as much as he can, whether at the apartment blocks, the car parks or the bin centre. And he works 10 to 12 hours a day, every day.

As a supervisor, Nee Soon town council cleaner Mohammed Hanif was also given a different uniform.
As a supervisor, Mr Hanif was also given a different uniform.

"We can choose to have a day off every week, but my salary would be (less), hence I choose to work," he explained.

The best part of his job has been the residents, who can be seen greeting him, and vice versa, as he goes about the estate.

"It makes me very happy to talk to them. That's why I'm so happy working here," he professed — though when he first arrived here, trying to understand them was a "headache" because "my country's English and Singaporean English (are) different."

Language is just one of the barriers that have since broken down, with Mr Hanif having picked up Malay too.

Language is one of the barriers that have broken down, with Mr Hanif having picked up Malay too.

He has even given up cycling block to block to inspect the cleaning, as he kept having to stop for conversations with residents.

"I'd also (put my) hand up (to wave hello). Sometimes I might brake, and controlling (the bicycle) was very difficult," he said wryly.

Residents whose blocks were once under his watch miss him, for his work and his company. "Too bad he relocated to other blocks. The newer (cleaners) aren't as good as him," said Facebook user Koh Gek Fong.

Resident R G Shameer commented: "I was so lucky to have him. He'd always laugh and talk to my family. Also, one Hari Raya, we invited him to eat with us on the first day."

Nee Soon town council cleaner Mohammed Hanif has visited a number of residents' homes.
Mr Hanif has visited a number of residents' homes.

FROM GROOM TO FATHER

Two years ago, when Mr Hanif entered into an arranged marriage, Yishun residents were excited for him. "Many aunties and residents asked me, 'Hanif, I want to see your wife,'" he recounted.

With the help of a resident for the visa application, that became a reality when she came for two months last year, putting up in the spare room of a Singaporean household who were originally from Bangladesh.

Her husband put on a barbecue for over 100 residents to introduce her. "All the people (came) together to eat … I was very happy," he said. "My wife was also very happy. She (still) says, 'Oh, that day.'"

A barbecue to remember for Nee Soon town council cleaner Mohammed Hanif and his wife.
A barbecue to remember for Mr Hanif and his wife.

Before she returned home, they learnt that she was pregnant. On March 8, baby Al-Amin arrived, two weeks before he was due. Mr Hanif's joy was dampened only by the fact that he could not make it back in time.

But the good news was that he was given a week of unpaid leave, on top of his seven days of annual leave, to spend more time with his newborn.

And to celebrate his entry into fatherhood, a couple in their 50s invited him, together with other residents, to a home-cooked lunch. "We're happy for him," said Mr Sandara Segaran, 58. "He's also one of us."

All smiles as he showed them photos of his baby, Mr Hanif was overcome by a different emotion a few days later in Dhaka, with CNA Insider accompanying him. "I think I'll cry," he said just before the ride home.

A slightly embarrassed Mohammed Hanif, before emotions take over the Nee Soon town council cleaner.
A slightly embarrassed Mr Hanif, before his emotions take over.

There have been ups in his 13-year journey, but at the same time, it has not been easy for him or his family.

The first time he went home was after 10 years, and two years had passed since the last family reunion. And it showed when his mother fell into his embrace.

"My son, where have you been all this while? I have cried and cried for you," said an emotional Monwra Bagom. "I wanted to see you with my own eyes."

His wife, Lutfunnahar Tania, has also struggled without him, relying on her mother and mother-in-law during her pregnancy and after childbirth.

Ms Lutfunnahar Tania (right), with her mother-in-law and two of Mr Mohammed Hanif's brothers.
Ms Lutfunnahar Tania (right), with her mother-in-law and two of Mr Hanif's brothers.

"I miss his presence," said the 23-year-old. "Obviously, I feel sad for my son, that he'll be deprived of his dad's love and affection."

For the duration of his return, however, there was only happiness, not least when he set eyes on Al-Amin, lay down beside his baby and planted a kiss on his forehead. "He's so tiny," he whispered. "He looks bigger on my phone screen."

His son's name means "honest", so Mr Hanif hopes that, "like his name, he'll become an honest man".

Asked how he felt, knowing that his son may not see him for a long time, he replied: "We're poor people, and to survive, we have to make these kinds of sacrifices.

"For the sake of our brighter future, we've accepted our life to be as such."

Nee Soon town council cleaner Mohammed Hanif kissing his newborn son Al-Amin.

A TREASURED WORKER

There was another question that CNA Insider had asked him, several times in Singapore: About the challenges he faces in his job. Each time, he smiled and said all was okay.

But one of his brothers disclosed that he has mentioned over the phone that he often "doesn't even have time to eat". Mr Halim, the second eldest, added: "He can't even rest well due to work pressure."

One of the most stressful times, however, came when Mr Hanif thought he might have to go home, out of a job, because there was a change in the cleaning company for the town council.

Hanif gave up cycling block to block for inspections, as he kept having to stop to talk to residents

He is thankful that Member of Parliament (Nee Soon GRC) Louis Ng helped him to stay on and switch to the new company. To the MP, it was a move that only made sense.

"We wanted to retain cleaners who'd worked hard in Nee Soon East for quite some time already and who'd become a part of our family. They were familiar with the ins and outs of Nee Soon East and could help mentor the new cleaners," explained Mr Ng.

"The longer we can retain our cleaners, the better it would be for our residents. And if they feel more appreciated, they'd work better. It would benefit not only our cleaners but also residents."

That is one of the reasons he asked in Parliament last month whether the Foreign Construction Worker Directory system, which facilitates job matching between employers and foreign workers, could be expanded from the construction industry to the cleaning sector.

MP (Nee Soon GRC) Louis Ng in Parliament. (File photo)
MP (Nee Soon GRC) Louis Ng in Parliament. (File photo)

"A lot of the contracts are two years. So a lot of these cleaners who come to Singapore to work and gain their experience, sometimes, go back within the two years," he had said.

"I think it'll benefit both the cleaners and the companies to hire the skilled workers."

In reply, Minister of State (Manpower) Zaqy Mohamad said that if the industry association in the cleaning sector was prepared to set up such a database, his ministry could "take a look".

"We've facilitated some of these (changes between employers) to ensure that cleaning service isn't disrupted. That's something we're prepared to do, but not as a broad-based policy, nationwide."

Minister of State (National Development and Manpower) Zaqy Mohamad speaking in Parliament last month
Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad speaking in Parliament last month.

As for Mr Hanif's current employer, the company is in no doubt as to his worth, hence the decision to allow his leave extension recently.

"He's responsible, he has done a good job and we treasure his efforts. (Extending his leave) is an incentive for him," said Lian Cheng Contracting managing director Cher Peng Ho, 69.

"We consider the welfare of our foreign workers. They come to Singapore and do a great job. … Without the help of these Bangladeshis, our estates would be affected."

Mr Ng agrees and believes that "we can and we should do a lot more for our cleaners".

"That's why, here in Yishun, we take them out every quarter for outings — to see a sight of Singapore they seldom get to see and … to give them a chance to rest, relax and to bond with Singaporeans as well."

MP (Nee Soon GRC) Louis Ng said: "It has been our privilege to have Hanif as a cleaner."
Mr Ng also said: "It has been our privilege to have Hanif as a cleaner."

HEARTACHE, BUT PUSHING ON

The most grateful of all to Mr Hanif, however, are his family members. Thanks to him, his brother Harun has completed a diploma in electrical engineering, while his youngest brother Hasan is studying for an honours degree.

"(He's) a very good human being and … I thank God a thousand times for letting me have a brother like him," said Mr Harun. "All he wanted was to get us educated, so that we can hold our heads high."

Their eldest brother was the apple of their mother's eye, she admitted, so it was "painful" to send him away at first. "I said, 'You shouldn't go, as I'll miss you, and I don't need that much money,'" she recalled.

Monwra Bagom says it was
Mdm Monwra Bagom.

But without his salary of S$1,600 a month, their growing family would have to rely only on his father, who is now 70 years old.

The younger brothers have been unable to find jobs in Bangladesh, and Mr Hanif, who took care of one sister's wedding expenses, may now have his other sister's wedding in his hands.

It all means that he must stay in Singapore for another three to five years, if he is to move his family from their rented place to their own home.

For now, his wife can only imagine "how amazing" it would be "if he could come back". "However, reality is very tough, so he has to work hard abroad for us. I've compromised and accepted this," added Ms Tania.

Nee Soon town council cleaner Mohammed Hanif spending precious time with his wife and son in Dhaka.
Precious moments.

When asked what he has given up to work in Singapore, Mr Hanif said: "(It's) one person's problem, but never mind. (For) my family … life (will be) good for sure (and) I'll be very happy."

He could not disguise his feelings, however, after his leave ended and he was back in Yishun. "My heart is very pained. (But) after I work for a few days, I can adjust," he said on the second day.

Residents were there for him as a barbecue hosted by the cleaners and co-ordinated by the town council brought them together again.

He was back to sharing photos of his son, the conversations and laughter that keep him going in Singapore, and on this special occasion, there were ang pows for him too.

The words of Mr Sandara echoed once again: "He's also one of us."

Nee Soon town council cleaner Mohammed Hanif taking food for a resident at the barbecue.
Mr Hanif taking food for a resident.


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Thursday, April 25, 2019

Apple announces recall of some wall plug adapters over ‘electrical shock’ risk - CNA

Apple announces recall of some wall plug adapters over 'electrical shock' risk - CNA

Apple announces recall of some wall plug adapters over 'electrical shock' risk

Singapore

Money-changing goes high-tech with an ATM in the heartlands

FX Buddy money-changing ATM
Co-founder Mr Samuel Chan with the FX Buddy money changer ATM (Photo: Aaron Chong)
(Updated: )

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SINGAPORE: Tasked to go on a last-minute overseas trip, former bank executive Andy Tang tried to find a money changer that was open and near his home late at night, but was unable to do so.

While he could always buy his foreign notes at the money changers at Changi Airport, he knew that the rates would not be favourable.

Soon, an idea was born.

Today, the 38-year-old and his partner Mr Samuel Chan, a money changer who still runs his own brick-and-mortar establishment, are the co-founders of the FX Buddy foreign exchange automated teller machine (ATM) in Singapore.

"It dawned on us that we could create some value by creating a (money-changing) machine that reduces rental and labour costs," said Mr Tang in an interview with CNA.

"When we added this all up together, we found that it could really create value for us as a company and for our customers as well," said Mr Tang.

REACHING OUT TO THE HEARTLANDS

Launched on Friday (Apr 19), the FX Buddy money changer ATM is located outside Heartland Mall in Kovan.

It was a conscious decision by the company to set up the ATM in the heartlands "to cater to the people, so that they would not have to travel to the CBD to get the best (foreign exchange) rates", said Mr Tang.

Mr Tang and Mr Chan added that they are keen to expand their operations to other neighbourhoods "as soon as possible", and further down the pipeline, may also consider setting up some ATMs at the airport .

The two-way machine, which currently serves an average of 10 customers daily, is the first of its kind in Singapore, allowing customers to both buy and sell foreign currencies.

Some hotels in Singapore also have automated foreign exchange machines, but those currently only allow customers to exchange foreign currencies into Singapore dollars.

The FX Buddy allows customers to change their Singapore dollars into 10 currencies, comprising the Indonesian rupiah, Chinese yuan, Thai baht, Malaysian ringgit, Hong Kong dollar, Japanese yen, Australian dollar, British pound, euro and US dollar.

Similarly, they can also convert seven foreign currencies - Chinese yuan, Malaysian ringgit, Hong Kong dollar, Australian dollar, British pound, euro and US dollar - into Singapore dollars.

"These are the most popular countries to travel to among the heartlanders," said Mr Chan.

Payment can be done with cash and PayNow. NETS payment will be available later next week.

The service is only open to Singaporean citizens and permanent residents, who will have to scan their identification cards at the ATM.

Mr Tang said FX Buddy uses inter-bank rates as a benchmark, with the rates changing on a daily basis. He added that they will are updated via a back-end server.

CHALLENGES AND REJECTION

The creation of FX Buddy took more than two years to come to fruition.

"The initial stage was very difficult. We had to go to different locations and suppliers. We had to go overseas to search for it. Each time we went somewhere, they (suppliers) would say: 'You are just ordering one machine?' And they would reject us altogether," said Mr Tang.

"We eventually managed to find a supplier who was very accommodating. We told them our specifications, what we wanted in our machine and they built it," he added.

Mr Tang, however, declined to say where the machine originated from.

Licensing and regulatory approval was a challenge as well, with the proposal for FX Buddy having to go through "at least three iterations" before the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) granted it a money-changing licence.

"Currently the banks do not have this machine. So to the MAS, this is a very new product," said Mr Chan. "However, (FX Buddy) really ties in with the nation's drive towards automation."

FRIENDLY COMPETITION

Mr Siraj Ahmed, who runs AJS Foreign Exchange - the only money changer at Heartlands Mall - said that he is unperturbed by the launch of FX Buddy.

The 55-year-old added that he is confident of providing better rates and prides the business on being in operation at the shopping mall for more than 11 years.

"Customers still prefer (transacting) face-to-face. We have old customers also," said Mr Ahmed. "We welcome competition and they (FX Buddy) are part of our smart nation (initiative). They are (open) 24 hours, while we close at 9pm. They provide convenience to people around here."



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Wednesday, April 24, 2019

CCTV footage shows bomber calmly entering Sri Lanka church - CNA

CCTV footage shows bomber calmly entering Sri Lanka church - CNA

CCTV footage shows bomber calmly entering Sri Lanka church

Asia
A still taken from Sri Lankan closed-circuit TV shows a suspected suicide bomber wearing a backpack
A still taken from Sri Lankan closed-circuit TV shows a suspected suicide bomber wearing a backpack on his way to St Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, where dozens were killed. (Photo: AFP/Handout)
(Updated: )

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NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka: Chilling CCTV footage has emerged showing a suicide bomber calmly patting a child on the head and shoulder moments before he walked into a packed Sri Lankan church, unleashing carnage.

The images capture the final seconds of serenity before the calm was shattered with a series of coordinated attacks that would between them claim more than 350 lives at six sites across Sri Lanka.

Security camera footage from outside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo shows a bearded man in a light blue shirt, navy trousers and sandals appear on a pathway and cross a courtyard outside the church.

As he approaches his target, he passes a young girl and briefly pats her head and shoulder, with the young girl glancing up at him as he continues on towards the church.

The girl is the granddaughter of Dilip Fernando. The 66-year-old retiree had come to St Sebastian's for Mass, but seeing how crowded it was, decided to try and find a service elsewhere.

That decision probably saved their lives. Some of his family, including his granddaughter, stayed but were outside the church and survived.

READ: Family's near miss at bombed Sri Lanka church

Inside, the service was drawing to an end and the hundreds who crammed in to celebrate Easter Mass were preparing to leave.

Those who could not find a seat in the packed church had gathered outside to listen, some holding children in their arms.

Captured from another camera, the suspect can be seen leaning forward while walking, the straps of his backpack fastened across his waist and chest, indicating the weight of the deadly load.

READ: Singapore-based British mum and her two children among those killed in Sri Lanka blasts

Those gathered outside the church scarcely give him a second glance, while inside, the pews are packed with worshippers, young children fidgeting and ceiling fans whirling against the heat.

The suspect walks past two open doors connecting the church to the covered passageway outside, and enters the church through the third.

He takes a few steps towards the central aisle and the altar.

Then the footage stops.

The bomb he detonated ripped through the church, killing dozens in what is believed to be the deadliest attack in Sunday's carnage.

READ: For Sri Lanka grave digger, a grim parade

Fernando's extended family, who were sitting outside the church, said they had seen the bomber.

"At the end of the mass they saw one young man go into the church with a heavy bag," Fernando said.

"He touched my granddaughter's head on the way past. It was the bomber."



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