Sunday, January 29, 2017

Donald Trump refugee ban causes chaos, panic, anger worldwide, United States News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Donald Trump refugee ban causes chaos, panic, anger worldwide, United States News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Donald Trump refugee ban causes chaos, panic, anger worldwide

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (REUTERS) – President Donald Trump's order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States sparked confusion and anger on Saturday (Jan 28) after immigrants and refugees were kept off flights and left stranded in airports.

In his most sweeping decision since taking office a week ago, Trump, a Republican, put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travellers from Syria and six other countries.

Civil rights and faith groups, activists and Democratic politicians were furious and vowed to fight the order.

Capping a day of confusion and chaos and protests in several airports across the country, a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, granted a temporary reprieve. 

The American Civil Liberties Union successfully argued for a temporary stay that allowed detained travellers to stay in the United States.

Supporters outside the Brooklyn courtroom and at protests at airports in Dallas, Chicago, New York and elsewhere cheered the decision, but a bigger fight lay ahead.

The court action does not reverse Trump's order, which was criticised by some of America's closest allies.

Trump, a businessman who successfully tapped into American fears about terror attacks during his campaign, had promised what he called "extreme vetting" of immigrants and refugees from areas the White House said the US Congress deemed to be high risk.

He told reporters in the White House's Oval Office on Saturday that his order was "not a Muslim ban" and said the measures were long overdue. "It's working out very nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over," Trump said.

Along with Syria, the ban affects travellers with passports from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement late on Saturday it would "comply with judicial orders" but that Trump's executive order remains in place.

Earlier, it said about 375 travellers had been affected by the order, 109 of whom were in transit and were denied entry to the United States. Another 173 were stopped by airlines before boarding.

The new rules blindsided people in transit and families waiting for them, and caused havoc for businesses with employees holding passports from the targeted nations and colleges with international students.

Pegah Rahmani, 25, waited at Washington's Dulles airport for several hours for her grandparents, both Iranian citizens with US green cards. "They weren't treating them very well," she said.

Rahmani's grandfather is 88 and legally blind. Her grandmother is 83 and recently had a stroke. They were released to loud cheers and cries.

'TIP OF THE SPEAR' 

Several Democratic governors said they were examining whether they could launch legal challenges, and other groups eyed a constitutional challenge claiming religious discrimination. 

"I don't think anyone is going to take this lying down,"said Cleveland immigration lawyer David Leopold. "This is the tip of the spear and more litigation is coming." 

The White House did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Senior officials at the US Department of Homeland Security told reporters the government would implement any appropriate orders.

However, Mark Krikorian, the director of the conservative Centre for Immigration Studies, called such lawsuits "last ditch efforts" that would only apply to a few individuals, and he said a broader constitutional argument would be hard to win. 

"The first amendment doesn't apply to foreigners living abroad. The law explicitly says the president can exclude any person or class of people he wants," Krikorian said.

Some leaders from the US technology industry, a major employer of foreign workers, issued warnings to their staff and called the order immoral and un-American. "This ban will impact many innocent people," said Travis Kalanick, chief executive of Uber Technologies, who said he would raise the issue at a White House meeting on Friday.

Arab travellers in the Middle East and North Africa said the order was humiliating and discriminatory. Iran vowed to retaliate.
Sudan called the action "very unfortunate" after Washington lifted sanctions on the country just weeks ago for cooperation on combating terrorism. A Yemeni official expressed dismay at the ban.

Iraq's former ambassador to the United States, Lukman Faily, told Reuters that Trump's ban was unfair to a country that itself has been a victim of terror attacks, and could backfire. 

"We have a strong partnership with US, more so in the urgent fight against terrorism. This ban move will not help, and people will start questioning the bond of this partnership, Faily said.

Allies in the United Kingdom, France and Germany were critical. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted a photo of himself welcoming Syrian refugees.

GREEN CARD CONFUSION 

Confusion abounded at airports as immigration and customs officials struggled to interpret the new rules. Some legal residents with green cards who were in the air when the order was issued were detained at airports upon arrival.

However, senior administration officials said it would have been "reckless" to broadcast details of the order in advance.

Other officials said green card holders from the affected countries would require extra screening and would be cleared on a case-by-case basis.

Airlines were blindsided and some cabin crew were barred from entering the country.

Travellers were handled differently at different points of entry and immigration lawyers advised clients to change their destination to the more lenient airports, said Houston immigration lawyer Mana Yegani.

At Chicago O'Hare International Airport, brothers Bardia and Ayden Noohi waited for four hours for their father Kasra Noohi - who has an Iranian passport and a US  green card – to be allowed through.

They knew Trump had pledged tougher rules but did not expect the problems. "I didn't think he'd actually do it," Bardia Noohi, 32, said. "A lot of politicians just talk." 

Thousands of refugees seeking entry were thrown into limbo. Melanie Nezer of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society said she knew of roughly 2,000 who were booked to come to the United States next week.

Trump's order indefinitely bans refugees from Syria. In a television interview, he said he would seek to prioritise Christian refugees fleeing the war-torn country.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were not consulted on the action and in some cases only learned the details as they were made public.

At the State Department, a senior official said lawyers were working to interpret the executive order, which allows entry to people affected by the order when it is in the "national interest." However, a federal law enforcement official said: "It's unclear at this point what the threshold of national interest is." 

Meanwhile. a group of state attorneys general said they are discussing whether to file their own court challenge against Trump's order.  Officials in the offices of attorneys general in Pennsylvania, Washington and Hawaii said on Saturday they were evaluating what specific claims could be filed, and in which court.



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Friday, January 27, 2017

Globalisation versus America First is a false choice, Opinion News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Globalisation versus America First is a false choice, Opinion News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Globalisation versus America First is a false choice

Last Wednesday in Davos, after the 11am speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the conversations over lunch and dinner among the CEOs, politicians, journalists and professors were full of sheer ecstasy. In the past years at the annual meetings of the World Economic Forum (WEF), only heads of state from developing countries and business attendees talked positively about China, driven by aid from China or the size of the Chinese market.

Many attendees from politics, media and academia tended to be outright negative about China, arguing either that its economic growth is based on some incomprehensible formula, therefore its economy is bound to explode sooner or later, or that the authoritarian political system is evil regardless of economic development. At best, China received reluctant acceptance, due to the 700 million people it has lifted out of poverty.

This year is different. Last week, China solicited excitement and enthusiasm in Davos. Mr Xi's speech has seemingly won the hearts of all, from Western heads of state to hard-nosed journalists and intellectuals.

The global - still largely Western - elites who attended the annual mountain retreat this year have found their man. The head of the 80 million-strong Chinese Communist Party, and world's second-largest economy, turns out to be a bold champion of economic globalisation and delivered his hour-long speech with substance, wisdom, maturity, humour, forcefulness and confidence.

Mr Donald Trump's America First is not a surprise but the contrast between his stand and Mr Xi Jinping's economic globalisation, which the latter repeated 24 times in his Davos speech, is stark and bittersweet to Western elites. Still, questions rema
Mr Donald Trump's America First is not a surprise but the contrast between his stand and Mr Xi Jinping's economic globalisation, which the latter repeated 24 times in his Davos speech, is stark and bittersweet to Western elites. Still, questions remain, says the writer. PHOTOS: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

A Nobel economics laureate - who I managed to sit next to over dinner - flew in late that day and missed Mr Xi's speech. He asked the table whether Mr Xi quoted more Deng Xiaoping or Chairman Mao.

Thoughtfully designed connectivity and serving national interests first are the necessary twin foundations for an effective world order. One without the other is bound to destabilise the world.
Specifically, we should acknowledge that selectively and temporarily putting in place valves that would moderate the flows of goods, people, capital, technology and ideas, is not by definition morally indefensible. They are actually badly needed.

When he was told that neither was featured and that Mr Xi instead quoted Charles Dickens and Abraham Lincoln, he paused eating, looked far away and visibly tried hard to process this unusual piece of information. The villain in this disaster movie, which the world has been watching for the past 12 months with major plots such as Brexit and Mr Donald Trump's electoral victory, turned out to be the potential saviour.

Mr Xi is the new "Davos Man".

AMERICA FIRST AND CHINA DREAM

Two days later on Friday, Mr Trump's inaugural speech as United States President caused a schizophrenic reaction in Davos.

In spite of the natural curiosity about what outrageous things the disrupter-in-chief had to say this time, many Davos attendees showed contempt, claimed they were too busy or refused to watch the event on ideological grounds, and then quietly retreated to their hotel rooms to watch it, causing long lines at the WEF shuttle hub at the Congress Centre that afternoon.

Mr Trump's America First is no surprise to anyone, but the contrast between his America First and Mr Xi's economic globalisation, which the latter repeated 24 times in his speech, is stark and bittersweet to the Western elites.

Still, questions remain.

Is it really that outrageous for a president of a country, who is elected by the people of that country - and not by people from other countries to presumably represent their collective interests - to proclaim that he wants to put his country's best interests first?

What about the China Dream which Mr Xi coined six years ago - does that not sound a lot like "China First"? Would the seemingly opposing visions of the world of Xi and Trump clash in a future zero-sum conflict? Are the benefits of "economic globalisation" Mr Xi convincingly articulated in Davos last week absolutely irreconcilable with Mr Trump putting his country's national interests first?

POROUS BORDERS

Globalisation is a sufficiently and unnecessarily vague word to describe what has been going on over the past decades. The essence of globalisation is increased connectivity, that is, greater flows of goods, capital, technology, people and ideas. In a globalised world, two nations may be linked through multiple layers of borders, each governing the flow of an item.

A country may decide to let its border for people be watertight but the border for goods be porous. The porousness of a specific border is usually formulated using various speed bumps and valves a country chooses to design, negotiate and install. A country puts in place such speed bumps and valves with its national interests in mind.

The concept of unfettered globalisation, hinting that a country has to either espouse or reject connectivity, is therefore a total misnomer. The real question is not whether, but how, a country should install such valves and formulate these borders.

Thoughtfully designed connectivity includes putting national interests first, with speed bumps and valves to achieve it.

The choice framed between globalisation and protectionism is a false choice. A binary referendum designed to decide between "Leave" and "Remain" is the most ill-conceived way to handle the multi-border connectivity between one country and others.

Thoughtfully designed connectivity and serving national interests first are the necessary twin foundations for an effective world order. One without the other is bound to destabilise the world.

Specifically, we should acknowledge that selectively and temporarily putting in place valves that would moderate the flows of goods, people, capital, technology and ideas, is not by definition morally indefensible. They are actually badly needed.

What China has been practising since 1978, under the banner of "reform and openness", a phrase which appears in every policy proclamation from Beijing, is determined but also selective and gradual increase of connectivity with the rest of the world. China installs valves periodically if it determines this is in the best interests of the Chinese people and if it is able to negotiate these with other countries through a spirit of give and take.

If Mr Trump's America First is implemented with the same level of thoughtfulness and pragmatism, both America and the rest of the world would win.

Which valves are most needed for which borders at what particular time and how porous a particular layer of border should be - these are things that a country needs to first decide, and then seek agreement with others, especially those affected by such valves.

When we look at the flow of people, maybe that's why the refugee crisis in Europe needs a set of pragmatic solutions which may differ from country to country, rather than moral and ethical deliberation based on so-called universal values.

When we look at the flow of capital, maybe that's why the International Monetary Fund has modified its position and now endorses selective interventions by the central banks to stabilise their currencies.

When we look at the flow of information, maybe there are actually good reasons for China to shut down Facebook and Twitter for the time being, and for Singapore to exercise limited control over the media, even if such practices run contrary to the Western idea of press freedom and unfettered flow of information.

Unfettered globalisation and flow of goods, with its simplistic premise and unintended consequences, could cause havoc to communities, such as many in middle America.

When these "losers" are left behind, it could make the world worse off, even for the "winners".

• Kevin Lu is a partner and chairman of Asia at Partners Group, a Swiss private equity firm. He is also a distinguished fellow at Insead.



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8 phrases to impress relatives with this Chinese New Year, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

8 phrases to impress relatives with this Chinese New Year, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

8 phrases to impress relatives with this Chinese New Year

SINGAPORE - New clothes? Check. Oranges? Check. Prosperous phrases for the new year? Probably only Gong Xi Fa Cai (恭喜发财). 

Fret not. Journalist Alyssa Woo shares eight phrases to utter  to impress your relatives. 

For the elderly, use fu shou shuang quan (福寿双全), a phrase that wishes them longevity and blessings in the new year. 

For younger relatives, wishing them jin bang ti ming (金榜题名) may help them do well in their examinations.



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Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Sunday, January 22, 2017

First Singapore satellite launched from the International Space Station, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

First Singapore satellite launched from the International Space Station, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

First Singapore satellite launched from the International Space Station

SINGAPORE - The first Singapore satellite launched from the International Space Station took place successfully on Monday (Jan 16) evening.

Called AOBA VELOX-III, it is a joint project between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Japan's Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech).

It will be conducting tests to evaluate the durability of commercial off-the-shelf microprocessors in space while orbiting at 400km above sea level.

These include testing a micro-propulsion system, consumer-grade electronic components and a wireless communication system.

The 2kg nano-satellite has micro-thrusters which will enable it to remain in space for six months - twice as long as it usually would.

Instead of being launched from a rocket, the satellite was shot into orbit around earth by a Japanese astronaut at the station using a special launcher.

It is the 7th satellite that NTU has launched. The university's last two satellites were launched in December 2015.

"Building up the local satellite talent pool and developing disruptive technologies like the micro-thruster in the AOBA VELOX-III is important for Singapore's budding space industry," said Mr Lim Wee Seng, director of the NTU Satellite Research Centre.

"Riding on the success of the AOBA VELOX III, we are now developing our second joint satellite with Kyutech which could lead to small and manoeuvrable satellites being used as space probes in future," he added.

Professor Mengu Cho, Director of Kyutech's Laboratory of Spacecraft Environment Interaction Engineering, said, "We are looking forward to another joint satellite that is under development and scheduled to be launched in 2018. The long-term goal of the Kyutech-NTU joint space programme is to do a lunar mission using the technologies demonstrated by these two satellites."



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Friday, January 20, 2017

Protests, police, performances: 10 things about the Jan 20 inauguration of President Donald Trump, United States News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Protests, police, performances: 10 things about the Jan 20 inauguration of President Donald Trump, United States News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Protests, police, performances: 10 things about the Jan 20 inauguration of President Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States of America will be sworn in on Friday (Jan 20) during the inauguration ceremony, held at the US Capitol in Washington.

Mr Donald Trump, billionaire real estate tycoon and executive producer of reality TV show The Apprentice, will succeed President Barack Obama in the White House, in the 58th inauguration ceremony in the country's history.

Here are 10 things to know about the event:

1. The weekend

The President-elect and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will be at Arlington National Cemetery the day before the swearing-in, for a wreath-laying ceremony to honour the country's military veterans.

They will also appear at the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebrations at the Lincoln Memorial. The concert signals the official start of inauguration events.

On Jan 20, they will attend the swearing-in ceremony, followed by an Inaugural Parade heading down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.

President Trump and First Lady Melania will then attend three official inaugural balls, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre and National Building Museum.

Inauguration weekend comes to a close with an interfaith National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral the next day, as the Trump Administration opens for business.

2. The slogan

During the campaign, Mr Trump's slogan was "Make America Great Again", which he often hashtags as #MAGA in his social media posts.

For the inauguration, it has been jazzed up with an exclamation mark - "Make America Great Again!" - to capture the festive and celebratory mood.

3. The transfer of power

Mr Trump will take the oath of office at noon on Friday, after which he officially becomes Commander-in-Chief. Even if the ceremony falls behind schedule and he has not recited the words at noon, Mr Trump will still already become President as of that moment.

The swearing-in ceremonies are traditionally always held on Jan 20. If it falls on a Sunday, it will be held privately, before a public event takes place the next day. The last time this happened was with President Obama in 2013.

4. The oath of office

With one hand on the bible and the utterance of 35 words - longer than Twitter's 140-character limit that he is used to - Mr Donald Trump will enter the highest office in the land and assume all the powers that come with it.

The oath is as follows: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

In 2009, President Obama retook the oath in the map room of the White House the day after the inauguration, out of "an abundance of caution" after Chief Justice John Roberts jumbled the sequence of the words while administering it.

5. The attendees

An estimated 800,000 people are expected to descend upon the National Mall.

A specially built 10,000 sq ft platform on the West front of the Capitol will seat 1,600 guests, including the families of Mr Trump and Mr Pence, members of Congress, the Supreme Court, diplomatic corps and other invited guests.

Former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will be attending the ceremony. President Obama will also be present, naturally. The only former President who will be absent is 92-year-old George H.W. Bush, due to his health.

Also in attendance will be former First Ladies Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton. The Democratic nominee has kept a low public profile since the defeat by Mr Trump in November.

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who was instrumental in Britain's vote to leave the European Union last June and has a cosy relationship with Mr Trump, will be present too. However, civil rights icon John Lewis, a Democratic Representative of Georgia, will be boycotting it as he does not view Mr Trump's election victory as legitimate. At least 20 House Democrats have also announced they would not attend the event.

6. The performers

Mr Trump's team have struggled to find A-list stars to take part in the inauguration events.

The confirmed list for the Make American Great Again! Welcome Celebrations include country singers Lee Greenwood, known for the popular song God Bless The USA, and Toby Keith, alongside rock band 3 Doors Down, who sang the hit Here Without You.

America's Got Talent singer Jackie Evancho, 16, will be performing the national anthem at the swearing-in ceremony, a role filled by superstar Beyonce in 2013, while the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will lend their voices for a sixth time.

The leggy Radio City Rockettes, along with the Talladega College Marching Tornadoes band from the historically black college in Alabama, will be part of the Inaugural Parade.

Classical singer Charlotte Church had shot down the idea of performing at the inauguration, calling Mr Trump "a tyrant" in a Twitter post, while Sir Elton John, a vocal Hillary Clinton supporter, also said he would not be performing, in response to a Trump aide's claim.

Meanwhile, Broadway star Jennifer Holliday announced on Saturday (Jan 14) that she is backing out.

7. The First Lady

While a nude photo of her had appeared on New York Post's front page in August, Mrs Melania Trump will definitely be covered up at the inauguration, with renowned designers clamoring to dress the incoming First Lady.

First Ladies have conventionally been dressed by domestic designers for the inauguration weekend and their time in Washington.

Designers like Zac Posen, B Michael America, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, have all expressed their interest so far.

This definitely erases any worries the Trump camp might have had, when big names denounced them, such as Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs and Sophie Theallet, who dresses Michelle Obama.

8. The security

Security spending for the inauguration is expected to surpass US$100 million (S$142.9 million).

Over 36 law enforcement agencies are collaborating in the effort, including the Metropolitan Police of Washington, National Park Service, National Guard, Secret Service and FBI.

Police officers from across the country, numbering over 3,200, will help with crowd and traffic control, together with about 8,000 National Guard members.

The emphasis on security is greater this time round, given the extremely bitter nature of the elections last year.

9. The protests

Mr Trump's big day risks being overshadowed by protests planned for the weekend.

The National Park Service, in charge of the majority of Washington's public land, has received over 30 permit applicants, with more coming in. In normal inauguration years, only a handful are received.

The largest one, the Women's March on Washington which is demanding equal rights for women, currently has at least 192,000 men and women indicating their attendance on the Facebook page.

It has become a rallying point for liberal causes opposing Mr Trump's agenda, such as immigrant rights and police killings of African-Americans. However, its organisers insist it is not anti-Trump.

While 200 permits to park tour buses have been requested for the actual day, over 1,200 have been submitted for the day after - the day the Women's March is happening.

10. The broken traditions

For the first time since 1957, Mr Charles Brotman, 89, will not be the Inaugural Parade announcer.

He had played that role in every inauguration since President Dwight Eisenhower's, but will be replaced this year by former Trump campaign volunteer Steve Ray, 58, an announcer who has worked with the Washington Nationals baseball team.

Mr Brotman, who was left "heartbroken" and "devastated", will instead be commentating for NBC4, NBC's affiliate station in the Washington region, after they offered him a job.

Also, clam chowder is off the menu at this year's inauguration festivities, breaking a tradition started by President Ronald Reagan.

Traditional supplier Legal Sea Foods says it has not been contacted this year and the Trump camp has also indicated that the dish will not be on the menu.

Legal Sea Foods had ran ads on Mr Trump's signature border wall proposal and his supposedly tiny hands.



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Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Sunday, January 15, 2017

E-scooters beat bikes as cool way forward, Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

E-scooters beat bikes as cool way forward, Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

E-scooters beat bikes as cool way forward

Dr Hee recently started using her e-scooter for the 9km-long commute from her home to her office.
Dr Hee recently started using her e-scooter for the 9km-long commute from her home to her office.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

There are days when think-tank boss Hee Limin walks straight into meetings with her e-scooter, helmet on her head and bag slung across her shoulder.

Her choice of transport might turn heads at some meeting rooms here, but Dr Hee, director of the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), a National Development Ministry think-tank, thinks it's a "cool" way to get around.

Dr Hee zooms straight to her destination, before folding up her scooter and taking it where she goes. "I can go almost to my seat with my scooter and not worry too much about parking," she says.

That and the ability to arrive composed and not all sweaty from riding a pedal-power bicycle, is the reason many people find personal mobility devices (PMDs) appealing, she adds.

Dr Hee, 51, first started cycling to work about two years ago. Recently she started using her e-scooter for the 9km-long commute from her home in Alexandra Road, to her office at the URA Centre.

She is part of a growing group of people here who have started using PMDs such as e-scooters as part of their daily commute.

LEGITIMATE TRANSPORT MODE

I've visited many cities but have not seen the use of PMDs as popular as it is here in Singapore.

DR HEE LIMIN, director of the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), who is part of a growing group of people here who have started using PMDs such as e-scooters as part of their daily commute.

Retailers say these PMDs have exploded in popularity in the last two years. They and some experts predict that they could outstrip bicycles as transport in as soon as two to three years.

At the moment, cycling accounts for about 1.5 per cent of all trips.

"It has taken a while for cycling to get to this level. I think PMDs, given the context of Singapore, will far exceed this in a very short period," says Mr Scott Dunn, vice-president of growth and strategy in South-east Asia of global engineering group Aecom.

There are no official numbers, but retailers estimate that there are about 20,000 e-scooter riders here.

The largest e-scooter community, Big Wheels Scooters Singapore (BWSS), has over 13,000 members on Facebook.

Says Dr Hee: "I've visited many cities but have not seen the use of PMDs as popular as it is here in Singapore." She cites the "good urban infrastructure", shady sidewalks and the park connector network (PCN) as reasons.

Mr Dunn adds that e-scooters have a reputation as a toy in other countries but have gained legitimacy here as a mode of transport.

This was in part due to the prohibitive costs of cars here. In Western countries, the difference in prices between an e-scooter - which can cost upwards of $1,000 - and a car is a lot less, he says, adding that the cost of such a device was "within the reach of most people".

"PMDs are on-demand (transport), so you can go when you want to go, and it doesn't require a lot of effort, not like cycling. It's an easy way to get around for short trips of 2km to 3km," says Mr Dunn, who also rides an e-scooter to work from his home in Robertson Quay to his office in Beach Road.

PMD users tell Insight this freedom to travel is one major advantage over public transport, which can entail long waiting times.

Each morning, Mr Amin Ruslan used to have to choose between a 10-minute wait for a bus to Kembangan MRT station, or a 1.3km walk to the station, which would often leave him "sweaty and sticky".

Both trips take about 10 minutes. In May last year, the 28-year-old shelled out $1,200 for an e-scooter, and the trip now takes him just over five minutes.

"The bus comes very infrequently so most of the time you have to walk. With the e-scooter, it's very convenient. I more or less never take the bus any more," says Mr Amin, a corporate communications executive.

Some observers, such as Mr Victor Lee, general manager of PMD retailer Falcon PEV, expect the number of users to increase now that the Active Mobility Bill - which legitimises the use of these devices on public paths - has been passed.

"Once the devices are lawful, we anticipate an increase - there are a lot of people on the fence right now," he says.

The Land Transport Authority's director of Active Mobility Tan Shin Gee says while it is still "early days", the authority will take an "open-minded approach" and facilitate the use of such devices.

"We think they have their place in the whole spectrum of transport modes. In other countries, we don't think the growth or demand for these devices has been observed to be as much as (in) Singapore," she says.

Danson Cheong



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Farewell, Serangoon Plaza - the palace of yore, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Farewell, Serangoon Plaza - the palace of yore, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Farewell, Serangoon Plaza - the palace of yore

For the past 23 years, the Serangoon Plaza branch of Singapore's famed Mustafa shopping centre has been Mr P. Mohamed Rafeek's workplace.

"This was the biggest building in the area in the eighties and nineties. It was almost like a palace," the 44-year-old said wistfully.

At night, as cars choke the main thoroughfare of Serangoon Road and spill over into neighbouring streets, fluorescent lights at the 24-hour shopping emporium flash across the road.

The green retro-styled signage, bearing the names of owners Mohamed Mustafa & Samsuddin Co, harks back to those halcyon times, beckoning travellers and sleepless Singaporeans to rove through aisles overflowing with clothes, household electronics and other trinkets.

But Mr Rafeek has now been displaced from his palace of yore.

  • From hole in the wall to household name

  • Mustafa has become a household name among tourists and Singaporeans alike, but it had humble beginnings as a hole-in-the wall garment shop in 1971.

    The shop, which measured 500 sq ft, was opened in Campbell Lane in Little India by the current managing director, Mr Mustaq Ahmad, with his father Mustafa and uncle Samsuddin.

    Two years later, they rented a second 900 sq ft shop in Serangoon Road and sold electronic items.

    In 1985, the shops were acquired for conservation and Mr Mustaq opened his flagship department store at Serangoon Plaza, leasing 12,000 sq ft of space.

    This was a year after Feature Development's purchase in 1984 of the property, which used to be known as President Shopping Centre.

    In the late 1980s, the anchor tenants were Mustafa and another department store, V.K. Kalyanasundaram and Sons (VKK).

    Wanting to have his own building, Mr Mustaq homed in on some old shophouses along Syed Alwi Road just around the corner. He bought them one by one until he owned the whole row. In their place, he put up Mustafa Centre, which opened in 1995.

    In late 1995, $1 million was pumped in to renovate and expand Mustafa's retail space in Serangoon Plaza to its current size of about 65,000 sq ft as VKK and other small shops gave up their space.

    Mr Kalyanaram, 41, the grandson of VKK's founder V.K. Kalyanasundaram, recalled that the two families were on cordial terms.

    Mr Kalyanaram, who had helped out in the business when he was a secondary school student, said: "Our family members had no problem buying things from Mustafa if a product was not available in our stores. Nobody said we couldn't do that just because we were competitors. "

    Yuen Sin

Come next month, the five-storey Serangoon Plaza will be demolished. In its place will rise a gleaming, new 19-storey building - Centrium Square, a mixed development property consisting of medical suites, retail stores and offices that will be completed in the third quarter of 2019.

Since early this month, the retail supervisor has been working at the Mustafa Centre building, where he gingerly squeezes his way past racks that have been crammed with even more dry-fit shirts and sports shoes - because of stock that has been moved over from the Serangoon Plaza branch. "It's a bit more packed here, but I'm passionate about the job. If the store moves, I will follow," said Mr Rafeek, who has seen Mustafa's staff strength grow from a few hundred in the early 1990s to about 1,700 now.

As the deadline for moving out looms, Mustafa, which has occupied the building since 1985 and now leases 65,000 sq ft of space on three floors - about 70 per cent of the total retail space in the building - has been clearing its shelves out and moving all merchandise next door to Mustafa Centre.

The other tenants, including offices and travel agencies, are also moving out of the building.

Mustafa's total retail space will be reduced by about a quarter, with the remaining store at Mustafa Centre building - owned by the company - having over 200,000 sq ft.

Some older stocks at the Serangoon Plaza branch have been cleared out, but most will be moved to the bigger building, which opened in 1995.

Mr Magendran, 37, an assistant supervisor at Mustafa's electronics department, said that goods that cannot find space in Mustafa Centre can be kept in its Kallang warehouse. This will help to alleviate the space crunch.

A Mustafa spokesman said that all of its staff are staying put, and that it has no plans to secure more retail space for now.

Tributes to Serangoon Plaza, which housed Mustafa's flagship store, have poured in after the announcement of its demolition date last week. Some, like operations manager Koh Wee Liang, 39, came with cameras to document a landmark that has been a favoured night-time haunt. Others, like administrative worker Leslie Lauw, 59, would miss the easy navigation of the more spacious branch - "unlike Mustafa Centre, which is a huge congested maze".

But most, like IT engineer Kulashree Phegade, 31, are glad the iconic Mustafa and its wide range of offerings are still around. "As long as it has the goods I need, like Indian groceries and electronics, I will come back to Mustafa," she said.

NOT LOSING THAT SPECIAL FEELING

Questions still remain when it comes to the retail giant's plans for the future.

Mr Magendran said it would have to find a way to contend with the weekend crowds now that all retail operations have moved to Mustafa Centre.

Ms Sarah Lim, a senior retail lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic, does not think that Mustafa's customer base will be adversely affected by the closure of its branch.

But it may find itself in a dilemma when it comes to deciding whether to reduce its sales range for the sake of crowd control.

"(Cutting down on goods) may not be what the customer really wants. People grumble, but they find a sense of familiarity in its packed layout and how it is brimming with goods.

"It's a psychological attachment that benefits Mustafa, though, of course, safety and security are compromised," said Ms Lim.

Retiree Chee Wai Khan, 60, who shops at Mustafa a few times a month, is unconcerned about the branch closure. "They don't bother you when you shop. There's not much difference in both places."

PRESIDENTIAL DAYS

Among those who remember the old-world offerings of Serangoon Plaza, however, a tinge of nostalgia remains.

First built in the 1960s as President Shopping Centre before being bought by Feature Development, a unit of Tong Eng Group, in 1984, it boasted Singing Palace, a theatre restaurant on the second level that played host to popular Taiwanese songbird Yao Su Rong in the 1970s.

Writer Boey Kim Cheng, 51, who frequented the area in his childhood in the early 1970s, recalled how the President Shopping Centre's "clean, white and unfussy shape gave it a slightly dignified, even majestic, air, a dramatic contrast to the surrounding streets which teemed with hawkers and vendors". He added: "It's sad that it is going to join the already long list of vanished sights in Singapore. It will no doubt add to the growing sense of absence and dislocation among older generations."



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Saturday, January 14, 2017

Pioneer Road North accident: 47-year-old cyclist killed by bus was kind, optimistic woman, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Pioneer Road North accident: 47-year-old cyclist killed by bus was kind, optimistic woman, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Pioneer Road North accident: 47-year-old cyclist killed by bus was kind, optimistic woman

Ms Wong's belongings were strewn on the road after the accident.
Ms Wong's belongings were strewn on the road after the accident.PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO

SINGAPORE - Ms Wong Lai Cheng, the 47-year-old cyclist killed by a private bus that crashed through a road divider along Pioneer Road North on Thursday (Jan 12), was "a kind, optimistic woman" who often cycled to work.

A relative of Ms Wong told Lianhe Wanbao in a report on Friday (Jan 13) that Ms Wong, who was a hall operations assistant at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), had been on her way home when the accident happened on Thursday evening.

The accident occurred at around 6pm and involved the bus, a lorry and four cars along Pioneer Road North towards Nanyang Crescent, police told The Straits Times on Friday.

In-car camera footage from various vehicles show the bus careening down a slip road, crashing through a fence and hitting several cars, including a white BMW which seemingly took most of the impact.

Ms Wong, who was also hit on her bicycle, was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

The 29-year-old bus driver was was arrested for causing death by a negligent act.

Ms Wong's husband and 18-year-old daughter rushed to the scene and the distraught pair were seen comforted by relatives. Her husband was heard saying that his wife was fighting cancer, according to Shin Min Daily News.

A neighbour of hers told Wanbao that Ms Wong was a kind, optimistic woman who often bought leftover vegetables from friends to give to others.

The driver of the white BMW that took a direct hit from the bus escaped with minor injuries to his right arm and knee and was discharged from Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on Thursday night. His wife and daughter, who were also in the car, are believed to be unhurt.

The BMW driver, who gave his name as Mr Salim, told Shin Min that the bus driver apologised to him and said his brakes were spoilt.

"He was going very fast and I was very lucky to have escaped. It's very sad that the cyclist died," he said.

Recalling the moments before the impact, Mr Salim said he was waiting for the lights to change when his wife, who was in the passenger seat, turned to speak to him. She then shouted "bus!" when she saw the vehicle rushing towards them but he could not react in time.

"I could only shield my face with my right arm and pray - hoping that my wife and my daughter behind would be safe," he said.

A spokesman for NTU told The Straits Times on Friday that the NTU community "is saddened by the passing of Madam Wong Lai Cheng".

"On behalf of the NTU community, NTU President Professor Bertil Andersson conveys deepest condolences to Mdm Wong's family," said the spokesman. "The university is assisting the family during this difficult time."

Police investigations are ongoing.



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Superstore and more: 5 things you should know about retail giant Mustafa, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Superstore and more: 5 things you should know about retail giant Mustafa, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Superstore and more: 5 things you should know about retail giant Mustafa

One of the entrances to Mustafa Centre department store, a popular shopping haunt in Little India that is open 24-hours everyday.
One of the entrances to Mustafa Centre department store, a popular shopping haunt in Little India that is open 24-hours everyday.PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The Serangoon Plaza branch of home-grown retailer Mustafa will shut its doors permanently in February.

The outlet has been operated by retailer Mohamad Mustafa & Samsuddin since 1985, but the mall will be redeveloped into Centrium Square, a 19-storey mixed development property.

Mustafa, a store synonymous with cheap bargains and huge crowds, will be left only with its 200,000 sq ft Mustafa Centre store at Syed Alwi Road. The closure of its 65,000 sq ft branch reduces its total retail space by about a quarter.

Mustafa offers not just an array of goods but caters to other needs as well, such as money changing, travel and visa services, and for hungry shoppers, a rooftop restaurant.

Here are five things you should know about Mustafa before its Serangoon Plaza branch closes.

1. Mustafa started out in shops which were later acquired by the Government

Selling ready-made garments, the first Mustafa store was opened in 1971 at Campbell Lane in Little India by the current managing director, Mr Mustaq Ahmad, with father Mustafa and uncle Samsuddin.

A second shop was opened two years later at Serangoon Road, and it began to sell electronic items as well.

After the shops were acquired by the Government for conservation in 1985, Mr Mustaq opened his flagship store at Serangoon Plaza.

He then bought shophouses at Syed Alwi Road and converted them into Mustafa Centre, which opened in April 1995.

2. Mustafa the first major retailer in Singapore to operate a 24-hour store

The retailer took the plunge in June 2003, hoping to boost profits in a then-slowing retail market.

The move was targeted at tourists, particularly transit travellers, according to a report in 2002.

There were concerns that the business model would not work after the closure of Yokoso, Singapore's first 24-hour supermarket and department store, in the late 1980s.

However, the 24-hour concept proved to be a runaway success and Mr Mustaq was even ranked 37th in Forbes magazine's list of the 40 richest people in Singapore in 2011, with a reported worth of US$240 million.

3. Mustafa's managing director started out peddling handkerchiefs on the street

Mr Mustaq Ahmad at the newly-renovated Mustafa Centre at Serangoon Plaza. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

Mr Mustaq was only five years old when he first arrived in Singapore from Uttar Pradesh in India in 1956. His father, Haji Mohamed Mustafa, had come to the country four years earlier and sold food from a pushcart.

He decided to bring his young son over when Mustaq's mother died.

Despite being educated only up to Secondary 4, Mr Mustaq defied the odds and his retail business has flourished.

In a 2006 report, he said: "Talent is not just about paper qualifications. It's really about people doing something with passion and a great deal of interest."

The entrepreneur became a citizen in 1991, and according to a 2006 report, has four children.

4. Mustafa has been popular with budget-conscious shoppers from all over the world

Shoppers perusing through products on the shelves of Mustafa Centre's supermarket. PHOTO: ST FILE

Keeping prices as low as possible has been a mainstay of Mustafa - and a reason why customers keep flocking back.

Affordability, coupled with the great variety of goods and services sold, has continued to reel in locals, foreign workers and tourists.

Even officials from developing countries visiting Singapore for training under the Singapore Co-operation Programme had Mustafa as their favourite haunt, according to a 1997 report.

The draw? Cheap electronic goods.

5. Fined for fire safety breaches and for using a warehouse as a store

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel inspecting the ground floor of Mustafa Centre on April 8, 2010. PHOTO: ST FILE

In 2010, Mustafa Centre chalked up 45 fire safety violations - the highest by any building here - from 2005 to 2010.

While exit points and fire-fighting equipment were obstructed, the greatest fire safety concern had been overcrowding on the first floor.

In fact, the Singapore Civil Defence Force considered it such a serious problem that it obtained a court order to suspend business on the ground floor for 40 hours.

The retailer was required to implement stricter crowd-control measures or review existing ones. That same year, Mustafa Centre even restricted the maximum number of shoppers to 431 in the building at any one time.

In 2010, Mustafa was fined $10,000 for unauthorised commercial use of its Mustafa Warehouse building on Kallang Pudding Road.

The six-storey building had been approved for warehouse use by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2001, but it turned down Mustafa's 2004 application to change the building's use to a wholesale centre for household goods and appliances.

However, Mustafa operated a department store on the first level and a supermarket on level two for a few weeks in 2009.

Sources: The Straits Times, The New Paper, The Business Times, www.mustafa.com.sg



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Friday, January 13, 2017

World at inflexion point not seen since end of Cold War, says Ng Eng Hen, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

World at inflexion point not seen since end of Cold War, says Ng Eng Hen, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

World at inflexion point not seen since end of Cold War, says Ng Eng Hen

Dr Ng spoke at the Yale-NUS Asia Pacific Model United Nations conference, which simulates a UN session at which students debate and discuss some of today's most pressing issues.
Dr Ng spoke at the Yale-NUS Asia Pacific Model United Nations conference, which simulates a UN session at which students debate and discuss some of today's most pressing issues.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

SINGAPORE - The world is at a turning point, with the fundamental rules of global order set to change on a scale not seen since the end of the Cold War, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Friday (Jan 13).

The Cold War, which ended more than 25 years ago, pitted communism against capitalism, a clash Dr Ng described as "one of the greatest conflicts of ideas in human history".

Today, it is the rise of marginal political groups amid the shifting of longstanding international alliances, he said at a conference held at Yale-NUS college in the National University of Singapore(NUS).

"Your generation will have ring-side seats to not only interesting times, but dramatic interludes where the world is being reshaped," he added.

He was speaking at the Yale-NUS Asia Pacific Model United Nations conference organised by the college's students. It simulates a UN session at which students debate and discuss some of today's most pressing issues, and about 700 students from 25 countries are attending this week's sessions.

What holds for their future is uncertain but there are three faultlines that will determine the outcome for the world in the coming decades, and Dr Ng suggested that they ponder on them.

These are: globalisation versus nationalism; global rules versus the regional order; and collective good governance versus individual rights.

"The tension at these faultlines, these competing themes, is under severe pressure. If the plates buckle, social and political tsunamis will be created and we will have to live with the changes," he said.

Tackling each in turn, Dr Ng noted that people around the world are increasingly sceptical of globalisation.

Global trade has created wealth and brought down poverty levels for many countries. But some communities also see globalisation as the reason for the loss of jobs and rise in immigration.

Even the US, which is the "de-facto champion of globalisation", is not immune from such stress, he said, as whole manufacturing cities in the "Rust Belt" region that used to be industrial hubs have gone into decline while wages have remained stagnant.

While many studies show that countries that take in migrants reap overall benefits, "it's very hard to convince a worker who has lost his job of these benefits", he said.

These developments in part explain the British vote to leave the European Union and US President-Elect Donald Trump's victory, Dr Ng added.

Two, the global world order underpinned by the US as the leading superpower is under challenge.

With the rise of big countries such as China, India, and Indonesia, the global system governing trade and security may change in a multi-polar world, he said.

Three, the rise of populism, which will give greater attention to individual interests over the collective good.

This will cause domestic politics to become polarised, as political parties campaign on the interests of different groups, hoping to win the popular vote by slim margins or through coalitions. The price would be an ever-shrinking common space, Dr Ng said.

Amid these changes, Singaporeans have to ask themselves several questions, he added.

These are: How do we keep Singapore relevant and ensure good jobs here for Singaporeans? What roots us even as more opportunities increase for our younger generation overseas? How does a small state like us help shape the world we live in? What role can we play? How do we avoid the divisiveness that "populism" brings in its aftermath?

Responding to them will require the next generation to make wise and enlightened decisions that will help ensure Singapore's place in the 21st century, he added.



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Thursday, January 12, 2017

Eight deported Indonesians under probe for terror links

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Seizure of SAF vehicles shouldn't be politicised, says Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Seizure of SAF vehicles shouldn't be politicised, says Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Seizure of SAF vehicles shouldn't be politicised, says Vivian Balakrishnan

SAF Terrex infantry carriers during an exercise in Queensland, Australia. Nine Terrex vehicles were on their way back to Singapore after a military exercise in Taiwan when they were seized in Hong Kong in November. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan urged MPs to
SAF Terrex infantry carriers during an exercise in Queensland, Australia. Nine Terrex vehicles were on their way back to Singapore after a military exercise in Taiwan when they were seized in Hong Kong in November. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan urged MPs to "have some patience and give this matter time to resolve".PHOTO: MINDEF

Singapore has been assured that the seizure of its military vehicles in Hong Kong will be handled through proper legal process, and the issue should not be politicised, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told Parliament yesterday.

He was responding to MPs' questions about how the seizure of nine Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Terrex infantry carriers has affected Singapore's relations with China.

Noting that both Hong Kong and China have stated that the matter would be handled in accordance with Hong Kong's laws, he said: "Let's avoid politicising this and let's avoid megaphone diplomacy. Let's give this incident every opportunity to resolve itself in, I hope, an appropriate and sensible way."

This was a point he repeated several times in the House, as he urged MPs to "have some patience and give this matter time to resolve".

The SAF vehicles were on their way back to Singapore after a military exercise in Taiwan when they were seized in Hong Kong in November, and have not been returned.

Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore's relationship with China is a longstanding, multifaceted and mutually beneficial one, and should not be seen as a "zero-sum game".

"We believe in interdependence characterised by open, inclusive regional architecture that promotes collaboration and win-win outcomes," he said.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied GRC) had questioned if China had respect for the law, saying if that were the case, the incident would not have happened. He also asked if China's economic progress has "made her arrogant and aggressive and become a big bully".

The minister said Singapore has long been a firm believer that a strong China that is "deeply engaged with the rest of the world and economically integrated" would bring enormous benefits. Citing China's achievements such as lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty, he said these developments will bring opportunities but also "issues to resolve from time to time".

He said it was a reality of realpolitik that big countries would sometimes pressure other countries to "act entirely in line with their own national interests", adding that Singapore has encountered such expectations from time to time.

"However, it is important for us to conduct our foreign policy as a sovereign, independent nation, and not be seen as acting at the behest of any other country," he said.

This is essential to Singapore's international credibility, standing and relevance to its foreign partners and friends, he added.

Singapore has to maintain its emphasis on upholding international law, he said, as a rules-based international order is crucial for the survival and independence of small states.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang GRC) asked about the Chinese state-owned media's portrayal of the Terrex issue. The tabloid Global Times said in a November editorialthat the vehicles should be confiscated and melted down.

Dr Balakrishnan said there was no need for "megaphone diplomacy", adding: "I don't believe in... conducting affairs in a way which generates more heat than light."

He stressed that Singapore's relations with China and interactions with Hong Kong and Taiwan are "based strictly on our 'one China' policy". "We have consistently abided by this policy and the understandings reached when we established diplomatic relations with China in 1990. And we will continue to do so."

He called on all MPs to stand with the Government on its foreign policy. "This is one of those occasions for us to learn the right lessons, to stand together, because, ultimately, foreign policy begins at home."



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