TAIPEI - Taking the high road, Taiwanese model Chiling Lin signalled on Weibo on Friday (July 29) that she would not be drawn into an online quarrel with actor Edison Chen.

Separately, the producer of a reality show that Chen's girlfriend failed to be cast in said Lin was not responsible for the decision.

More than a day after Chen, 35, posted crude and cryptic messages about Lin, 41, on Weibo, she wrote that happiness "is not character but capability", and that she chooses to be happy and positive.

She said: "Not fighting is compassion. Not arguing is wisdom. Not hearing is peace. Not seeing is ease. Forgiveness is relief. Contentment is letting go."

Chen began the attack on Wednesday (July 27), making unprintable remarks on Lin's looks, smell and ambition, then saying she "knows" why he was calling her names.

Taiwan Apple Daily, citing sources, said the incident was related to his girlfriend, Chinese model Shu Pei Qin. The report said Qin, 25, was not cast in the Chinese fashion reality television show Hey Muse, despite rumours that she was being considered.

Lin is returning in the upcoming third season of the show with Qin's friend, Chinese Victoria's Secret model Sui He.

Edison Chen spotted kissing, leaving hotel with Chinese model

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Apple Daily video screengrabs, Sina Weibo

Chen is said to be speaking up for Qin because he believes Lin is the reason his girlfriend was dropped from consideration.

On Thursday, Hey Muse producer Cao Qing denied the rumours, said Apple Daily. She said Qin had never been a candidate for the cast. She also shared on Weibo photos of her cast, including Lin and He, and wrote: "All groundless nonsense, please stay away from our family of goddesses!"

Making a public appearance in Shanghai on Friday, Chen did not back down, said Apple Daily. He said he decided to attack Lin online after making three attempts to communicate with her a month ago and receiving no response.

He said he would give her another chance to explain herself, or his words could turn nastier. "If you respect me, I will respect you."

But he said it was strange that she did not know what had happened, and wondered: "Could it be that people around her didn't tell her?"

On Friday, Cao gave a different story, said Apple Daily. She said the show had a role for a supermodel, which Chinese models Liu Wen, Fei Fei Sun, He and Qin were recommended for. "We finally selected Sui He. The selection was made by the production team, independent of other artists."

Edison Chen and his rumoured flings

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Apple Daily, The Straits Times, The New Paper, , Sina Weibo

This article was first published on July 29, 2016.
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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrives tomorrow in the US capital Washington for a six-day official visit that is a first by a Singapore prime minister since 1985.

The visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and underscores their close and longstanding partnership, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement yesterday.

US President Barack Obama will welcome Mr Lee at an official arrival ceremony at the White House South Lawn on Tuesday before their meeting in the Oval Office.

Later that day, Mr Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host PM Lee and his wife to a state dinner, an honour accorded by the Obama administration to only 11 other occasions in eight years. Four of them were for Asian countries: India, China, South Korea and Japan.

During his stay, Mr Lee will meet several senior members of the United States government.

On Tuesday, at the State Department, Vice-President Joe Biden, his wife Jill and Secretary of State John Kerry will host a state luncheon for Mr and Mrs Lee.

Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter will host PM Lee to lunch on Monday, the day after his arrival, and there will be separate meetings between him and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director John Brennan.

The Prime Minister will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Monday. He will also speak at a reception jointly hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-Asean Business Council that day.

Earlier, on Sunday, he will meet Singaporeans at a National Day reception in the Singapore Embassy.

Mr Lee's visit provides an opportunity for both countries to renew and expand bilateral cooperation, the Prime Minister's Office said.

The Obama administration has made considerable effort in building ties with Asia in pursuit of its strategy to rebalance its military and diplomatic interests towards the region.

In February, a special Asean-US summit was held in California which Mr Lee attended. During his week-long working trip, he also met the chiefs of US technology giants such as Apple and Facebook.

But his upcoming official visit is special. It will be the fifth such visit by a Singapore prime minister. The previous four were made by founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1967, 1973, 1975 and 1985.

Accompanying PM Lee next week are Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, and Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung.

Three MPs will also be in the delegation: Mr Christopher de Souza, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Nominated MP Chia Yong Yong.

In Mr Lee's absence, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will be the Acting Prime Minister.

This article was first published on July 30, 2016.
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While admitting the need to tighten recovery of student loans, the issue must also be handled with compassion, especially in cases of financial difficulty.

This was the response from the Ministry of Education (MOE), after a government audit flagged "inadequate controls" to ensure that outstanding loans funded by the ministry were promptly recovered.

Highlighting how education is the "best social leveller" and that "our young should not miss out because of financial difficulties", the MOE told The Straits Times that its loan schemes are not administered the way for-profit commercial ones are.

Instead, it has "intentionally allowed easy access to loans" to ensure Singaporeans are not denied a university education due to money issues. That is why tuition fee and study loans are interest-free during the period of study, while repayment and interest can start up to two years after a student graduates. There is also a maximum loan repayment period of 20 years.

"While there is cost to the Government in delaying loan servicing and waiver of interest, these are deliberately policy decisions to assist students, especially those from lower- income families," said the MOE.

In its report released on Tuesday, the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) said the loans due for recovery from former students of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) stood at $228.04 million as of June 30 last year.

The AGO said that including other institutes of higher learning, the total is $511.49 million in outstanding loans. But only 1.4 per cent of the sum is in default and "may be unrecoverable", highlighted the MOE.

"The vast majority of graduates service their loans and make regular repayments," the ministry added.

Over the past few years, the take-up rates for loans have remained relatively stable, the ministry said. In 2014, about 30 per cent of undergraduates and 4 per cent of diploma students from publicly funded institutions tapped these loans.

Institutions outsource the administration of the loans, which includes processing of applications and recovery of loans, to the banks. MOE said banks have an established process to deal with borrowers who are late in repayments. If a borrower keeps missing repayments, legal action may be taken by the bank, and the borrower and guarantor "are liable to pay all legal costs and expenses on an indemnity basis".

ST understands from financial insiders that the recovery of overdue government study loans is slow and not as straightforward as it seems.

One observer, who declined to be named, said: "The money borrowed doesn't belong to the banks. The recovery would require the approval of a few parties."

The MOE said in cases where the the borrower faces financial difficulties, it may allow him to defer the monthly loan instalment or reduce the instalment temporarily.

This was done in the case of a 26-year-old NTU graduate who became unemployed. His mother, the guarantor, was the sole breadwinner as his father had died.

The ministry also granted temporary deferments of loan repayments and interest for a 38-year-old NUS graduate as he was unable to work owing to a medical condition.

It added: "MOE is working closely with the institutions and banks to ensure prompt follow-up of loans in arrears or overdue."

About the loans

The tuition fee loan covers up to 90 per cent of the fee payable by citizens at the undergraduate level. The remaining 10 per cent can be covered by a means-tested study loan.

Both loan schemes are interest-free during the period of study, and repayment of the principal and interest can start up to two years after a student leaves the institution.

This is to give students time to settle down in their careers before servicing their loans, said the Education Ministry in its reply to queries.

It added: "Our starting point is that education is the best social leveller. Our young should not miss out on education because of financial difficulties or family backgrounds.

"Loans and bursaries granted by our universities therefore aim to help equalise opportunities for all, regardless of the students' background."

Students can liaise with the banks to set their monthly loan repayment amounts based on their financial circumstances, subject to a minimum monthly instalment of $100 per loan, and a maximum loan repayment period of 20 years.

As their earning power increases over time, they can adjust the monthly instalment amounts upwards to allow them to pay off their outstanding loans at a faster rate.

This article was first published on July 30, 2016.
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Singaporean scientists have taken a big leap forward in studying the human brain by growing "mini- brains" for research.

Measuring about 2mm to 3mm long, they are no bigger than a grain of rice and it is hoped they will be able to help researchers develop treatments for, and conduct studies into, Parkinson's disease and other ageing-related brain diseases.

They are composed of a mass of tissues that have been grown in a laboratory and are a much simpler version of the human midbrain.

The tissue contains functionally active neurons, its cells can divide, cluster together in layers, and become electrically and chemically active in a three-dimensional environment - like the human brain.

While other researchers have successfully grown other parts of the brain, this research is a world first in creating midbrain tissue.

Importantly, the local team's midbrain tissue created neuromelanin, a pigment found in the human midbrain. It has been associated with protecting cells from dying, and is diminished in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease.

The midbrain is termed the information superhighway of the human body, and controls a person's hearing, vision and body movements. Problems with the midbrain are often linked to disorders such as Parkinson's.

Prior to this discovery, researchers studying Parkinson's often relied on simulations or studies on animals. Studies on the mini-brains can be conducted in the laboratory on cells that mimic the functions of the section of the brain that is affected by the disease.

'Game-changer for drug research'

Said Professor Tan Eng King, research director and senior consultant at the Department of Neurology at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI): "Chronic brain diseases pose considerable challenges to doctors and patients. This achievement by our Singapore team represents an initial but momentous scientific landmark."

Parkinson's is a gradually progressive neuro-degenerative disorder which affects a person's control of movement, including speech. According to the Health Ministry, three in every 1,000 Singaporeans aged over 50 are afflicted by the disease.

Prof Ng Huck Hui, executive director of A*Star's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), who led the effort, said: "Considering that one of the biggest challenges we face in Parkinson's... research is the lack of accessibility to the human brain, we have achieved a significant step."

Another project leader, Assistant Professor Shawn Je from Duke-NUS Medical School, said: "Now we can really test how these mini-brains react to existing or newly developed drugs before treating patients - which will be a game changer for drug development."

Associate Professor Wang Hongyan, interim director of the Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme at Duke-NUS, who was not involved in the research, said "the midbrain organoid will... bring our findings from basic research much closer to the bedside".

The research was done by GIS, Duke-NUS and NNI with the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the United States and Nanyang Technological University. The findings have been published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell Stem Cell.

This article was first published on July 30, 2016.
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Meet Mr Rodrigo Duterte: the overworked, underpaid President of the Philippines.

Nearly a month since he took office, he is realising it can be lonely at the top.

The 71-year-old former mayor finds living in the capital Manila boring, and pines for his beloved pub and favourite fried banana fritters in his southern home city of Davao, 980km away.

He has had to ditch the buttoned- down polos and slippers he prefers wearing for the stuffy barong - formal Filipino men's wear - and lea- ther shoes.

At a gathering of mayors on Thursday, Mr Duterte said he is "very lonely" and may just "die of boredom" in a year if he remains cooped up in Malacanang, the presidential residence.

"I'm okay here (in Manila) if I only have to drop by once in a while. But if you insist that I stay in Malacanang, you'll be burying a president next year," he said.

Mr Duterte finds it particularly jarring having to deal with protocols.

He misses his days as mayor, when he could wake up well after lunch, and then at night scour his streets incognito, as a cab driver, for thugs and thieves, or, at a drop of a hat, drive by a karaoke bar and sing a song or two.

Duterte sworn in as Philippines' 16th president

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AFP, Reuters

Now, his security men knock on his door so he can start his day early. The day usually ends at 3am, when he takes a barge to a modest house across the river from Malacanang.

"I am not used to this kind of life," he said, and the pay may not even be worth the sacrifice. He gets 130,000 pesos (S$3,730) a month.

"I do not feel short-changed. My will to work is still there. But if you ask me if I'm happy, I am not," he said.

Mr Duterte said he sometimes finds himself crying whenever he thinks about his late father and the responsibilities he now carries on his shoulders.

In jest, he said he has also thought about punching the man who "duped" him into running for president. That would be former president Fidel Ramos.

Mr Duterte barrelled his way to a landslide victory in the May 9 presidential elections, casting himself as an anti-establishment everyman.

Known for breaking norms, he has been pushing back and seeking to change some government practices to suit his style.

For his first State of the Nation Address, he demanded that his guests drop the flashy suits and gowns.

He insists on not being called "Your Excellency", finding it a bit phony, and prefers to roll up the sleeves of his barong, a big fashion no-no. Eschewing protocols, he queues at airports and sits in coach on commercial flights. He has requested that his planes not be given priority landing and takeoff.

Looking back, Mr Duterte said it might have been better if he had remained mayor.

"But that's life," he mused.

This article was first published on July 30, 2016.
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Next Tuesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be hosted to a state dinner by US President Barack Obama. The writer recalls the last time a Singapore PM attended such a dinner in 1985.

The most important address in Washington, DC is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It is where the White House is located. It is both the official residence and office of the president of the United States. Every president since John Adams, the third president, has lived in the White House. In 1814, the White House was burned to the ground by British troops and it had to be rebuilt. This occurred during the now-forgotten war between England and the United States which began in 1812.

A White House state dinner is a grand occasion, combining pomp, elegance and symbolism. US President and Mrs Barack Obama will host a state dinner in honour of Prime Minister and Mrs Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday, Aug 2. PM Lee is on an official visit to the US from July 31 to Aug 5. The last time a Singapore prime minister was hosted to a White House state dinner occurred in 1985 when President and Mrs Ronald Reagan hosted a state dinner in honour of Prime Minister and Mrs Lee Kuan Yew.

During his eight years as president, Mr Reagan hosted 35 state dinners. In contrast, President Obama has hosted only 12 state dinners to date. The reason is that he prefers to entertain at lunch and have dinner with his two teenage daughters. The state dinner on Aug 2 is, therefore, very significant. It reflects the high regard which the President of the US has for the Prime Minister of this small country.

LEE KUAN YEW'S 1985 VISIT

I was the Ambassador of Singapore in Washington, DC in 1985. I would like to share some reflections about Mr Lee Kuan Yew's visit that year, about the elegant dinner at the White House and about his address to a joint meeting of the US Congress. I would also like to compare and contrast the political situations in the US in 1985 and 2016.

Mr Reagan and Mr Lee Kuan Yew were mutual admirers. This surprised many people because they seemed so different. Mr Lee was cerebral, Mr Reagan was intuitive. Mr Lee was a workaholic, Mr Reagan was not. People forget, however, that they were similar in some important ways: they were strong leaders with vision and con- viction and they trusted each other.

In 1985, I advised Mr Lee to fly from Singapore to London and from London to Boston before going to Washington. I wanted Mr Lee to overcome his jet lag by spending the weekend at Harvard University. I arranged for several professors to brief him on aspects of America that he was interested in. It also gave him an opportunity to reconnect with several professors he had befriended during his sabbatical at Harvard in 1968.

Mr Lee and his delegation flew from Boston to Washington on Monday, Oct 7, 1985, in a US aircraft, landing at the Andrews Air Force Base. That evening, Mr Lee's good friend, Dr George Shultz, the US Secretary of State, hosted him and his delegation to an early dinner on a boat. We cruised along the Potomac River and had a beautiful view of the city and its monuments.

THE BIG DAY

Tuesday, Oct 8, was the big day. The ceremonial welcome for Mr Lee took place on the lawn of the White House with President Reagan and Prime Minister Lee standing on a dais. It was a beautiful autumn day with a clear blue sky and very comfortable temperature and humidity. There were some celebrities at the function, including actor Sylvester Stallone. I had to explain to Mr Lee who he was.

Following the ceremony, the two delegations held a meeting. I remember that on that occasion, President Reagan's mind was focused on only one issue, the crisis in the Philippines over protests against President Ferdinand Marcos. He listened very carefully to Mr Lee's advice.

Secretary of State Shultz hosted a splendid lunch for PM Lee and his delegation at the US State Department. In the afternoon, Mr Lee called on the Vice-President, Mr George H.W. Bush. Mr Bush would succeed Mr Reagan as the 41st President of the United States.

ENTERTAINING IN STYLE

President and Mrs Nancy Reagan liked to entertain and they did it with style and elegance. Mrs Reagan would take personal charge of the dinner, supervising the menu, choice of wine, flower arrangement and entertainment. She had asked whether Mr and Mrs Lee had a favourite singer. Mrs Lee requested Frank Sinatra. He was unfortunately not available and Mrs Reagan chose Peggy Lee to sing for us.

The evening began with cocktails for the Reagans and the Lees at a room on the second floor.

At the appointed hour, they came down a spiral staircase and formed a receiving line. All the guests invited to the dinner would be greeted by President and Mrs Reagan and Mr and Mrs Lee before being escorted to their seats in the dining room.

The dinner was attended by a microcosm of the American elite: leaders of government, Congress, judiciary, business and culture. Because President and Mrs Reagan began their careers as actors, there were many guests from the world of entertainment. I remember Mr Lee asking me who were the actor, Michael J. Fox, the singer, Natalie Cole, and the model and actress, Raquel Welch. President Reagan proposed a toast to Mr and Mrs Lee. Mr Lee reciprocated with a toast to President and Mrs Reagan. The toasts were warm, personal and witty.

After the dinner, we adjourned to an adjoining room where we were serenaded by Peggy Lee. The concert ended at 11pm.

Before the dancing began, Mr and Mrs Lee and the whole delegation departed for their hotel, leaving Mr Kishore Mahbubani (at that time Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York) and me and our wives to defend the honour of Singapore on the dance floor. The party ended at midnight.

Next morning at breakfast, Mr Lee asked me whether it was important for an ambassador to know how to dance. I said it was very important. He was not convinced and asked why. I said that on the previous evening it gave me an opportunity to embrace some of the most powerful women of Washington.

ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Oct 9, 1985 was a proud day for Singapore. On that day Prime Minister Lee was invited to address a joint meeting of the US Congress.

In 1985 as today, America was suffering from a protectionist fever. Today, China is viewed as the enemy. In 1985, Japan was the enemy. There were over 300 Bills in the US Congress dedicated to protecting the US market.

Showing great courage, Mr Lee argued that free trade contributes to world peace and protectionism will lead to conflict and war. He said: "Protectionism and retaliation will shrink trade and so reduce jobs. Is America willing to write off the peaceful and constructive developments of the last 40 years that she had made possible?"

Mr Lee concluded with the following appeal: "It is inherent in America's position as the pre-eminent economic, political and military power to have to settle and uphold the rules for orderly change and progress... In the interests of peace and security America must uphold the rules of international conduct which rewards peaceful cooperative behaviour and punishes transgressions of the peace. A replay of the depression of the 1930s, which led to World War II, will be ruinous for all. All the major powers of the West share the responsibility of not repeating this mistake. But America's is the primary responsibility, for she is the anchor economy of the free- market economies of the world."

THE US TODAY

Mr Lee's message to the US Congress is even more important today than in 1985. The US is suffering from another bout of protectionist fever. Globalisation, free trade and trade agreements have become dirty words in America. It is very worrying that the two candidates for the US presidency, Mrs Hillary Clinton and Mr Donald Trump, have declared their opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

It is unprecedented for the Republican Party, which has historically championed free trade and globalisation, to choose a presidential candidate who is opposed to both.

The future prospects of the world, not just in trade and commerce but also for peace and stability, will be greatly affected by the outcome of the US election in November.

The writer served as Singapore’s ambassador to the United States from 1984 to 1990.

This article was first published on July 30, 2016.
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Reader Sarah Ho asks if the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep for adults need to be taken in a continuous stretch at night or if the count can include short naps while commuting on the MRT or bus.

Senior health correspondent Salma Khalik answers.

The simple answer is "No".

The recommended sleep time refers to normal night-time sleep. People who consistently do not get enough sleep are at higher risk of getting dementia as they age.

This is because sleep clears the protein beta amyloid, which accumulates in the brain. High levels of this protein are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Said Professor Michael Chee of Duke-NUS Medical School, who has done studies on sleep deprivation: "If you can't get nocturnal sleep, some napping will help.

"But, at least for adults, napping is often performed because people are terribly sleep-deprived from lack of nocturnal sleep."

This article was first published on Jul 30, 2016.
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The brouhaha over university orientation camps and whether they have become too "sexualised" has sparked a fierce debate.

The issue prompted the National University of Singapore (NUS) on Friday to suspend all such camps.

Many undergraduates are upset. They said they are old enough to decide what is appropriate for them, and do not need parents and the authorities breathing down their necks. They added that most activities follow guidelines, and while some "black sheep" push the limits of good taste - it is not fair to tar everyone with the same brush.

But there is some concern over these camps after a New Paper report highlighted how the activities include re-enacting rape scenes. There were also complaints about sexually suggestive cheers such as "itai itai yamete", which in Japanese means "it hurts, it hurts. Stop".

Acting Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung weighed in on the issue on Wednesday last week, and called some of the activities "reprehensible".

On Tuesday, NUS said it would take "strong disciplinary action" against those found responsible, and added that it did not "condone any behaviour or activity that denigrates the dignity of individuals, and that has sexual connotations".

But after student leaders were briefed on what was acceptable at the camps, a video showing a male and female getting dunked in a pond in Sheares Hall still surfaced online. Then came the suspension, affecting six NUS camps.

Two student groups - the G Spot from Yale-NUS College and the Gender Collective, an independent group from NUS - in a joint statement said students were "disappointed". "To suspend all (student-organised) activities is... no less than throwing the baby out with the bathwater and will negatively affect the experiences of all incoming freshmen."

NUS suspends student-led orientation activities

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Video screengrabs, Stomp

'MOST FOLLOW RULES'

An NUS graduate, who was part of the organising committee for a hall camp in 2012, said the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) imposes strict rules for camps, and there is the added threat of suspension or expulsion. Activities are also vetted.

A Singapore Management University (SMU) spokesman also said rules on separate sleeping arrangements between males and females during camps are strictly enforced, and there are also guidelines that ask that physical contact between the sexes be kept to a minimum during activities.

Freshmen who have attended university camps in the last two months said the bulk of activities usually involve team-building games. Those involving physical contact do not have sexual overtones. But what happens after "official" orientation activities ends every day is tougher to control, the graduate said. This is when groups decide on games such as "Truth or Dare", which involves forfeits.

These include things like making a girl perform a pole-dance in front of a boy, or answering questions such as who in their group they would prefer to sleep with.

A female undergraduate who attended a hall camp last month said one game involved a catwalk session, in which groups design their own costumes. One male undergraduate was topless, and had a ketchup bottle positioned at his groin area. This sort of thing made her uncomfortable but the rest of the camp was fine, she added.

Orientation leaders insisted that those uncomfortable with any event can sit it out. A third-year NUS student, who wanted to be known only as Karen, has attended five camps as a freshman and a senior.

She said perceptions of university games being sexualised should not extend to the whole of NUS. "When the activities require forfeits, seniors will not force a freshman to do them if they are shy." Another student who attended a NUS faculty camp said when a girl was uncomfortable with doing the pole dancing, two guys decided to do it instead.

"It's supposed to be amusing, and I don't feel like there were negative undertones as the focus was on bonding. It is the orientation leaders' responsibility to set the boundaries clearly."

A freshman at SMU's School of Social Sciences, said she was asked during camp to answer who in her group she would have sex with.

Other questions included: "If you were in a threesome with someone, who would it be?"

"I took it very lightly. We bonded really well, we shared jokes, we were able to tease each other." If anyone felt uncomfortable answering a question, the group would choose another question, she added.

Read also: What NUS students say about orientation camp debacle

PEER PRESSURE

But some undergraduates said it is sometimes difficult to say no.

A third-year Nanyang Technological University student who attended a camp run by a club in 2014 said she was labelled "uptight" when she criticised games that "reinforced the viewpoint that all females are damsels in distress".

She said: "During Secret Pal, all the girls had to do was to doll up and sit in their own chalets, while the guys needed to perform tasks before they were allowed to meet the girl for a 'date'."

Mr Delane Lim, chief executive of Agape Group Holdings, which conducts talks and youth camps in schools, said peer pressure is a very serious issue. "Young people sometimes don't have the courage to say no because they are scared to be labelled conservative or 'chicken'."

Dr Raymond Cheong, from the Children/Youth Learning and Counselling Clinic, said youth who feel very awkward in social situations or who have been bullied in the past may continue with games despite their discomfort with them because they are afraid of being ostracised if they opt out.

"We should respect others. Some people may not complain, but they may not be okay with (the activities)."

There also seems to be some confusion on the role of such camps. Are they to allow people to get to know one another as part of networking efforts, or are they to encourage both sexes to get more comfortable with each other?

The Social Development Network (SDN) has previously offered funding to sponsor orientation camps.

Student leaders said they were urged to include activities that had a better mix of males and females, and which involved a certain level of interaction - but not "inappropriate physical contact".

Responding to queries from The Sunday Times, the SDN said it has stopped funding university camps and events since January this year.

But one NUS graduate said such sponsorships meant some organisers "felt compelled" to include activities that get both sexes to touch each other "more".

The use of cheers and activities that touched on rape was especially worrying, experts said.

Clinical sexologist Martha Tara Lee said the instances of lewd and disrespectful games could be partially due to the lack of comprehensive sexuality education that emphasises consent.

"Since sex is considered a sensitive taboo, making exaggerated shows of bravado about sex might seem 'adult' but in reality, it is an overcompensation of their own ignorance and discomfort around sex," she said.

Reports on games or forfeits that take on a sexual slant - such as guys doing push-ups over girls - go as far back as 2008.

The G Spot and Gender Collective urged NUS to introduce long-term measures "to foster a culture of respect and consent" to help address the underlying issues.

These include a workshop on understanding consent, sexual respect and violence, and developing a more rigorous feedback mechanism between students and staff.

Read also: Sexualised orientation activities: Would you want your daughter to do this?

HOW MUCH CONTROL?

Still, the idea of too much oversight has upset undergraduates. Even before the suspension, and after the issue was highlighted in the press, one student organiser of an NUS Arts and Social Sciences hall camp said he was told that games cannot involve any body contact.

For instance, a game in which boys and girls had their hands tied together was scrapped.

"It's not really that the games were that bad. It's just that, with the negative press lately, they felt, better safe than sorry," said another student organiser.

An SMU fourth-year student said: "Such rules are a desperate move to pacify parents. People at university are adults. If there are staff members keeping watch all the time, you will be micro-managing students. What is the point of organising activities yourself?"

Some orientation activities

HUMAN CENTIPEDE

In this game typically played on the beach, students sit in a line, with their legs over the thighs of the person in front of them. They have to try to move from the shore to the water.

TRUST FALL

A student stands on an elevated platform, turns around with his back facing a group and deliberately falls. The group has to catch him to break the fall.

SECRET PAL/PARTNER

Both sexes are blindfolded and paired up to interact with each other one on one.

They are sometimes subject to a series of tasks, such as washing each other's hair before their identities are revealed.

They may also go on "dates" after that.

GEGE MEIMEI (BROTHER/SISTER) FORFEIT

A game forfeit that is usually for a male and female. Some may opt to do it with someone of the same gender if they are uncomfortable.

The female has to lie on the floor while the male says "kor kor (big brother) coming". She responds: "Mei mei (little sister) don't want."

ITAI ITAI YAMETE CHEER

A cheer in Japanese sometimes used by groups.

"Itai itai yamete" translates literally to "It hurts, it hurts, stop".

BURNING BRIDGES

An informal game that is usually played within the group after a day's orientation activities. Participants are asked difficult questions about others in the group such as "Who is likely to drop out of school?" or "Who is unlikely to get married?"

BUILDING BRIDGES

Sometimes played as a precursor to the Burning Bridges game.

Participants are asked questions about others that are more flattering, such as "Who is the most likely to become a millionaire?"

This article was first published on July 31, 2016.
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During his 14 years in Australia after migrating from Singapore, Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff became known as an outspoken and occasionally controversial figure who promoted Muslim causes, such as halal exports and Islamic finance, before falling out with some local community leaders.

Two of his friends interviewed by The Sunday Times expressed surprise at his detention in Singapore on terror-related charges earlier this month.

On Friday, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that Zulfikar, 44, a Singaporean who also took up Australian citizenship, had been detained under the Internal Security Act. He was arrested on July 1 when he returned to Singapore for a visit.

The ministry said he had actively spread radical ideology online, incited violence and radicalised at least two Singaporeans. It said he had made many Facebook posts that promoted and glorified terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its violent actions.

The detention made headlines in Australia yesterday.

The authorities in Australia have not commented on the case or on whether they were involved in any investigation into Zulfikar.

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Facebook screengrabs, Berita Harian

"The Australian government is aware of the Singaporean Government's press statement that Mohamad Shariff Zulfikar has been arrested in Singapore for terrorism-related activities," a spokesman for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told The Sunday Times last night.

"Consular officials are seeking to provide assistance to Mr Mohamad Shariff. However, Singapore does not recognise dual nationality, and Mr Mohamad Shariff is being treated as a Singaporean citizen. For privacy reasons, no further comment will be provided on this case."

Related: Don't even 'share' extremist views: Yaacob

The Australian Federal Police would not comment yesterday on whether it had investigated Zulfikar or had any involvement in his arrest in Singapore.

"We don't comment on individuals," a spokesman said.

A close friend in Melbourne, who did not want to be named, said Zulfikar recently claimed that he did not believe he would face trouble if he returned to Singapore.

The friend said Zulfikar "has strong views and that may put people off". "It is a bit of a shock," said the friend, who is active in the Muslim community, of the arrest.

After leaving Singapore for Australia, Zulfikar spent his initial years in Melbourne as a researcher at Monash University before working at a business promoting halal products. He helped to organise a conference in Melbourne in 2007 to promote efforts to encourage Australian halal exports across the region, giving numerous interviews on the topic to local media.

He also worked in Islamic finance, doing sales and marketing from 2004 to 2006 for the Muslim Community Cooperative of Australia. He is well known in the Muslim community in Victoria state, where there are about 150,000 Muslims, who make up some 3 per cent of the population. The close friend said: "He has been under the radar (in Melbourne) for the last four or five years. He had some personality clashes with community leaders."

In recent years, there have been numerous terror attacks and alleged plots in the state capital Melbourne, as well as in Sydney, mainly involving radicalised teenagers.

MHA said Zulfikar embarked on the path of radicalism as early as 2001 and joined hardline group Hizbut Tahrir in Australia. The global organisation, founded in Jerusalem in 1953, seeks to replace the system of nation-states with a caliphate.

In recent years, Zulfikar has been completing a PhD in international relations at La Trobe University in Melbourne and is believed to have been in his final year of studies.

Related:

Singaporean who wanted to set up Islamic State detained under ISA

2 Singaporeans planning to join ISIS arrested

This article was first published on July 31, 2016.
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The detention of a Singaporean who spread terrorist ideology online is a reminder to not just reject such messages, but also to be careful when encountering such material online.

Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, speaking to reporters at a National Reading Day event yesterday at the National Library Building, said that even the sharing of such information is dangerous.

Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister-in- Charge of Muslim Affairs, explained: "Our position must be when we come across something online which we think is egregious, which doesn't conform, we just delete it or just don't share it - we can just move on. Once you begin to share, you seem to be promoting it and that's not very healthy for us."

His comments came a day after it was revealed that 44-year-old Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff had been spreading radical ideology online, including support for terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and had radicalised at least two other citizens. He used Facebook to create platforms purportedly to counter the Western media. But the true intent of these pages was to agitate on Muslim issues in Singapore to spread his ideology.

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Facebook screengrabs, Berita Harian

Dr Yaacob said it is easy for people, including children, to stumble across extremist information on the Internet, which is "thriving" with such material.

Since it is impossible to police every website, people must be resilient and able to assess on their own the things they see, be it terrorism, pornography or other online material, he added.

"You may be reading it and then you spread the ideology because you think it's nice to read. That's where the danger starts, that's where you begin to cross a very sort of soft line where you actually may not be out there in the theatres of war... but we are basically promoting that ideology by sharing it and that's what we want to prevent from happening," he said.

Once people begin to entertain the idea of terrorist ideology, "you are basically sailing very close to the wind", he told reporters.

He said that the authorities have been monitoring the online situation, and are keeping tabs on people who subtly promote terrorist ideology in their writings or blog posts.

"We will continue to work with our community leaders, with our religious leaders, to ensure that the message of Islam - that we know is a religion of peace - gets embedded in the hearts and minds of fellow Singaporeans so that when they go onto the Internet, which you cannot block, they know what is right and what is wrong," he added.

At a separate event, Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Amrin Amin said he believes the Malay/Muslim community supports Zulfikar's detention and urged Singaporeans not to take the country's carefully built peace and harmony for granted and to work to preserve them.

"We need to pay attention to what our youth and we as well read on the Net," he said.

"We need to get involved in citizen activities so we know our neighbours and know what it really means to live in harmony."

Speaking on Friday, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam stressed how Singapore has spent decades building tolerance, acceptance and appreciation across religious and racial lines, and ensuring that minorities feel they have a stake in the country.

This includes policies that encourage different races to live alongside one another in Housing Board flats, adequate parliamentary representation through the group representation constituency system and fair participation in other aspects of life, including business and academia.

He said: "Now, we also have to say a big 'no' to extremism and all teachings that tend towards extremism. Otherwise, the ground would become fertile for extremist teachings to be absorbed, and then for terrorism."

This article was first published on July 31, 2016.
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Extra security measures will be put in place for this year's National Day Parade (NDP), given the increased terror threats worldwide.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told reporters this yesterday on the sidelines of an NDP preview, adding that the police have encouraged spectators to show up earlier to go through security screening.

Security was already tightened at the second NDP preview, which was held yesterday, the final rehearsal before the actual event on Aug 9. While there was no security screening at the first preview on July 23, spectators at yesterday's show had to go through bag and body checks at electronic screening posts set up over the past week.

Dr Ng noted that added security checks are something that Singaporeans have to live with, but said that terrorists must not be allowed to disrupt everyday life. "Let's carry on with life. That is, I think, the most robust and resilient way to say that we will not allow terrorists to disrupt our way of life," he said.

Noting that this year's NDP will be returning to Kallang after 10 years, Dr Ng urged Singaporeans to appreciate "the opportunity to celebrate National Day at the National Stadium after quite a long break".

Singaporeans had "got used to the new format" of previous years, such as parachute jumps by the military, outdoor fireworks and the mobile column, he said.

"But you can't do all that in the (new) National Stadium," he said, noting the constraints faced by this year's organising committee.

Still, neither the longer wait due to security checks nor the lack of a mobile column could dampen the spirits of the audience yesterday.

Spirits were particularly high when fireworks went off at the end of performances, catching the crowd by surprise.

Finance executive Jovan Hoo, 32, who was watching the parade live for the first time, said: "It was a very good and engaging performance. Sure, I miss seeing the mobile column but the organisers did a great job. I wish the sing-along (of National Day songs) lasted longer though."

Human resource executive Angela Chng, 28, said the crowds were managed well."The checks were quite fast and the line moved quickly, so I didn't feel it was bad."

Meanwhile, members of the contingent previously fielded by Swiber Holdings, which has opted to go under judicial management after running into financial trouble, will still participate in the NDP, but under the banner of associate company Vallianz Holdings.

Colonel Alvin Yeo, chairman of the Parade and Ceremony Committee, said: "The participants have expressed their desire to continue to play a part in the NDP to put on a dignified parade... We are encouraged by their spirit and commitment, and in standing together as Singaporeans even in the face of adversity."

The people behind NDP 2016's futuristic theme song

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The Straits Times, The New Paper

This article was first published on July 31, 2016.
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It is close to dinner time as Joseph Schooling dives into the pool at the South Florida Aquatic Club, just outside of Fort Lauderdale.

While one could just about make out the faint growl of hungry stomachs, the quiet is broken as Schooling and his team-mates break into a sprint while Singapore head coach Sergio Lopez barks out instructions.

Lopez cracks a joke about getting to dinner on time just as Schooling reaches the wall. He wears a smile on his face. It is less than two months to the Olympics, but there is a steady calmness about the 21-year-old.

Singapore's main hope for a swimming medal in Rio de Janeiro is completely in his element - focused and relaxed.

"There was a different sort of pressure in 2012, it was more of an external pressure," said Schooling, referring to the London Games. "Now I focus on myself.

"I do it for myself and the people around me and I don't worry about what other people say."

A mature and collected athlete, it seems, has taken the place of the young upstart of four years ago who was eager to tip the scales.

"In 2012, I thought I could fight with (Michael) Phelps," he said in reference to the 18-time Olympic gold-winning American.

"But I was not physically and mentally ready and my only experience was the SEA Games."

He also admits being starstruck at the time, something he has overcome after competing regularly against Phelps and other top swimmers in the past few years.

"I have to feel like I belong at the Olympics and World Championships, rub shoulders with the best and not be starstruck," he said, which is where he is now.

In fact, he was even able to beat his idol in the 100m butterfly at the Longhorn Elite Invite held in Austin, Texas last month. He finished first, in 51.58 seconds, the 13th fastest in the world this year.

Another confidence boost was his bronze medal in the same event at the World Championships in Kazan, Russia, last August.

"There is a peacefulness and control when you take your mark and you know you are going to do well and not going to mess up. It happened at the Asian Games and also at the worlds," said Schooling, who added that he has had a year to gain ground on his competitors since.

"I'm the youngest guy. I've got the most to improve, I can recover faster. Every year makes a difference."

Hungary's Laszlo Cseh has clocked the year's best time in the 100m fly. His 50.86 is just ahead of Phelps (51.00) and also Chad le Clos (51.56). All three are expected to be Schooling's biggest threats to winning a medal.

Schooling will likely have to better his personal best of 50.96, clocked in Kazan, to be in contention of a historic podium finish.

Older, wiser, his preparation for his second Games has also seen him pay closer attention to his diet. The butterfly specialist admits he eats "a healthier version of everything", for example, opting for his meals to be cooked in coconut oil if possible.

His living conditions have also improved. Last April, he moved out of the student dormitory to an apartment to get more rest, and not have to worry about others disrupting his schedule - a gruelling mix of school and training starting as early as 6am, six days a week.

TALE OF THE TAPE

JOSEPH SCHOOLING

HIS 100M FLY BEST (2015) 50.96

IN LONDON 2012, HE'D BE 1st

SEASON RANKING (51.58SEC) 13th

HIS CHANCES

Deep down I want to win, I know I can win, that would be my ultimate goal.

This article was first published on July 31, 2016.
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Athletes, in their relentless pursuit of excellence, seldom talk about regrets, only the next race, the next round. But for swimmer Quah Ting Wen, one incident stands out.

Her decision to surf in November 2011 did not just leave her with two fractured bones in her left forearm. Nor did it just dash her hopes of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics.

The biggest blow for the 23-year-old was that it shattered a long-held dream of competing on sport's grandest stage with her brother Zheng Wen, who was making his Games debut.

But that dream will be realised in Rio de Janeiro this month as both will take to the pool at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.

Ting Wen was awarded the universality spot as no female Singaporean swimmer had qualified while Zheng Wen, 19, made the cut for three events (100m backstroke, 100m and 200m butterfly).

They will be the sixth pair of siblings to represent Singapore at the Olympics.

"Ever since we started swimming, it has always been our goal to be able to represent Singapore at the Olympics together. We missed out in 2012, so to be able to do it this year is just great," said Ting Wen.

Zheng Wen added: "It's one thing to represent Singapore at the highest level, but to be in Rio with someone who's been with me every step of the journey is a really nice feeling."

The three Quah siblings, including younger sister Jing Wen, 15, are a tight-knit bunch and spend a lot of their time together at home.

While Ting Wen was the first to make a splash on the international stage, starting with a five-gold haul at the 2009 SEA Games, she readily admits turning to Zheng Wen for inspiration and comfort during major Games.

After all, while Singapore is making inroads in the global arena, it still lacks a significant presence at the biggest meets, highlighted by the three-strong swimming contingent in Rio, which includes Joseph Schooling, 21.

This is why, Ting Wen said, when sitting in the call room where "everyone is staring each other down", it helps to know her brother is "somewhere in the building".

"He's seen me at my best and worst and is someone I can truly open up to," said Ting Wen, who will compete in the 100m fly.

"I don't like showing my fears and weaknesses to other people but he usually understands how I feel before I even say anything. I just release all my troubles on him but he's really tough."

For the indomitable Zheng Wen, all tense and locked in on the race, it helps to have his elder sister around to soothe his nerves.

He said: "She'd pat my shoulder and tell me to have a good race. It sounds simple, but a hug from her is all I need before I race."

With both Zheng Wen and Jing Wen eyeing qualification for the 2020 Olympics, will Ting Wen join them on the campaign trail?

For now, she is keeping her cards close to her chest. The holder of three national records (100m, 200m free, 400m individual medley), said: "Tokyo is still far away, but it'd be cool if all of us were in Japan together."

siangyee@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on August 1, 2016.
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Violent crime rates in Japan are dropping and homicide rates are at all-time lows, but the mass killing last Tuesday by a 26-year-old influenced by Adolf Hitler has cast a harsh glare on murders committed by disaffected youth here.

A roll call of sordid crimes committed by youth under 35 over the decades may suggest a need for more timely counselling or even early psychiatric intervention for those identified to be at risk.

Yet this may be anathema in a Japan that is only slowly starting to open up to mental health issues. A 2013 study in the Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences journal said nearly two-thirds of those with mental illness do not seek help because of social stigma.

Even then, there are those who have had help but still slip through the cracks - like last Tuesday's alleged suspect Satoshi Uematsu, whose stabbing rampage at a Sagamihara home for the disabled was the deadliest in post-war Japan with 19 dead and 26 injured.

He had been deemed a threat to society and forcibly warded for 12 days in a mental hospital in February, but questions now prevail as to whether adequate aftercare was given to prevent the relapse.

Uematsu is not a "terrorist" in the usual sense, but in his hate crime he showed identical warning signs of the disenchanted youth elsewhere who have subscribed to radical ideologies, as a Nikkei editorial noted last week.

It described such persons as: "A lone-wolf actor, often resentful of his own position in society, crosses an ideological threshold and commits an act of violence."

Uematsu is said to have been dissatisfied with his job, believing that taxpayers' money should instead go to able-bodied persons in need.

He had also started taking drugs and keeping to himself - a drastic change from the earnest young man that some at an elementary school, where he was a trainee teacher, had described in local media.

Experts like Tokyo International University sociologist Thomas Blackwood stress that the incident is not indicative of a trend of violent youth crimes in Japan, which remain few and far between.

He tells The Straits Times: "In fact, the evidence seems to be pointing in the opposite direction. "Japanese elderly now commit more crimes than teenagers, and Japanese young people commit far fewer murders today than they did decades ago."

But even so, some of Japan's most heinous crimes have been committed by young people.

And perpetrators of extreme acts are typically "people with some axe to grind who are fluid - that is, they're truly at their core struggling with suicide and homicide, and they swing between the two", Dr J. Kevin Cameron, director of the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response, told The New York Times in a report last week. "Today, the person is more suicidal; a week later, he's more homicidal."

Knife attack at Japan disabled care centre

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AFP, Reuters, The StarTV screengrabs

One such example is Tomohiro Kato, then 26, who killed seven and injured 10 others in the popular electronics belt Akihabara in 2008.

Two years earlier, he had attempted suicide by ramming his car into a wall, being deeply in debt and thinking his family had given up on him. Mired in poverty and sacked from his dead-end temporary job, he wanted to vent his pent-up anger.

"I'm lower than trash because at least the trash gets recycled," he had written on an Internet bulletin board where he also gave blow- by-blow updates of his attack.

The incident occurred some 20 years after Tsutomu Miyazaki, notoriously dubbed the "otaku murderer", killed four girls aged between four and seven and sexually molested their corpses.

Miyazaki, who was born with deformed hands and ostracised by society for his disability, was 26 at the time of his arrest.

Sociologist Emi Kataoka of Komazawa University in Tokyo said frustration with society or hopelessness over one's future are reasons youth might lash out in violent ways. "Japanese youth have been divided according to their economic conditions, values and attitude," she tells The Straits Times.

A weak economy means over 30 per cent of youth work as non-regular workers in Japan today, she says.

This, of course, does not mean all or even most of them are prone to violent crime, but a few could be pushed to the brink if coupled with other pressures like social discrimination or isolation.

There are also cases of murders committed by teenagers who could have been influenced by popular culture or copycat crimes.

Latest statistics by Japan's National Police Agency last Friday showed 60 such cases in 2015 by those aged between 14 and 19.

In February last year, three boys - two aged 17 and one aged 18 - brutally murdered a 13-year-old in Kawasaki in Kanagawa prefecture in a killing purportedly inspired by beheadings by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria terror group.

A month earlier, a 19-year-old girl from Nagoya University was arrested for killing a 77-year-old woman. She told the police she "had wanted to kill someone since childhood", and it could have been "anybody".

In June this year, a 16-year-old boy killed a 42-year-old woman in a park in Iberaki prefecture, dumping her body in a lake after he "felt a sudden urge to do so".

The popularity of social media has also exacerbated another threat - stalking - that in some cases has led to violent crime.

In May, Tomohiro Iwazaki, 27, who had stalked pop idol Mayu Tomita, 20, by sending her multiple private messages on Twitter, stabbed her more than 20 times after he felt "humiliated" that she rejected his advances. She is recovering.

Dr Kataoka says last Tuesday's killing may prompt a review to "strengthen the systems to prevent terrible crimes and keep a close eye on youth at risk".

But the first step should be a deeper analyses of the root causes, rather than "excessively strengthening the control and surveillance", she says.

This article was first published on August 1, 2016.
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