Erratic work-rest schedules, challenging routes and overall inexperience are some of the reasons bus drivers here do not like plying multiple routes, also called "interlining".

Dr Marc Rochester, 61, who drove buses in London from 1976 to 1979, wrote to The Straits Times to say that one obstacle to interlining here could be the length of some services. He drove up to seven different routes a day in Britain, but the longest was only about 7km.

The longest here is 73km - Service 858 running from Woodlands Regional Interchange to Changi Airport and back.

Dr Rochester, now a music history lecturer, said: "It was inconceivable as a bus driver (in Britain) that you would drive only one route."

But in Singapore, interlining is practised sparingly. Operator SMRT Buses said interlining requires drivers to know each route's road network, road conditions and bus passenger travel patterns.

SMRT Buses & Road Services managing director Tan Kian Heong said interlining can be used to achieve operational efficiency, but he noted that driving multiple routes is more demanding for drivers.

There could also be an impact on their work-rest cycle, as they would be required to hop onto another bus immediately after completing one route - it might not be possible to schedule breaks as easily as is the case for single-route schedules.

"For our interlined services, SMRT Buses will ensure that all bus captains receive route familiarisation training and cater for sufficient rest so they can carry out their duties well," Mr Tan said.

The issue came to light last month when new bus operator Go-Ahead announced it was borrowing drivers from the incumbents after being hit by a wave of resignations.

Twenty of its drivers quit because they could not cope with juggling multiple routes.

"Interlining is the basis of our operating model in Britain," said a company spokesman, adding that all its drivers here were told on joining that they had to do multiple routes.

Veteran transport consultant Bruno Wildermuth said: "Bus drivers here are spoilt. They never had to do different routes before."

SBS Transit, the biggest operator here, does not practise interlining.

Mr Wildermuth said: "I don't know any other country where bus drivers drive only one route."

SIM University senior lecturer Park Byung Joon said it is rare, but does occur in South Korea, to let drivers "personally take care of their buses". They even mop the vehicles.

This model seems to work. Seoul's bus system is well regarded worldwide and, according to Dr Park, the driver turnover rate is "effectively zero". "Most work for the same company until they retire," he said.

In Singapore, the turnover rate for public bus drivers is reportedly up to 15 per cent, with more than 1,000 resignations a year.

Industry observers said many drivers do not stay long enough to master more than one route, exacerbating the interlining problem.

The Land Transport Authority is said to be so concerned about the issue it has extended the deadline for its latest bus route tender to Oct 27. The original deadline for the tender, covering 26 bus routes in the Seletar package, was last Thursday.

Industry sources reckon the authority wants to give bidders more time to tweak their proposals to scale back on interlining.

Meanwhile, Tower Transit, the other newcomer, said interlining is more commonly practised in cities with relatively low-frequency services. The company noted that, even though the concept itself is not entirely new to Singapore, "we have made only limited use" of it.

Still, Mr Wildermuth said he does not see why Singapore cannot have interlining if drivers are better trained and better paid.

Asked if that would also mean having the public pay more for bus services, he said: "In (bus) contracting, we're already paying more."

In contracting, operators are paid a fixed sum (which they tender for) to run a parcel of routes. The Government collects fare revenue that, in the case of London, falls far below the tender sum. Taxpayers make up the shortfall in this operating model, which is supposed to lead to higher service levels.

Dr Rochester said that, given time, drivers here would be more open to the practice of interlining.

This article was first published on Oct 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The curtains might be coming down soon on Mr Ban Ki Moon's 10-year tenure as secretary-general of the United Nations, but a new political future could be awaiting him back in South Korea.

Speculation has been rife in recent weeks that he will run in next year's presidential election, and various opinion polls have ranked him as the hot favourite ahead of other likely contenders.

Given his credentials and illustrious diplomatic career, including 37 years of foreign service before snagging the UN's top post, Mr Ban, 72, is deemed the ideal candidate to inspire and lead the nation through times of political disarray and economic turmoil.

While he has yet to clearly indicate his intention to run - his UN term ends on Dec 31 - signs of his interest have already emerged.

In the middle of last month, he told a group of South Korean parliamentary leaders at a meeting in New York that he would be back home before mid-January, two weeks after his term ends.

Asked if he had "something major" to announce on his return, he said: "I'd like to have the opportunity."

Observers said the immediacy of his return could mean that he is keen to engage in political activities early or to announce his presidential bid.

More recently, former prime minister Kim Jong Pil was quoted in reports as telling political sources that Mr Ban had "clearly made up his mind" to run for president. Mr Kim did not elaborate.

The ruling conservative Saenuri Party is reportedly courting Mr Ban as it is lacking a strong presidential candidate to field against opposition hopefuls Moon Jae In and Ahn Cheol Soo, who are trailing behind Mr Ban in support ratings.

Born to a humble family in rural Eumseong county in the central province of North Chungcheong, Mr Ban was an ace student who in 1962 famously won an English speech contest and got to fly to Washington to meet then United States President John F. Kennedy.

After graduating in international relations from the top-ranked Seoul National University, he joined the Foreign Ministry in 1970 and was foreign minister before assuming his UN role in 2007.

As UN chief, he has promoted sustainable development, advocated women's rights and strengthened peace efforts.

While his performance drew mixed reviews in the international arena, he remains loved and admired by many in South Korea.

He is, after all, the first Korean to lead the UN.

There are also hopes that he can do more to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and press North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

He tried last year to visit the inter-Korean Kaesong industrial complex, but the trip was cancelled at the last minute by North Korea.

Mr Ban's ardent supporters are split in their views of his post-UN options.

Some have started civic groups to support him as a potential presidential candidate, while others have expressed hopes that he would just end his diplomatic career on a high note.

Meanwhile, the opposition faction has challenged Mr Ban's capabilities to run the country, arguing that he has no experience in domestic politics or public service.

South Korea is facing rough times ahead as its economy stagnates, and people are growing increasingly worried about a bleak future.

Its Parliament is also in chaos with the ruling and opposition parties constantly locking horns over numerous issues and Bills with no resolution in sight.

Yonsei University political science professor Moon Chung In said it was too early to tell if Mr Ban would really run for president.

"He might be a good candidate in dealing with inter-Korean relations and promoting national cohesion and integration.

But he might be weak in (driving) the economy as he has not been dealing with economic issues."

This article was first published on Oct 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Preparing food - such as pasta, mashed potato and rice with chicken and spinach - for children has become much easier at more than 30 pre-schools here.

They have signed up for a centralised catering system started last month and believed to be the first of its kind in the pre-school sector here catering to different schools.

It is one of at least two initiatives launched recently to lower costs and raise productivity in a rapidly expanding pre-school sector. The other initiative helps pre-schools identify IT solutions that help educators in their administrative work.

Both initiatives are led by the Association of Early Childhood and Training Services (Assets), which represents pre-school operators and teacher training institutes here.

In the catering service, meals are prepared daily by Singapore Food Industries for about 2,000 children in pre-schools run by different operators across Singapore.

The menu is approved by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and Ministry of Health, and meets nutrition standards set by the Health Promotion Board.

After a pre-school industry forum in May, several operators said they were keen on a centralised catering system, so Assets worked with the Employment and Employability Institute to get a vendor.

Assets chairman T. Chandroo, who also chairs pre-school chain Modern Montessori International, told The Straits Times: "With the centralised meal-catering system, pre-schools can save on manpower and resources, as they do not need to have dedicated space and staff to prepare meals for the children."

The early childhood sector has been growing due to rising demand for pre-school services. There were 1,700 pre-schools last year, up from 1,200 in 2008.

Five centres under Safari House Preschool signed up for the catering service last month. Its director Vincent Teoh said: "Currently, it is very difficult to recruit cooks and kitchen helpers, and we also have to closely monitor and manage the food hygiene and consistency of the food quality.

"With the catering system, we can be assured that the children will have quality healthy food daily, without any interruptions. The management can then have more time to focus on children's development."

For children with food allergies, the caterer has special menus, said Dr Chandroo. "The caterer fully complies with Singapore's strict hygiene and safety standards in preparing the meals, hence ensuring food safety for the children."

Meanwhile, an initiative to support teachers in administrative work was also launched earlier this month. Under the Smart Solutions initiative, Assets has been working with ECDA and the Info-communications Media Development Authority to identify ways to help pre-schools move away from labour-intensive administrative processes.

These include apps that make it easier and paperless for educators to mark attendance, record children's temperatures, manage information on staff and pupils, and communicate with parents.

Six vendors were shortlisted after a call for proposals in August. Pre-schools that sign up for such solutions under this initiative can receive funding of up to 70 per cent.

One vendor is education technology firm LittleLives. Its apps have been used by Cherie Hearts @ Upper Thomson since 2014 to help with tasks such as taking attendance and tracking children's progress.

Other cost-saving initiatives by Assets are in the pipeline, including bulk purchasing for pre-school supplies and zonal bus services.

Mr Izaan Tari Sheikh, 32, an executive director at a bank, has a three-year-old daughter in a pre-school that is not on the centralised catering scheme.

He said: "As long as the food is halal and safe, I'm okay with whether the pre-school uses the central catering scheme or not. But having a central established caterer could lead to better monitoring of food safety."

This article was first published on Oct 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The 115-year-old Sian Chay Medical Institution has opened a new traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinic in Marsiling, in the hope of reaching out to more non-Chinese patients.

Located at the void deck of Block 1, Marsiling Drive, it is Sian Chay's 12th clinic and its first in a housing estate with a sizeable number of Malay and Indian residents.

Sian Chay chairman Toh Soon Huat, 56, told The Straits Times that he wanted a clinic there because he noticed a growing number of non-Chinese patients at his group's clinics recently, especially those in Geylang and Whampoa.

Statistics from Sian Chay show that its other 11 clinics were seeing more than 200 ethnic Malay and Indian patients every month. The number is also rising.

Earlier this year, Mr Toh proposed setting up a clinic in Marsiling to Madam Halimah Yacob, a Member of Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, who supported it as a community partnership between Sian Chay and grassroots organisations.

Sian Chay provides free consultation, but charges a nominal fee for medicine and treatments, such as tuina (a therapeutic massage) and acupuncture.

Mr Lim Hock Chee, vice-chairman of Marsiling Citizens' Consultative Committee and Sheng Siong supermarket boss, donated $300,000 - the cost of constructing the clinic. The grassroots group provided the space free.

Madam Halimah, who is also Speaker of Parliament, visited the clinic last Friday. She said it could not have come at a better time as many of her elderly residents from low-income families have chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, while many others have knee and kidney problems.

"About 30 per cent of the residents in Marsiling are Malay and another 15 per cent Indian," she said. "I have started distributing Sian Chay's pamphlets during my house visits to encourage them to go for free TCM consultations there."

Sian Chay's pamphlets now come in Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. They explain its mission and core values as well as the charges for medicine and treatments.

Madam Halimah said racial cohesiveness and harmony go beyond trying one another's food or understanding the cultures and customs.

"It will go deeper and stronger if one group shows compassion and provides assistance to another through, for example, TCM," she said. "I am glad that more Malay and Indian Singaporeans are going for TCM treatments."

The Marsiling clinic also has a mini cafe and multi-purpose room for residents.

Meanwhile, Sian Chay raised $520,000 from a charity dinner for 500 people at Safra's clubhouse in Toa Payoh on Saturday. Mr Toh said each of its 12 clinics, including its newest in Marsiling, needs between $200,000 and $300,000 a year to operate. He hopes to have 20 clinics by 2018.

•The clinic at Block 1, Marsiling Drive, #01-59 opens daily from 9am to noon, and 1pm to 5pm. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

This article was first published on Oct 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

While two of the three mechanised carparks in Housing Board estates - Changi Village and Yishun - can have utilisation rates of more than 90 per cent during peak hours, it is not the case for the one in Bangkit Road, which sees just around half its spots taken up in its busiest periods.

The mechanised parking systems (MPS) started operation last December and January, with those in Bangkit Road and Yishun for season parking and the Changi Village one open to short-term users too.

The HDB says it plans to allow short-term parking at the mechanised carpark in Bangkit Road in Bukit Panjang later this year where "the needs of our season-parking ticket holders are adequately met".

There are 26 parking spots in the Yishun mechanised carpark, 60 at the one in Bangkit Road, and 195 in Changi Village, where the mechanised carpark is near offices and eateries and is most popular during lunch and dinner on weekdays.

In Yishun, residents said the mechanised carpark is well used, with vacancies falling to single digits at night. But at Bangkit Road, vacant spots remained at around 50 between 8pm and 9pm when The Straits Times visited last Thursday.

At a mechanised carpark, users drive into a lift before exiting their vehicle and entering a PIN code outside. The car lift doors then close and the system automatically parks the vehicle. It is retrieved by entering the same PIN code.

Those who use the mechanised carparks told The Straits Times the system is convenient and safe, despite the occasional glitch. For those who do not use them, waiting time is a major concern.

"We cannot afford to wait five, 10 minutes in the morning. My kids will be late for school," said Mr Low Soon Peng, 45, a safety officer living in Yishun. He uses the mechanised carpark only on weekends.

It takes 10 to 15 minutes for users to retrieve their cars during the peak period and an average of five minutes during the off-peak period, said the National Development Ministry.

Motorists who need to use the car frequently also find it a hassle to park at a mechanised carpark.

Said retail manager Jo Yang, in her 40s, who works in Bangkit Road: "It's not very convenient for shopkeepers like us. We have to move merchandise sometimes and it's troublesome to go in and out of the carpark."

Other problems related to the three mechanised carparks include breakdowns. In half a year, there were 11 breakdowns out of some 54,000 parking transactions, mainly due to user issues such as motorists forgetting to apply their parking brakes, said MND last month.

Fans of the system, however, cited advantages such as security.

Yishun resident K. Krishna, 61, director of a human resource consultancy, said: "When I go overseas, I can leave my car there for a month. In the open-air carpark, you don't know what's going to happen but (at the mechanised carpark), I'm very sure the car is safe."

SIM University senior lecturer in urban transport management Park Byung Joon said such systems make it "quite easy to increase the parking capacity by (at least) threefold".

He said: "It has been implemented in cities like Seoul and Tokyo for many years. Given the scarcity of land in Singapore, MPS is really a way forward."

But Dr Park added that engineers will need to shorten the time for retrieving cars, as a 15-minute wait during peak hours may almost be "psychologically unacceptable" for users.

This article was first published on Oct 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Growth in the number of employed locals has slowed as a result of the economic cycle as well as a shift towards smaller cohorts of new workers and larger cohorts of retirees, said Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say yesterday.

This is why it is important to create good jobs that match the skill profiles of new workers, and ensure foreign manpower grows in a "balanced" way that complements local workers, Mr Lim told Parliament.

There is concern on the ground that local employment growth has been flat, at just 500 over the past 18 months. Average yearly growth was 73,000 from 2012 to 2014.

Mr Lim said economic conditions and policy factors can affect the number of people joining and leaving the workforce, such as more people leaving work after termination and completing contract and casual work, or for further studies and training. At the same time, more people are leaving jobs and fewer are entering them due to a structural shift in Singapore's labour force.

The number of residents retiring each year has nearly doubled from 2013 to 2015, rising from 11,000 to 20,000, according to Ministry of Manpower (MOM) data that Mr Lim showed. But the number of residents aged 15 to 24 joining the workforce fell in the same period, from 81,000 in 2013 to 69,000 last year.

"With ageing and lower birth rates, coupled with our relatively high labour force participation rate and low unemployment rate, we will see a continued slowdown of local labour force growth towards negligible levels or even stagnation in the next decade," he said.

Singapore should strive for a growth rate of 2 per cent to 3 per cent with good jobs, not the current 1 per cent to 2 per cent, he added. This is important as many new entrants to the workforce are not looking for the jobs vacated, he said.

Foreign manpower policy must also be well balanced. Neither taking in many more workers, nor reducing foreign manpower growth to zero, will be good for the economy.

In the first case, restructuring and productivity will be hit as companies become overly reliant on foreign manpower, he said, and in the second, no labour force growth coupled with low productivity growth will lead to a stagnant economy.

Asked by Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) and Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) about Employment Passes, Mr Lim said the MOM is increasingly selective in approving work passes for foreigners, and considers companies' adoption of fair and progressive human resource practices.

There are about 250 companies now on MOM's watchlist for being "triple weak", that is, not being up to scratch in having and nurturing a strong Singaporean core, and not having strong relevance to Singapore's economy and society, he added, in reply to labour MP Patrick Tay (West Coast GRC).

They include 80 out of 100 companies first identified in February this year that did not improve. Another 180 were identified since then. Around 20 of the original companies responded well by taking part in job fairs and stepping up training for locals, Mr Lim added.

This article was first published on Oct 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Premium bus services - which guarantee a seat at a fixed fare of around $4 or $5 - are losing some of their shine to City Direct services.

The Government launched City Direct services - which ply one-way express routes from housing estates to the city - about two years ago. Today, there are around 20 such services, which charge less but do not guarantee seats.

Premium bus services are run by private operators who collect fare revenue, while City Direct operators are contracted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) at fixed tendered sums, with routes and timings planned by LTA.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, LTA said 44 premium bus services had ceased between Jan 1, 2014 and Aug 31 this year. Of these, 27 were taken over by other operators, while 17 were not replaced.

"During the same period, there were 12 new premium bus services," an LTA spokesman said, bringing the total to 99, down from 104 in 2013.

Operators reckon the shrinkage will be more noticeable when more City Direct services are rolled out.

Last week, the LTA announced two new City Direct services, and said extra trips will also be added to nine of the 20 existing services.

Xingsheng Transport Services operations executive Ben Chan said: "If the Government continues to grow the City Direct services, we'll see demand for premium services fall further." Fares for City Direct services, he said, were much lower, at less than $3.

Operators said the number of riders on premium services has also been falling.

Bus Hub managing director V. Anilan said passengers on his premium bus services have "more than halved in the last one year".

He has given up one route and will give up another by year's end.

Even the big boys are not spared.

ComfortDelGro said it currently operates 13 premium bus services - eight by SBS Transit and five by ComfortDelGro Bus. "This is less than half what we operated a year ago," a spokesman said.

SIM University senior lecturer Park Byung Joon said he is not surprised that City Direct seems to be cannibalising premium bus service routes. "The two services are effectively substitute services," he said. "I don't think commuters see the two as different from each other."

Commuter and bus spotter Ben Chua said: "Standing is now allowed, so I really don't see how premium these services are."

The 25-year-old administrative assistant said reliability and capacity of the premium services were also patchy. He cited Service 556 as an example. "They downsized the buses from double-deckers to coaches. Then they just withdrew it completely from June 20."

Premium bus services have been around since the 1990s, but became popular recently. Between 2008 and 2013, the number of services more than doubled from 42 to 104.

But with City Direct services, their future is less certain.

Mr Anilan said: "Even if it is not their intention, LTA has in effect been cannibalising premium bus services built by private operators over many years, with the introduction of City Direct services.

"There is conflict of interest when LTA is both authority and operator because in reality, for City Direct, LTA is the de facto operator."

The LTA spokesman said: "The provision of premium bus services is dependent on market demand and commercial considerations. This means that the bus operators do their own market research and establish their own business case."

44

Number of premium bus services that had ceased between Jan 1, 2014 and Aug 31 this year. Of these, 27 were taken over by other operators, while 17 were not replaced.

 $4-5

The fixed fare on premium bus services - which guarantee a seat - compared to less than $3 on City Direct services.

This article was first published on Oct 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Instead of diverting resources to fund post-competition award schemes for Team Singapore athletes, the Government's focus is on providing a sustained, structured and comprehensive support system for all national sportsmen, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu told Parliament yesterday.

The medals won by swimmers Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh at last month's Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro gave Singapore its best-ever performance of two golds and a bronze.

The achievements sparked renewed calls from the public for Paralympic medallists to enjoy equal prize money vis-a-vis Olympic medal winners. It is currently pegged at 20 per cent.

Swimmer Joseph Schooling, who won Singapore's first Olympic gold in August, will receive $1 million under the Singapore National Olympic Council's (SNOC) Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme.

Yip will receive $400,000 - $200,000 for each of her two Paralympic golds - through the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC) Athlete's Achievement Award Programme.

In response to questions on this topic from MPs Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) and Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson), and Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh, Ms Fu said: "Instead of focusing on post-podium rewards, we believe our role is to support our athletes up front in their journey to the podium.

"We want more of them to get to the podium and bring pride to the nation.

We support them through providing scholarships that pay them reasonably well to train full time."

329981

Photo Gallery

Paralympians parade for Team Singapore

Source:

The Straits Times

She added that Sport Singapore (SportSG) supports 1,653 athletes - of which about 120 are para-athletes - across 45 sports, at a cost of $60 million annually.

There is also the $40 million Sports Excellence scholarships, which provide monthly stipends of between $1,200 and $8,400 to cover training and coaching costs.

Eight of the 72 national athletes under this scholarship are para-athletes, including Yip, who became Singapore's first Paralympic champion in 2008.

Ms Fu noted: "SportSG would not be able to help as many aspiring athletes pursue their dreams, if it had to divert resources to fund post-competition award schemes."

Rather than one-off cash prizes, the priority is to develop a "strong and sustainable ecosystem of support" for all national athletes.

This includes sharing their inspiring stories with the public and creating good career opportunities when their sporting careers end, she said.

Both SNOC and SNPC's reward schemes are funded by the Tote Board and Singapore Pools, and Dr Goh asked for an update on possible changes to these monetary rewards.

Ms Fu explained that both schemes are handled by separate non-governmental organisations, and added: "They need to have conversations with their donors and supporters because both organisations may have different needs and objectives.

It's best to leave them to look at their overall plan."

She stressed that the Government does not discriminate between able-bodied and para-athletes in terms of support, citing how, for example, some para-athletes need to be accompanied by a caregiver constantly.

She added: "In preparation for Rio 2016, we provided more funding for our Paralympians than their Olympic counterparts in some cases."

Ms Fu said she has also invited Singapore's 13-strong team of Paralympians to next month's Parliament sitting, where she will move a motion to pay tribute to their achievements in Rio.

This article was first published on Oct 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A 10-year jail sentence meted out to a pre-surgery transgender man yesterday made clear that women can be charged and punished for sexual penetration of minors.

Lawyers whom The Straits Times spoke to said the Court of Appeal ruling was an important clarification.

Over 22 months, Zunika Ahmad, 40, had regular sex with a minor using a dildo. Yesterday, Zunika was sentenced to 10 years in jail for six counts of sexually penetrating a minor.

This overturned a previous ruling when Zunika was acquitted because the High Court ruled that the law did not apply to women.

Criminal lawyer Adrian Wee said: "The court has held that that is an offence and I think it is rightly so. I think it is very good to clarify this point. The aim is to protect the minor. Does it matter to the minor whether he or she is penetrated by a male or female?"

Some lawyers were surprised by the previous acquittal.

Zunika had pleaded guilty to the six counts of sexual penetration of a minor but was acquitted by Senior Judge Kan Ting Chiu in April.

Section 376A(1)(b) states that "any person (A) who sexually penetrates, with a part of A's body (other than A's penis) or anything else", a person under the age of 16 is guilty of an offence.

Justice Kan reasoned that only a man can be charged with such a crime, given the way the provision was written. He said it was up to the legislature to amend it to make it clear that it includes women.

In the Court of Appeal's decision last month, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said: "Section 376A(1)(b) is gender neutral and is capable of applying to a female offender."

Criminal lawyer Amolat Singh said: "We already know that in other countries, women do exploit other women. It cannot be that Parliament would punish one gender and not the other."

Mr Singh said it was good for Singaporeans to know where the law stands on these matters, and that the previous situation had "created some bewilderment".

Adopting a literal reading "may not serve what Parliament had intended", said criminal lawyer Daniel Chia. "I think, fundamentally, the Court of Appeal recognises that the permutations of sexual misconduct are very wide."

However, criminal lawyer Peter Ong Lip Cheng felt that if the law was ambiguous, benefit of the doubt should be given to the accused and the law ought to be amended by Parliament.

Mr Ong said: "I know minors must be protected, but what I'm saying is, it must be very clear that this is a criminal offence. When you say 'other than A's penis', you're talking about a man."

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper, Kelly Kimberly Cheong, Ava Gia Munaji Salamat

This article was first published on Oct 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Six months after opening at hip hawker centre Timbre+ at one-north, chef Damian D'Silva has closed his eponymous stall.

On the closure, the Eurasian chef, 60, would only say that he needs to spend more time with his mother, and also cites manpower issues as a problem which has left him with "no other choice".

Known for his Singapore heritage cuisine, D'Silva's stall served dishes such as Hakka fried pork; nasi lemak; Lim Peh slider, where non-spicy beef rendang is stuffed in flaky pastry; and Kai Fan, where rice is cooked in chicken broth and topped with chicken, lup cheong and char siew.

Before opening at Timbre+, he used to run now-defunct restaurants such as Immigrants Gastrobar in Joo Chiat and Soul Kitchen in Purvis Street, as well as a pop-up stall selling Asian-style mini burgers called South East Sliders.

Timbre+ declines to reveal the next hawker who will take over D'Silva's stall.

Instead, taking up another hawker space is the popular Roxy Laksa, which will move from East Coast Lagoon Food Village to Timbre+ next month.

For this opening, Roxy Laksa owner Lim Swee Heng and his wife have partnered with Wild Rocket chef Willin Low as their "successor". Low, 43, who has been learning the recipe from them, says that Mr Lim's children do not want to take over the business.

He says: "We have been talking about this for two years, about how the brand will go forward and how to make the business scaleable. If I can succeed, then even if they choose to give up the business eventually, their laksa will still live on."

The 24,000 sq ft Timbre+ houses young hipster hawkers alongside old-timers. Offerings include Spanish tapas and paella from Portico Platos, casual French fare from Garcons and fishball noodles from The Fishball Story.

The industrial-chic food hall opened in April and is owned by the Timbre Group, which also runs music festivals and live music spots at The Substation, The Arts House and Gillman Barracks.

•Timbre+, at JTC LaunchPad @ one-north, 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, is open from 6am to midnight (Monday to Thursday) and 6 to 1am (Friday and Saturday). It is closed on Sunday. Go to www.facebook.com/timbreplus or www.timbreplus.sg

This article was first published on Oct 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A small sign above dessert stall Sweet Bistro in Holland Drive reads: Penang Char Kway Teow $3/$4.

I scratch my head.

The shop has an extensive display of cakes, muffins and tau sar piah. I can even spot pots of dessert such as green bean soup, pulut hitam and cheng tng behind the counter.

This stall sells char kway teow too? No way.

It turns out that each plate of char kway teow is cooked to order. None of the ingredients are on display at the front, unlike most other noodle stalls.

Owner Benz Tan, 53, says he used to be a chef, working at hotels and restaurants in Singapore and overseas. He opened Sweet Bistro about a decade ago and started offering Penang char kway teow some years back.

He uses the usual kway teow - not the thinner flat rice noodle version used in Penang - for his Penanginspired char kway teow.

The kway teow here has a good, smoky flavour or wok hei (Cantonese for breath of wok). Its chilli is mild yet energetic.

I appreciate the slight charred and blackened edges of the rice noodles, bean sprouts and lup cheong (Chinese sausage), which add to the dish's overall appeal.

Flavour and aroma also come from the generous amount of garlic the noodles are fried with.

A $4 plate comes with two prawns.

I like that the dish is fried only when an order is placed - so no limp, soggy, cold kway teow here.

I tucked into it as a snack after I had polished off a plate of wonton noodles and sui gao soup from another stall.

The Penang char kway teow was so good that I finished about half of it even on a full stomach.

When I went back to the stall last Thursday at lunch time, the char kway teow had already sold out.

I suggest heading there in the morning to avoid disappointment.

rltan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on October 9, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Kurama Robatayaki, which opened at Millenia Walk last month, is not going to get many walk-in customers.

That is because anyone walking past it at the mall's Nihon Food Street would not see the restaurant. What they see instead is a sake bar called Yoi, a makeshift-looking affair with a wire-fence gate, a cement floor and tables that look like stacked plastic crates.

To dispel the notion that this is a storeroom, though, carp streamers (koinobori) are hung on the wire fence and colourful cutouts of anime figures pasted on the walls.

To get to Kurama, you have to walk to the back of the bar and through a veiled doorway. Behind the curtains is the restaurant, which looks so different from Yoi that you could have entered a different dimension.

It is laid out in a way typical of robatayaki eateries, with a long wooden counter running down the room. The chefs and their charcoal grills stand on an elevated platform behind the counter, while diners sit facing them. In between is heaped the raw food - a colourful smorgasbord that ranges from wagyu beef, chicken wings and scallops to mushrooms, sweet potatoes and musk melons.

Lit white paper lanterns with Japanese calligraphy cover the ceiling and a wall, while another wall is filled with rows of white discs that form an interesting geometric design.

The restaurant has an a la carte menu, which is useful because it lists the prices, but I find the produce in front of me so tempting that the menu is abandoned after a while. It's easier to just point at what you want - like how online shopping is done with just a click - though I make sure to check the prices before I confirm anything.

Cooking at a robatayaki is restricted mainly to charcoal grills, and the chefs pass the cooked food to you on long wooden paddles.

Seasoning and sauces are used minimally, so what you get depends very much on the quality of the ingredients.

The food at Kurama is not top-grade, but good for the price you pay. Among the more expensive items is the wagyu kushi omi ($27), a medium-grade sirloin cut. It does not boast the burst of fat you get from top-of-the-range wagyu, but the flavour is good. There is a bit of sinew, but I enjoy chewing on that, so it's not a bad thing for me.

Contrast in texture is also the reason minced chicken patty or tsukune usually has bits of soft bone mixed in it. Kurama does that and serves the tsukune ($8) with sweet sauce that has a raw egg yolk floating on top. The seasoning is well balanced and the yolk forms a smooth coat over the patty - all the better to contrast with the crunchy bits of soft bone inside.

I prefer it to the chicken wing ($6), which is hardly seasoned and, because of that, unremarkable.

The buta bara ($9), or pork belly, is a bit tough. But the flavour is good, which the required chewing brings out very well. So I'd recommend this for those who do not insist on pork belly being melt-inthe-mouth soft.

If you like your meat more tender, go for the lamb rack ($16). It is juicier too and does not taste overly gamey.

Seafood generally turns out well with robatayaki and Kurama's dishes are commendable.

The hotate ($30) or scallop is delicious, even though it is also a tad overcooked. Grilled in its shell with sake and a bit of butter, it is sweet and its juices blend with the spirit to form a very tasty sauce.

The big prawns or Kurama ebi ($18) are firm and sweet, an indication of freshness, which is all that is needed to make a success of the dish.

The vegetables I try - shiitake ($10) and satsumaimo ($11) or sweet potato - are pretty much the supermarket variety and not worth the price.

The money is better spent on a fresh momotaro tomato ($12), which is served raw and chilled with just a sprinkle of salt. The flavourful fruit makes either a refreshing start to the meal or a palate cleanser at the end.

KURAMA ROBATAYAKI

02-07 Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard, tel: 6341-9668,

Open: noon to 2pm, 6pm to midnight (Monday to Saturday)

Food: ***½

Service: ***½

Ambience: ****

Price: Budget from $100 a person

ahyoke@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on October 9, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

I was recently introduced to a Cantonese-style wonton noodle stall called Lo Chan Kee at Holland Drive Market & Food Centre. And it lives up to expectations. The noodles ($3) are springy until the last mouthful.

The chilli, while piquant and a beautiful orangey-red colour, does not overpower. The dish comes with a decent amount of leafy greens, char siew and handmade wonton.

Order a bowl of sui gao or prawn and pork dumpling soup ($3) to go with the noodles.

The dumplings have generous fillings, with chunks of prawn mixed with well-seasoned minced pork and wood-ear fungus, and boast good flavour and texture.

WHERE: Lo Chan Kee Cantonese Wanton Noodles, 02-23 Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, Block 44 Holland Drive

MRT: Holland Village

OPEN: 6am to 2pm, closed on Monday and Friday

This article was first published on October 7, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

TOKYO - In a launch over 20 years in the works, Singaporean barbecued pork chain Bee Cheng Hiang has finally made inroads into Japan - its 11th overseas market and the one that has been the hardest to crack.

The chain opened its first store late last month in the heart of glitzy shopping district Ginza, just a stone's throw from the world's largest Uniqlo store.

Bee Cheng Hiang group general manager Daniel Wong attributed the lengthy process to Japan's strict food safety and regulatory compliance framework, a business culture complicated by the language barrier, and the decision to wholly own the store instead of leasing it out to a local franchisee.

There were also government-to-government level talks to allow the import of meat from Singapore, he said, including trips by officials from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to Bee Cheng Hiang's Singapore factory to observe its operations.

To make up for lost time, it is embarking on an aggressive expansion drive, with more stores already being planned for the Ginza belt and the Shimbashi business district.

No timeline was given but the chain has a track record of rapid expansion: It already has 17 outlets across three cities in South Korea, where it opened its first store in 2010 in Seoul.

Ms Peggy Chin, who is in charge of the brand's Japan operations, said it was confident of breaking into the Japanese market. "The feedback from the other markets in North-east Asia - Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan - has been that Japanese tourists buy our product and recognise us as the 'barbecue chain from Singapore'," she said. "So, we are very confident that the potential here is unlimited."

When The Straits Times visited the Ginza store last week, the staff - Singaporeans on temporary work visas - were overheard conversing with customers in a mix of English, Mandarin and Japanese.

A first-time customer who gave his name only as Mr Yamamoto, 55, said he was drawn to the store by the aroma of freshly barbecued pork and the samples provided by promoters outside the store.

"The products are interesting and I was curious about what Bee Cheng Hiang is selling," he said, adding that he likes the "unique" taste.

Ms Chin said the company has acquired factory space in nearby Kanagawa prefecture. The chain has two factories in China, where it opened its first store in 2002 and has more than 200 outlets.

The 83-year-old brand joins other Singaporean food brands that have established a presence in Tokyo. Wee Nam Kee, the chicken rice store, celebrated the first anniversary of its Tokyo restaurant in a Ginza shopping mall last month.

Soya bean specialist Mr Bean's store in the Shibuya shopping district is used by locals as a meeting point.

Salad Stop will be making its Japanese debut later this year, IE Singapore chief executive officer Lee Ark Boon told a Tokyo symposium last week that was jointly held by The Straits Times and Japanese media group Nikkei Business Publications.

waltsim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on October 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singapore's retail sector is going through a rough patch. As the economy slows, shops are being boarded up and retail rents are falling.

And yet, amid this gloom, consumers continue to spend - though there is a shift in the pattern and quantum of their spending.

In June, the first month of the Great Singapore Sale, retailer sales were down 3 per cent compared with the same month last year.

It is not just tourists who are staying away, but local consumers are also looking more closely at price tags.

The mood has not been helped by the fact that about 4,800 people were laid off in the second quarter, 48 per cent more than in the same period last year.

Landlords are feeling the pinch as well.

Average monthly gross rents for prime first-storey speciality retail shops dipped 1.2 per cent in the three months to September from the previous quarter, said property consultancy Edmund Tie & Company recently.

Vacancies in the Orchard planning area rose again in the second quarter to 9.2 per cent, after reaching what was then a five-year high of 8.8 per cent in the first quarter.

ANZ economist Ng Weiwen pointed out that home prices have fallen for 12 consecutive quarters, while bank lending has shrunk for 11 straight months.

This has translated into weaker spending.

However, the decline has been gentle across the board and there have been some bright spots.

Those who find this surprising should look at the unemployment rate.

While it rose from 1.9 per cent in March to 2.1 per cent in June, it remains quite low. Said OCBC economist Selena Ling: "When unemployment rate is anything below 3 per cent, it is effectively at full employment."

It could be one reason why consumers continue spending on mid-range goods and services, such as travel and at cafes, even as they cut back on luxury items and seek better deals for necessities.

ANZ's Mr Ng said: "For the different tiers of consumer spending, the high-end consumer segment will be more sensitive to changes in consumer income, so it's not surprising.

"The mid-range segment will still hold up in the near term as wages are still holding up."

In fact, more are paying their credit card bills on time.

Only 32.25 per cent of card holders did not pay their bills in full for the second quarter, down from 33.91 per cent in the first quarter. Ms Ling said: "People have been turning slightly more cautious with spending."

They may spend less on fashion.

And malls could take a hit if their offerings are the same as the ones available on Taobao and the like, she added.

But cheaper options like house brands at supermarket chain FairPrice are seeing stronger demand.

This is what a slowing economy looks like - in Singapore.

Read also:  - On the menu: Cheaper sets as restaurants battle gloom

                         - Retailers feel pinch but not beauty salons

                         - Tuition still on demand, but other types of classes hit

This article was first published on Oct 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singaporeans may be famously food-loving but eating out seems to be the first expense to go in an economic downturn.

Most restaurants and bars located in the downtown area interviewed by The Straits Times reported at least a 10 per cent drop in customers or turnover compared with last year.

Mr Philippe Pau, director of Bistro Du Vin at Shaw Centre, said Singaporeans react quickly to economic downturns.

"Companies and employees can sense straight away when things start to slow down and move to 'safe mode', which brings about more caution in spending," he said.

Mr Eldwin Chua, chief executive of the Paradise chain, said the group's high-end outlets like Chinese restaurant Paradise Pavilion at Marina Bay Financial Centre saw the biggest impact, with a "30 per cent fall in customers from last year, while its casual dining eateries such as Paradise Inn are down by 10 per cent".

Mr Chua has slashed the company's corporate expenditure by about 80 per cent. Instead of wining and dining his overseas business partners in the priciest Japanese restaurants, he chooses good restaurants that are cheaper.

Some Paradise restaurants introduced a 50 per cent discount for teatime earlier this year to help make up for lost revenue.

"We have to entice people to visit. Whatever is left of the pie, we snatch," said Mr Chua.

Many restaurants, including two in the Les Amis group - Vietnamese NamNam and Bistro du Vin - are offering more affordable options.

NamNam Noodle Bar senior area manager El Chee said: "While offering a value for money proposition to guests is not something new we have undertaken, greater effort has been made to cater to price-conscious guests looking for both quality and value."

A new dinner set was introduced last October as well as an a la carte buffet option last month which allows diners to eat more at a fixed price.

Bistro Du Vin which serves French food, also introduced a two-course option, on top of its three-course lunch set.

Mr Wesley Gunter, director of a public relations firm, said eating out with three children can be quite expensive, so he and his wife cook on weekends, enticing the children with "more exciting dishes".

"As we tend to entertain friends on weekends, we have now resorted to organising house potluck parties instead of meeting at our usual hangouts to save costs," he added.

Mr Indra Kantono, co-founder of four bars, including Jigger and Pony and Gibson, said he made use of the slower pace to focus on training and to renovate his weakest-performing bar.

He remains upbeat, citing the success of great restaurants born out of the 2008 financial crisis in the US.

Read also:  - Tuition still on demand, but other types of classes hit

                         - Retailers feel pinch but not beauty salons

                         - Shopping patterns shift amid slowdown

This article was first published on Oct 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Non-academic enrichment classes may be experiencing a slowdown in enrolments but companies offering academic classes, such as PSLE tutoring, remain resilient.

Ms Chan Huang Yee, executive director of I Can Read, a chain of English reading enrichment centres, said enrolment has been slower in the last two months, falling 10 per cent compared with last year.

She said the slowdown could be due to parents withdrawing students as the year comes to a close.

But she also expects the economic downturn to affect business.

"New customers will be reluctant to make the commitment.

While parents tend to leave any spending cuts on their child's education as the last option, a prolonged downturn will see even current customers cutting back on their spending," she said.

Ms Fiona Walker, group managing director of Julia Gabriel Education which offers speech and drama classes, has seen shifts in the company's enrolment over the last 12 months.

She said: "We have noticed a trend of parents wanting to see both clear links to academic outcomes, as well as being drawn to shorter, taster programmes."

Mrs Lindy Koh-Teo, operations manager of swimming school Aqua Ducks, said that growth has been slower this year.

In the 2008 financial crisis, she slashed prices and was able to retain customer loyalty.

She may not do the same now though as the firm is much bigger.

However, tuition appears to be most able to weather economic downturns.

Mr Max Tan, director of True Learning Centre, said that his three tuition centres have seen a "marked increase" in enrolments.

"For the PSLE classes, there's definitely an increase.

No matter how bad the economy is, children's education is still one of the priorities."

Read also: - On the menu: Cheaper sets as restaurants battle gloom

                         - Retailers feel pinch but not beauty salons

                         - Shopping patterns shift amid slowdown

This article was first published on Oct 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.