The exfoliating facial wash that makes your skin feel smooth can cause a host of problems down the food chain. They contain tiny balls of plastic, called microbeads, which can kill marine life and may even pass toxic chemicals to humans.

Several countries have vowed to ban products like facial washes, toothpaste and cosmetics that contain them. Now, the authorities here are studying their environmental threat and ways to prevent them from entering surrounding waters.

The National Parks Board told The Sunday Times it is "currently looking into assessing the status and impact of marine debris and microplastics on Singapore's marine environment". The National Environment Agency is monitoring international developments in legislation and domestic research on microplastics.

Last December, a law was passed in the United States to ban the production of personal care products and cosmetics containing plastic microbeads from 2017. Last month, Britain said it would follow suit.

Microbeads typically range in size from 1mm - about the size of a pinhead - to 1 micron or 100 times thinner than a strand of human hair. They are able to evade wastewater treatment filters and end up in rivers, seas and oceans. There, they are eaten by marine organisms, including fish and seabirds, blocking or damaging feeding appendages and digestive tracts.

See also: Tiny bits of plastic pose big threat

Microbeads can also absorb and concentrate harmful compounds, said Associate Professor He Jianzhong from the National University of Singapore's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The compounds include organic pollutants that can cause conditions like cancer. When eaten by fish, the toxins remain in them and can later be passed to humans.

But there are few large-scale studies with concrete findings on how chemicals in microplastics affect human health. A United Nations Environment Programme Frontiers 2016 Report said, for now, "the risk to human health appears to be no more significant than via other exposure routes". Still, it said harmful and persistent substances can amplify as predators eat prey.

Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said its food safety tests include chemical contaminants found in microplastics. It said it will keep a close watch on the microplastics issue and "will enhance or implement appropriate food safety programmes" if necessary.

According to Dr Jeffrey Obbard, who published a study on microplastics in Singapore's coastal marine environment in 2014, tiny plastic fragments including microbeads can be found in beach sand, seawater and drainage canals.

National water agency PUB gave the assurance that no microplastics are in Singapore's drinking water as any collected in reservoirs will be clumped with other impurities, which will sink and get filtered out.

But it said a small amount may enter the marine system when excess treated used water is discharged into the sea. It is looking into upgrading its water reclamation plants to filter out particles as small as 0.1 to 0.4 micron in diameter.

Singaporeans should be worried about plastics seeping into surrounding waters. "The microplastic might shift to Malaysia or Indonesia waters where people do fish and where we might get our fish too," Prof He said.

This article was first published on October 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Same old, same old is a common quibble about pasar malam, or night markets, here.

This could be one reason why, these days, only 10 to 12 are organised here a month, down from 20 to 30 five years ago, according to the Trade Fair Merchants' Association of Singapore, comprising 150 pasar malam stall owners and operators.

But the association hopes to turn the industry's fate around.

Its proposal: A permanent mega night market carnival park with amusement park games and rides, and getai.

The idea is bold and ambitious. But experts wonder if it is economically viable.

After all, as the association's president Alan Toh detailed in a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the new park will ideally be 150,000 sq m - larger than the size of the Downtown East entertainment hub in Pasir Ris - and within walking distance of an MRT station.

It should also have at least 1,000 stalls - half selling merchandise, half selling food, including local fare such as tutu cake and kacang putih, as well as items from other countries.

There will also be an entrepreneur zone, for newcomers to operate a stall for a month rent-free, as well as 20 amusement park attractions such as a ghost house, carousel, ferris wheel and bumper cars.

This is not all. The plan includes a 200-seat open-air cinema for the screening of old movies, such as those by late Malaysian film icon P. Ramlee. Guests can also relax at a bistro serving local beers. A stage will be set up for shows including getai performances.

The association is drafting an official proposal, but wrote a letter to the Government about two weeks ago to ask it to "allocate the time to discuss" this park.

In the letter, Mr Toh, 60, touted it as "Singapore's next tourist attraction" and suggested Jurong East - which is along the proposed highspeed rail project linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore - as an "ideal location".

Among the park's aims, he says, is to provide a secure livelihood for stall operators.

The association's honorary adviser, Member of Parliament Charles Chong, is facilitating the discussions.

The 63-year-old says: "When the association approached me with the idea, I thought it was interesting. Pasar malam are part of our culture and there is value in keeping them alive."

While he is unsure if the plan is financially viable, he says: "Even if it doesn't succeed, you can adapt it. Discard what doesn't work and keep what does."

The Singapore Tourism Board says it is open to such proposals and will discuss it with the association and other industry stakeholders.

Experts contacted say they are impressed with the detailed plan, but have doubts about its feasibility.

Associate professor of marketing Leonard Lee, 44, from the National University of Singapore Business School, says: "I think it's a brilliant idea which can help preserve and showcase an important aspect of our unique local heritage, as well as facilitate cultural exchange and social cohesion in Singapore.

"But a feasibility study would be necessary and I think a lot will depend on the implementation of this plan."

The 300-member Federation of Trade Fair Merchants' Association, responsible for about 70 per cent of trade fairs here, was less kind.

Describing the plan as unrealistic, its general affairs director Ho Chee Eng, 60, says it may take more than five years to realise such a plan. In a letter to The Straits Times Forum page last week, he adds that is not a timely solution to the problems the industry faces.

Instead, he suggests helping stall owners to transform their businesses, for instance, by consolidating the supply chain to help them cut costs, or through coaching and offering discounted rents to rookie stall owners, especially those who bring in novel products, such as unconventional snacks.

In any case, if the plan for a permanent pasar malam goes ahead, experts suggest learning from successful versions overseas, such as Hong Kong's Temple Street Night Market and Taiwan's Shilin Night Market.

Ms Alicia Seah, 51, director of public relations and communications at Dynasty Travel, notes that the Temple Street Night Market has fortune tellers, tarot card readers, Cantonese opera singers and shops selling trendy clothes and accessories as well as local food such as Hong Kong-style claypot rice.

"Nowhere else do you find such a mix of culture, cuisine and entertainment. It is accessible, the goods are affordable and the food delicious."

Others suggest taking a leaf from successful local fairs and weekend markets, such as the annual Hari Raya Bazaar in Geylang Serai, which is known to attract large crowds.

Dr Michael Chiam, 55, a senior tourism lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, says: "One possible way is to organise pasar malam based on the local festivals.

"The festive events are successful because they are usually located in areas where there is a high concentration of people who go for the festive mood."

While the association's plan calls for a fixed location for the pasar malam, some suggest a mobile one might work better.

Mr Gevin Png, 42, course manager of Temasek Polytechnic's diploma in hospitality and tourism management, says: "Pasar malam are by nature mobile, with an element of chaos, hence their novelty. A permanent one running throughout the day would contradict the meaning of 'night market'."

Assistant professor of marketing Hannah Chang, 35, from Singapore Management University, is quick to point out that pasar malam face strong competition from malls, hawker centres, coffee shops and online shopping.

To survive, the night markets must offer something not found elsewhere.

Prof Lee from NUS suggests having stalls that sell crafts, antiques and artefacts to cater to tourists.

"There could also be rotating attractions, such as bazaars or auctions, to encourage repeat visits."

A strong and unique theme would be crucial, says Ms Jane Chang, 34, head of marketing communications at Chan Brothers Travel.

"The park would have to select its tenants very carefully to get the right mix to maximise income."

When presented with these suggestions, Mr Toh tells The Sunday Times that he will consider them.

He says that his association will raise $5 million on its own - through its members and contacts - to fund his plan and hopes the authorities can help make it a reality.

"Pasar malam are an important part of Singapore identity and something my association very much wants to preserve."

This article was first published on Oct 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The Government should be cautious in approaching a plan to make it challenging to own a car, such as raising the cost of parking and reducing the availability of parking spaces ("Make it inconvenient to drive a car" by Mr Abdul Malek Mohamed Ali; last Sunday).

We must be careful about the effect such policies can have on society's standard of living, societal satisfaction and happiness.

In Hong Kong, there are surcharges for all revenue-generating tolls, including cross-harbour tunnels and parking spaces.

But this has led to unintended outcomes, such as the purchase of parking spaces as investments.

This will only lead to higher prices that hurt those who are less wealthy but need private transport.

There could also be more stress if the alternative - public transport - is unable to provide a satisfactory experience.

We should not artificially raise the cost of owning a car.

Rather, the Government should focus on providing more alternatives and making these alternatives viable and attractive.

At the same time, society should be provided with information about the true costs of car ownership, so a more balanced decision can be reached.

In the final analysis, we should let the individual exercise greater autonomy and allow the logic of informed rationality to prevail.

Tan Aik Seng

When it comes to successful nations, small ones often climb to the top of the league. Here are some examples.

In the game of nations, size matters. Big countries tend to have big populations, economies, militaries, resources and ambitions. From time immemorial, big countries have tended to dominate small countries. Even in the contemporary world, important institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, Group of Seven and Group of 20 are dominated by big countries.

It would, however, be a mistake to equate size with success. Some of the most successful countries in the world, in different fields of endeavour, are small countries. This fact is seldom highlighted. What I would like to do in this essay is to restore some balance to our perception of small countries.

I will give examples of small countries which have overcome the disadvantage of size and achieved extraordinary success.

RICHEST NATIONS: 14 OUT OF TOP 20

Since we live in a world which worships money, let me begin by asking which are the richest countries in the world. I will use GDP per capita as the criterion and define a small country as one with a population of less than 10 million. The 20 richest countries of the world are listed in the table on the left.

The astonishing fact is that, of the 20 richest countries, a majority of them, 14, are small countries.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: 12 OUT OF TOP 20

I acknowledge the validity of the view that GDP per capita may not be the best criterion of human welfare. Many prefer the UN's Human Development Index, which also looks at a country's achievements in education, health, housing, gender equity, and so on.

Which are the top 20 countries in the Human Development Index (2014)? They are: Norway, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Liechtenstein, Sweden, UK, Iceland, South Korea, Israel, Luxembourg, Japan and Belgium. Of the 20, 12 are small countries.

As a matter of interest, I would mention that China is ranked at No. 90, Indonesia at No. 110 and India at No. 130.

LEAST CORRUPT COUNTRIES: 13 OUT OF 20

Corruption is a universal evil. It is the aspiration of citizens everywhere to live in a society which is free of corruption. The non-governmental organisation, Transparency International, publishes the highly respected Corruption Perceptions Index annually.

Which are the 20 least corrupt countries in the 2015 index? They are: Denmark, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, UK, Australia, Iceland, Belgium, Austria, the US, Ireland, Japan and Uruguay. Thirteen of the 20 are small countries. India, China and Indonesia are ranked at 76, 83 and 88 respectively.

GENDER EQUALITY: 14 OUT OF TOP 20

Women have fought the longest battle for equality with men. Although women have made enormous progress in the last 50 years, the progress has been uneven. In some countries and in some cultures, women are still treated as second-class citizens. We must continue the fight until women throughout the world achieve equality and all glass ceilings have been broken.

The UN Development Report contains the Gender Inequality Index. Which are the top 20 countries in the 2016 index for gender equality? They are: Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Finland, Iceland, France, Singapore, Czech Republic, Spain, Luxembourg, Israel, Australia and Portugal. Fourteen of the 20 are small countries.

BEST EDUCATED COUNTRIES: 8 OUT OF 11

In this new world, human resource is a country's most important resource. Countries do well when they educate and train their people well. The World Economic Forum has just published the list of the 11 best educated countries in the world. The countries are ranked in the following order: (1) Singapore (2) Finland (3) the Netherlands (4) Switzerland (5) Belgium (6) Denmark (7) Norway (8) the US (9) Australia (10) New Zealand (11) Iceland. Eight of the 11 are small countries.

A HYPOTHESIS

A pattern seems to be emerging from these facts and figures. Some small countries are extremely successful because they are well governed (non-corrupt), pro-women (high gender equality) and pro-inclusive growth (high score on Human Development Index). I would add two more factors to account for their success. The first is that they have educated and trained their population well. The second is that they are open economies, with an outward orientation and are highly globalised.

Top 10 countries and regions with fastest Internet speed

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, AFP, Wikimedia Commons

SUCCESS IN COMPETITIVE SPORTS

I will conclude my essay with some observations on the success of some small countries in competitive sports.

The Olympic Games is the apex of competitive sports. I was watching the Rio Olympic Games. I was not surprised that the US, Britain and China won the most gold medals. I was, however, surprised at how well some small countries did in Rio.

I was impressed that Jamaica, with a population of 2.7 million, won six gold medals and a total of 11 medals in track and field; Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, is a Jamaican.

Croatia, with a population of 4.2 million, won five gold medals and a total of 10 medals.

New Zealand, with a population of 4.5 million, won four gold medals and a total of 18 medals.

Fiji, with a population of only 880,000, defeated Britain for the gold medal in rugby!

Our own national hero, Joseph Schooling, defeated three world champions from the US, South Africa and the Czech Republic to win the gold medal in the hotly contested 100m Butterfly.

The moral of the story is that small countries can produce world champions. Small countries can defeat big countries in sports, as Fiji did to Britain in rugby in Rio or Iceland did to England in football in the Euro Cup. Iceland's population is even smaller than that of Fiji. There are only 332,000 people in Iceland.

We live in a world where size does matter.

It would, however, be a mistake to equate size with success. Some of the world's most successful countries are small countries.

We therefore need not have an inferiority complex because we are small.

If we work hard and we work smart, we can outperform the big countries.

Top 30 countries with most open governments

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, Reuters, AFP, Wikimedia Commons

The writer is an Ambassador-At- Large with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Rector of the Tembusu College at the National University of Singapore.

This article was first published on Octob 15, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The man who allegedly caused a fire that razed a wet market and two coffee shops and disrupted the livelihoods of dozens of hawkers, was yesterday charged in court.

His head slightly bowed, Lim Ying Siang, who wore a striped polo T-shirt, had a blank expression when the charge was read.

The 41-year-old Singaporean had allegedly set fire to styrofoam boxes at the market at Block 493, Jurong West Street 41 last Tuesday at 2.42am, knowing it would likely destroy the market.

Lim, who was charged with committing mischief by fire with the intent to destroy a building, could be jailed for life, or imprisoned for up to 10 years and fined.

He will be remanded for a week for investigation and recovery of evidence. His case will be heard again this Friday. Lim, whose occupation is not known, was arrested by police in Jurong West Street 41 last Thursday.

Related: He has made so many of us suffer

The fire has caused stallholders income losses of hundreds to thousands of dollars a day. Some had only 15 minutes to salvage their belongings before hoardings were put up at the site on the night of the incident. Many of the stalls and equipment were damaged.

332030

Photo Gallery

Fire destroys Jurong coffeeshop and wet market

Source:

The New Paper

The Straits Times

Shin Min Daily News

Lianhe Wanbao

Berita Harian

A multi-agency effort is under way to help the 51 affected stallholders. The Housing Board and the National Environment Agency offered stallholders from Blocks 493 and 494 in Jurong West Street 41 a list of market stalls and food stalls available in Clementi and Ghim Moh.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development is also helping.

Several stallholders said Lim was often seen in the area. One stall owner at the affected Block 494 coffee shop said Lim was her customer and often had his meals there.

In a Facebook post, Jurong GRC MP Ang Wei Neng, who entered the cordoned-off area of the fire site yesterday, observed that the fire had destroyed "almost every thing".

"Once in a while, we could see debris dropping from the burnt roof..." he said. "Nonetheless, I pleaded with HDB to allow displaced stallholders to gain access to the cordoned site to look at whatever is left." He said arrangements have been made for displaced stallholders to enter the site today.

This article was first published on October 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

'Damned if you do or don't'. It was a statement that launched a thousand memes: "You need a very small space to have sex."

The words, spoken by Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times, were meant to encourage a discussion - particularly among young Singaporeans - about marriage and parenthood.

In an opinion piece which accompanied a package of stories on Wednesday, she said: "Millennial Singaporeans, who number nearly a million, are not about to start families because someone exhorts them to. If and when they decide to, it will likely be because they regard marriage and parenthood to be achievable, enjoyable and celebrated."

The stories, about the Government's strategy to tackle Singapore's falling birth rate, were posted on ST's Facebook page.

But the sound bite which gained the most traction by far was her feisty rejoinder to a question on whether young people are not getting their flats early enough to have children.

"You need a very small space to have sex," said the mother of three candidly. She also said that the Singaporean love story was vastly different from that in countries in the West. "In our case, man meets woman, man falls in love with woman, man proposes to woman, they then plan the wedding and do the house. In France, in the UK, in the Nordic countries, man meets woman, tonight they can make a baby already."

Within a day, the Facebook post had reached more than 1.5 million users and garnered more than 12,000 likes, comments and shares.

The top comment, which got more than 2,300 likes, likened her to United States presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The second-most liked comment said she had missed the point.

"It is not where to have sex. To have a house before a child is correct," said Facebook user Jo-ann Tan. "Having a flat means that the young couples are financially sound before they move on to the next stage of life. Is she expecting more couples to stay in the park?"

In an ST online poll taken by more than 23,000 respondents, 92 per cent agreed the flat came first.

The hashtag #SexInSmallSpaces started trending. So did memes around her comments, and lively discussions sprouted on alternative news sites.

While netizens had a field day, a parallel thread emerged about how one sometimes cannot win: Local politicians are often criticised for being too cookie-cutter, yet the ones who speak candidly risk ridicule.

"Singaporeans love to complain about everything. There's nothing wrong with what she said, it's just a matter of perspective," said Facebook user Mark Tay.

On her personal Facebook page, Mrs Teo was seen having to reply to users regarding her comments late into the night - a sure sign that she had managed to spark a discussion about a hot topic.

TRUMP VERSUS CLINTON, KARAOKE-STYLE

It was a serious debate between the two main contenders for the White House, but trust netizens to have some fun. A karaoke version has become a hit on the Internet.

The minute-long video shows Mrs Hillary Clinton and Mr Trump "singing" to each other to a 1992 Cantonese hit, Miss Each Other In The Wind And Rain. Cleverly edited by Hong Kong-based content creator Jack Sze a day after the debate, the hilarious video shows the two nominees glancing at each other wistfully in time with the lyrics of the love song. It has had more than a million views.

Mr Sze's video is one of a long line of spoofs of the US elections so far.

One video shows the duelling candidates singing the duet, The Time of My Life, from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, while another features actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt and others putting the debate into song as well.

Entertainment outlet Buzzfeed even managed to synchronise parts of Mr Trump's speech into Backstreet Boys' hit, As Long As You Love Me.

But it's not just the candidates who made waves online - a member of the audience did too.

Sporting a red fleece sweater, a neat moustache and spectacles, Mr Kenneth Bone rose to ask a question about energy policy. But Twitter erupted even before he had finished the question, and Mr Bone and his earnest demeanour soon became an Internet hit. It turned out that he had initially intended to wear an olive-coloured suit, but donned the sweater when he split his trousers while getting into his car.

Not all that surprisingly, given the random and unpredictable nature of what fires the public imagination, #KenBoneFacts became one of the top hashtags during the debate.

Costume-makers started making Ken Bone costumes for Halloween, while some US restaurants produced Bone-inspired menus.

Mr Bone was quick to capitalise on his instant fame. Besides starring in his own Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, he started selling official merchandise, designating a portion of the proceeds to fighting homelessness in Missouri. But with some less-than-salutary details emerging about his past, Mr Bone may be wishing he had thicker skin.

HOW MUCH DOES FACEBOOK KNOW ABOUT YOU?

You might be able to get a sense of it with a browser tool built by independent news site ProPublica.

Three journalists, who spent a year investigating the algorithms, said the social media giant holds a "comprehensive set of dossiers on its more than two billion members". Facebook, they said, keeps a log of every post liked, photo tagged, pages visited via the platform, shares and comments, among other actions.

All this data is then used to offer marketers a chance to target ads at increasingly specific groups of people. ProPublica says Facebook offers advertisers more than 1,300 categories for ad targeting.

The tool works only with the Chrome Web browser. You can find it at http://str.sg/4fkh

The article is the third in a four-part investigative piece dubbed Breaking The Black Box.

The other instalments deal with pricing, or how algorithms determine how much Web visitors pay for a service when they visit a site, and machine-learning, or how tech companies like Google, Amazon and Spotify leverage on machine-learning - in which algorithms are used to make predictions based on data - to better predict customers' preferences.

This article was first published on October 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Finding tenants for her four investment properties never used to be much of an issue for investor Jenny Yang, but those days of easy money are long gone.

Two of her units - a studio apartment in Novena and a two-bedroom unit near Lavender MRT station - remain vacant after the tenants, both foreigners, returned home in recent months.

"In the past, before one tenant moved out, I would get another offer, especially for the Lavender unit... now it's slower. The offers are too low as well," she told The Straits Times recently. She renewed leases for her two other properties - in the Bedok Reservoir area and Tampines - this year after lowering the rent by about 5 per cent.

Her plight is broadly in line with market trends, marked by falling rents and rising vacancies amid sluggish economic growth and a large supply of new units.

"With the economy slowing and the financial sector restructuring, the number of completions has outpaced the growth (in number) of foreigners, who account for about 60 per cent of the leasing activity," said Dr Lee Nai Jia, head of South-east Asia research at property consultancy Edmund Tie & Co.

There were 30,310 vacant private homes and a vacancy rate of 8.9 per cent as of June 30, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

International Property Advisor estimates the islandwide vacancy rate could hit 11.1 per cent by the end of the year. Its chief executive Ku Swee Yong noted: "The lack of leasing demand is not just due to the slowing economy, but recent statistics show that the top categories which contributed to population growth - including foreign domestic workers and dependants of pass holders - do not add demand for housing units."

Second-quarter data shows that vacancies were the highest at 12.6 per cent in the north-east region, which includes Punggol and Sengkang, followed by a 9.1 per cent vacancy rate in the east region, which includes Tampines and Pasir Ris.

Condominium rents in the core central region rose 0.1 per cent in the second quarter over the first, while those in the city fringe dipped 0.6 per cent and those in the suburbs declined 1.2 per cent.

The lacklustre leasing market has not put off investors at recent launches. Small-business owner Andrew Yap, who bought a two-bedder at Forest Woods for $917,000 on Oct 8, said: "The market is dull now, but the project won't be completed till a few more years... with future commercial development in Paya Lebar nearby, I think there'll be tenants."

Analysts expect the rental market to soften further, with suburban areas most vulnerable next year, when the bulk of units under construction are expected to be completed.

"Rental demand for some areas is still okay... such as for one- and two- bedroom units in the Central Business District, Marina Bay, Orchard Road, Buona Vista and River Valley," said PropNex Realty senior associate director Anthea Yeo.

With rents moderating, Knight Frank noted that the average rent per lease signed fell 8.8 per cent in the suburbs in the first half of this year over the same period last year, while that of the core central region slipped 4.5 per cent and that for the city fringe was down 4 per cent.

Landlords like accountant Eunice Lim have been more flexible in view of the weaker demand. Ms Lim recently rented out a one-bedder in Balestier for $1,700 a month. "That's a 30 per cent drop in rent... I was prepared to offer a discount. High rents in this market will not materialise. We have to be realistic," she said.

Property agents say it will remain a tenant's market in view of the wide choice of units available, but those near transport nodes and amenities will enjoy better demand.

This article was first published on October 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Two new condominium projects - in West Coast and Queenstown - will open their showflats this weekend in the hope of capitalising on good sales at recent launches.

Prospective buyers can visit the showflat of EL Development's Parc Riviera in West Coast Vale over the next two weekends, ahead of its sales launch next month.

The other project vying for buyers is Queens Peak in Dundee Road, in Queenstown. It will open for preview on Saturday, with the sales launch scheduled for Nov 5, its developer Hao Yuan Investment said.

EL Development told The Straits Times the average selling price for units at the 752-unit Parc Riviera - a 99-year leasehold development - will be about $1,250 per sq ft.

"We want to price (the units) low at the start to attract early-bird buyers... If demand is there and the market improves, maybe we can consider raising the price slightly," noted Mr Lim Yew Soon, managing director at EL Development.

Parc Riviera comprises two 36-storey towers with a four-storey carpark. It is near the Pandan Reservoir and park connector. Key features include a panoramic deck with jacuzzis and pavilions on the rooftops of both blocks.

Unit sizes range from 463 sq ft for a one-bedroom unit to 1,711 sq ft for the largest four-bedder. EL Development said 480 of the 752 units - or about 64 per cent - are one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Mr Lim said: "Recent sales at The Alps Residences and Forest Woods are very encouraging... I think as long as the project is well designed and reasonably priced, there'll be takers."

Hao Yuan Investment's Queens Peak - also a 99-year leasehold project - appears to be better located, being near the Queenstown MRT station. It has 736 units, comprising one- to five-bedroom apartments and penthouses.

The sizes of the units at Queens Peak range from 431 sq ft for the one-bedroom unit to 2,002 sq ft for the five-bedder, and 4,768 sq ft for the largest penthouse.

The one- and two-bedroom apartments make up 62 per cent of the total units available there. The developer said premium units will have private lift lobbies, and all four penthouses will come with private pools, jacuzzis and private roof terraces.

"While market sentiment is buoyed by the recent recovery in sales, Queens Peak has very strong qualities... and as such, we have improved confidence at this moment," said Hao Yuan Investment, adding that selling prices have not been set yet.

The two upcoming showflat openings follow the positive response to new projects rolled out this month.

Forest Woods, a project by City Developments, Hong Leong Holdings and TID, in Lorong Lew Lian sold 65 per cent of its 519 units on its first launch weekend on Oct 8.

MCC Land's The Alps Residences in Tampines moved 280 of 626 units in a single day when it was put on the market on Oct 2.

Investor Eileen Gwee bought a two-bedder at The Alps Residences in Tampines for under $750,000, in the hope of leasing it out. "I am still confident about Tampines. It is a mature estate and a regional centre; an international school is nearby... so there should be rental potential," said Ms Gwee, a sales manager.

Newly launched projects such as Cairnhill Nine near Orchard Road, Gem Residences in Toa Payoh and Lake Grande in Jurong have also sold well.

"New projects have launched at reasonable price levels this year... In addition, several of the projects are relatively well located and have attractive characteristics, such as a retail podium and proximity to an MRT station," said Ms Alice Tan, Knight Frank Singapore research head.

Both Parc Riviera and Queens Peak are expected to get their temporary occupation permits at the end of 2020.

wongsy@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Oct 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Market focus could shift inwards this week as the local third-quarter earnings season gathers steam, according to market analysts.

A number of Singapore real estate investment trusts (Reits), including Keppel Reit, Frasers Centrepoint Trust, Mapletree Industrial Trust and CapitaCommercial Trust, will be unveiling results through the week, starting today.

"The market will be keen to hear more about the managements' outlook statements and guidance on possible headwinds from rental reversions," Mr Nicholas Teo, trading strategist at KGI Securities (Singapore), told The Straits Times.

Local bourse operator Singapore Exchange is announcing its results tomorrow, followed by CapitaLand on Wednesday.

Keppel Corporation's Thursday unveiling will be closely watched as well - "not just from the oil and gas angle, but also on the property business, especially in China, where the residential property market has started to exude 'bubble-like' symptoms of late", noted Mr Teo.

Generally, market expectations of strong corporate earnings are low amid the slowing economy.

Data last Friday showed Singapore's economy expanded well below market consensus at 0.6 per cent in the third quarter - the slowest growth in seven years.

The weak gross domestic product numbers are likely to weigh on market sentiment ahead of the earnings season, said Ms Margaret Yang, market analyst at CMC Markets.

"Yet, given that the Singapore market has already lagged behind its regional peers in the last three months, the downside is limited as compared to other markets," she said. "The risk-reward is further cushioned by cheap valuation and relatively high dividend yield."

The third US presidential debate, set to take centrestage on Thursday morning Singapore time, may also affect investor sentiment. The markets have priced in a Hillary Clinton presidency, with control of the US Congress remaining in the hands of the Republican Party in the US elections next month.

On the economic data front, Singapore is due to release numbers on non-oil domestic exports today, while China will put out a slew of key figures on Wednesday, including third-quarter gross domestic product, industrial production and retail sales, which could influence market movement.

The past week was a dismal one for Singapore equities. The benchmark Straits Times Index fell by 60 points or 2.09 per cent to 2,815.24 for the week - its worst showing in more than two months.

Thai Beverage was one of the biggest drags on the index, slumping 4.5 cents or 4.5 per cent for the week to finish at 95 cents. The Thai market saw much volatility amid worries over the health of the country's monarch, who died last Thursday.

The local banks also lost ground amid fears of tightening monetary policy. DBS Group Holdings, for example, which finished flat at $15.03 last Friday, was down 2.5 per cent for the week.

Most of the action was dominated by penny stocks, including Spackman Entertainment Group, which surged 2.1 cents or 17.2 per cent to 14.3 cents last Friday, and was up 21.2 per cent for the week, after RHB initiated coverage on the firm with a "buy" call and a target price of 22 cents.

tsjwoo@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Oct 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Before he captivated audiences in the popular talent show Sing! China, Singaporean singer Nathan Hartono faced far less admiring national servicemen when he performed during his army days.

His stint in the Music and Drama Company (MDC) of the Singapore Armed Forces shaped his cool stage presence, in front of any crowd.

"I attribute a lot of my on-stage comfort to being in the MDC because the number of shows we did that nobody cared about - there were just too many to count," says Hartono, who sang in places such as army camps.

"And when you do enough of those shows, at some point, you figure out how to entertain yourself on stage. No matter how good or bad the crowd is, you always know how to have a good time on stage."

That composure, and charisma, was clear in Sing! China, where Hartono, 25, won second prize after losing narrowly to Chinese singer Jiang Dunhao in the Beijing finals on Oct 7.

While Hartono's Mandarin fan base may have grown exponentially since then, the bachelor is no newcomer on the home-grown English entertainment scene. He released his debut album at 15 and has been building a name for himself as a jazz and pop singer, as well as an actor on stage, television and online.

However, his career, which includes a discography of three albums, an EP and several singles, almost took a different trajectory.

While he was in the army, he found himself at the crossroads when he had to decide whether to pursue an academic or music degree.

He had already secured a place in the arts and social sciences faculty at the National University of Singapore, but he also wanted to study in the United States.

His mother, Madam Jocelyn Tjioe, 59, a senior vice-president of restaurant chain TungLok Group, suggested that he take up architecture in the US as he loved to draw.

On the other hand, his father, Mr Thomas Hartono, 61, a semi- retired resort consultant, advised him to continue with music.

The senior Hartono recalls: "I just gave him my opinion and said, 'If I were you, I would pursue what I already have.' Whether you end up an architect, singer, lawyer, gardener or cook, you're trying to earn a living like everybody else. But if you can earn a living with your hobby, you will be very happy."

Says his son: "The less practical side of me went, 'Of course, you pursue the things you love'. But the practical side of me was like, 'You should get a proper job'."

Music won and Hartono, an alumni of Nanyang Primary School and Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road), enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston, one of the most established contemporary music schools.

He studied music production and engineering and found it useful to learn multiple aspects of making music. More importantly, he could connect with musicians from different backgrounds from all over the world.

The singer, genial and forthcoming throughout the interview held at his record label Warner Music Singapore, says: "I can go to any country in the world and reach out to somebody I met in school and go, 'Hey man, playing a gig? Mind if I join you for a session?'"

In 2014, he took a sabbatical and returned to Singapore to focus on his singing career. He intends to finish his degree sometime in the future.

His parents, who flew to Beijing several times this year to be with their son every time he performed in Sing! China, are highly supportive.

Local singer Nathan Hartono wows Sing! China judges

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper, YouTube screengrabs, HBO Asia, Music & Movement

According to them, he showed his penchant for performing at a young age. His father remembers a Mid- Autumn Festival show which the family attended when his son was three. When the emcee called for volunteers to sing, little Nathan ambled up gamely to the stage and sang a tune from the children's television show, Barney.

"That's when I realised he had no stage fright," says his father.

A couple of years later, Hartono sang at a family gathering and Madam Tjioe recalled how her brother- in-law, a pianist, was highly impressed. "He told me, 'Wow, Nathan has a really sharp music sense.'"

Soon after, she enrolled him in a music class at Yamaha, but that did not last long as he was not interested. A few years later, she found a violin teacher for him, but that did not last long either.

What he was keen on was singing. At 14, during a karaoke session, he sang what his father describes as "hard to sing" tunes by the likes of singers Elvis Presley and Van Morrison.

A few weeks later, he saw an advertisement for Teenage magazine's talent contest, Teenage Icon, and encouraged his son to join. Taking his cues from classic singers such as Frank Sinatra, he aced the auditions.

When he reached the semi-finals, his parents sent him for lessons with singing coach Peter Tan, who had also trained Mandopop star Stefanie Sun.

He won the competition, a victory that effectively kick-started his singing career. He made his big- stage debut at the 2005 ChildAid, an annual concert that raises money for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund.

The following year, he released his debut album, Let Me Sing! Life, Love And All That Jazz, a collection of jazz-pop numbers that also included self-penned tunes. It went to No. 1 on the now-closed HMV Singapore's jazz charts.

At 15, he became the youngest performer to do a headline show in the Esplanade's Late Nite series at the venue's Recital Studio. The art centre's head of programme partnership, Ms Amy Ho, recalls that his "charming ways" were "quite unusual for a young person and made him seem older than his years".

Hartono would feature in many Esplanade presentations over the years and he was part of its Bright Young Things, a mentorship programme for young jazz talents.

He would also headline two more shows at the Esplanade, a second Late Nite Series gig in 2014 and, more recently, in July this year at the art centre's crown jewel, the much bigger Concert Hall.

The Esplanade's Ms Ho, 49, says: "We are very proud of his achievements through the past decade and have seen him mature from a mere jazz crooner to who he is today - a consummate entertainer as well as a down-to-earth music mentor for many young aspiring singers.

"He's very committed and involved in all that he does and remains very humble and warm despite all his successes."

Born Nathaniel Hartono @ Nathaniel Xiang, the singer and his siblings - Norman, 28, and Nydia, 22 - were born in Singapore. Their mother emigrated from Jakarta to Singapore in the 1970s and their father settled here from Bandung about a decade later. They met and married in Singapore.

The family speaks a mix of English, Bahasa Indonesia and Mandarin at home. Hartono says one of his most significant achievements in Sing! China was being able to not just sing in Mandarin, but also converse competently in the language.

"In the early stages of the show, back when my Chinese was not great, sometimes I'd mix up my Bahasa and Chinese because they take up the same space in my brain."

He surprised himself with how much his Mandarin has improved since taking part in the show.

"It's something I want to work on because language is a terrible thing to waste. I'm realising that now. I regret not putting in more effort back in secondary school. That's where I messed it up the most. I did not care for the second language thing, but yeah, it's biting me back right now."

His grandfather is Mr Tjioe Ji Nan, founder of TungLok Group. After the Sing! China finals, the restaurant chain celebrated his achievements with three days of promotions that included free servings of spinach tofu, his favourite dish.

That was not all. After he made a joke in a Straits Times interview about treating Singaporeans to iced Milo, the chocolate beverage's parent company Nestle sent out vans to dispense free Milo to the public. Last Saturday, he made an appearance at one giveaway outside Bugis+ mall and personally handed out free Milo to fans.

332543

Photo Gallery

Hundreds show up for Nathan Hartono and free Milo 'peng'

Source:

The Straits Times

As younger sister Nydia is studying film at Emerson College in Boston in the US, older brother Norman, general manager of Dancing Crab, TungLok Group's chain of Cajun-style seafood restaurants, is the only sibling in the family business.

While the star can cook - his mother vouches for his pasta - his only stint in the family business so far was to briefly help his brother when Dancing Crab was short on staff. He was tasked with food running, making sure that orders were sent through from the kitchen to the serving area.

"I don't know if I want to be involved in the family business, but I find customer service very rewarding. I love food. I love the food industry in general."

He counts himself fortunate to be able to make a living from music, with his income coming mostly from live shows as well as occasional brand endorsements on social media.

"I think the current landscape allows for musicians, artists and singers to make a decent living in Singapore whereas before, it might not have been as conducive.

"Whether you are a comedian, singer or dancer, if you have the ability and willingness to push yourself further, there are platforms to make a decent amount to support yourself."

Working with Mandopop king Jay Chou, his Sing! China mentor, has been an invaluable experience.

"He likes to innovate, experiment and push his own boundaries. He's always challenging the perception of how Chinese music sounds and I think that's what I learnt the most from him.

"No matter what level you're at, never become comfortable, always want to do more and have a crazy work ethic."

Chou has been a mentor who encouraged him to work on his strengths, he says.

Another mentor he looked up to earlier in his career was indie singer- songwriter Inch Chua, who first reached out to Hartono through YouTube in 2010.

"I was a bit of a fanboy. Of all the local musicians, she's probably the one who affected me the most, in terms of how I want to carry myself and to function, because I see her out there putting out new stuff constantly. I see her always going on to the next idea - she's never resting on her laurels."

He credits his compatriots in the music scene - acts that include The Sam Willows and Gentle Bones - for inspiring "healthy competition and healthy jealousy".

"I think envy is something that drives art more so than anything else. Being around people who are better than you inspires you to do more and do better."

In 2012, he made his acting debut in Spring Awakening, a musical about teenage sexuality. Other gigs since have included a role in HBO Asia's fantasy action television series Halfworlds.

With the buzz from Sing! China, acting will go on the backburner. He has been getting plenty of music, as well as acting, offers from China and he will spend the coming weeks deciding on the best course of action.

There is a possibility of working with Chou again and a live show might happen.

The only thing he can confirm is the release of his EP with Warner, which will be a mix of English and Mandarin songs.

"It's all up in the air right now. There have been options of working in China that I still need to explore."

With music such a consuming focus in his life now, there has been no time for romantic relationships. "It's been way too busy and too many things have been changing to focus on that part of life. I'd like to focus on that part of life at some point."

What is he looking for in a girlfriend? "Besides the outward appearance, good conversation mostly."

To relax, he loves to cook. "I used to draw a lot as well."

Meanwhile, he wants to be able to make music for as long as he possibly can and not just as a singer either. "When I get too old, I'll probably start doing other things like writing, composition, arrangement, production - that's what I went to school for,'' he says.

"So I'd like to stay around music for as long as possible and hopefully be one of the people who add to the rich tapestry that is the local music scene."

dinohadi@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Oct 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Four popular restaurants are moving or have already moved to new locations, and some are revamping menus.

Karu's Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant

Where: 05-01 Sime Darby Centre, 896 Dunearn Road

Open: 10.30am to 10pm, Tuesdays to Sundays; closed on Mondays

Info: Call 6762-7284 or go to www.karusindianrestaurant.com

When Karu's Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant was located in Upper Bukit Timah Road, diners had to grapple with limited parking lots and a no-reservations policy because the restaurant could seat only 90.

After 23 years there, owner Nallappan Subramaniyam, 51, decided to upgrade his business to a 200-seat restaurant in Sime Darby Centre in Dunearn Road.

The new establishment, which has been open for a month, is twice as big.

"For years, the growth of my business was limited by the restaurant's seating capacity," he says. "We had to turn away customers during peak hours."

Another reason for moving is that the new location is more accessible.

Sime Darby Centre is a two-minute walk from King Albert Park MRT station and has about 150 parking spaces.

Parking there is free on weekends and public holidays. Previously, customers had to park at a makeshift parking area behind the restaurant.

The new restaurant also has a larger kitchen with room to house machines that help automate parts of the food preparation process.

To boost productivity in the kitchen, Mr Subramaniyam bought an industrial-grade food mixer that can stir and cook about 50kg of vegetables or 180 litres of curry within an hour, before they are cooked with meat in woks.

Previously, the curry had to be cooked by three staff in three separate batches, and that took more than two hours.

Also new is a vegetable slicing machine that can process large quantities of ingredients.

Mr Subramaniyam spent about $34,000 on the two pieces of equipment, which made up about 40 per cent of the costs of setting up the new kitchen.

These machines help ease the manpower crunch that has been plaguing his restaurant for the past five years because of quotas set on foreign workers, he says.

With a more efficient kitchen, the restaurant has branched out to home delivery service via Deliveroo and will add dishes from North Indian cuisine, such as naan and tandoori chicken, next year.

Its most popular dishes include fish head curry (from $23.50), chicken masala and mutton Mysore (both from $5.40).

Today, the restaurant's business is at 80 per cent of of its previous level, with regulars making up the majority of customers.

Mr Subramaniyam says some regulars are still figuring out how to get to the new location. He expects business to stabilise within the next two months.

It also helps that the new restaurant has a brighter and more spacious feel, thanks to wide windows that open to greenery outside.

It also has a 1,000 sq ft rooftop space, where Mr Subramaniyam will add tables for alfresco dining later this year.

He says: "It is important to upgrade so that we can enhance the dining experience for customers."

New Ubin Seafood

Where: Level 6, Lam Soon Industrial Building canteen, 63 Hillview Avenue, from Nov 3

Open: 11am to 2pm daily except Mondays; 5.30 to 10.30pm daily

Info: Call 6466-9558/ 9740-6870 or go to ubinseafood.com

Most restaurants take the opportunity to overhaul their interiors and menus when they set up shop in a new location.

Not New Ubin Seafood.

When the popular zi char restaurant moves to Lam Soon Industrial Building in Hillview Avenue on Nov 3, everything from the menu to its kopitiam-style tables and chairs will be "transplanted" to the new 6,200 sq ft space. It will seat about 280 people; its current restaurant at Sin Ming Industrial Estate has a similar capacity.

The restaurant's marketing manager Joline Lim, 31, says: "Part of the restaurant's unique identity is its relaxed kampung feel and most customers want us to retain this feel instead of going upmarket."

At the new place, diners can expect the same signature dishes such as the Beef Set, comprising char- grilled cubes of Black Angus ribeye steak and rice fried with drippings from the grilled meat ($14 for l00g, minimum order 500g).

Other popular dishes are baked garlic crab (from $58, above) and Hokkien Mee (from $14).

It is also planning to roll out new lunch dishes such as bak kut teh and prawn noodles to cater to the office crowd and residents from the neighbouring private estate.

Ms Lim says the restaurant is relocating because Sin Ming Industrial Estate, which houses mainly car workshops, will be redeveloped in December. Its last day of operations at Sin Ming will be Oct 30.

She adds that the rental at the new location is comparable to that at Sin Ming's.

"We are sad to move," she says, "as this location was where the restaurant took off and became more prominent."

The restaurant was on the Bib Gourmand list of Singapore's Michelin Guide launched this year.

She adds that customers have mixed feelings about the move. "You win some, you lose some. Customers who live in the West are happy while those who do not may have to travel a bit."

Those who do not want the hassle of travelling can use the restaurant's month-old online delivery service - the restaurant is working with a logistics company to deliver most of its dishes islandwide for a flat fee of $18.

It is planning to open a second restaurant next year.

Bird Bird

Where: 97 Frankel Avenue, from early next month

Info: Go to www.facebook.com/birdbirdsg

When "ghetto-style" restaurant Bird Bird was at Ann Siang Hill, it failed to take flight.

The menu at the Thai fried chicken restaurant centred on dishes such as Bangkok-style fried chicken with a fiery green chilli sauce and Isaan-style barbecued chicken from north-east Thailand.

Chef-owner Bjorn Shen says most diners did not understand the concept and expected tom yum soup, pineapple rice and other familiar Thai dishes.

"People got annoyed and upset when we told them we didn't serve these dishes and we gave up explaining our food,'' the 34-year-old says.

"While we had fun with the innovative cuisine, we could have done better to see if it was the right fit for diners and make it economically sustainable," he adds.

He is scrapping the Thai element at Bird Bird and moving on to a concept that "goes along a more simplified expectation of fried chicken among diners here" - an American-style fried chicken restaurant.

Bird Bird, which was at Ann Siang Hill for about a year, closed last Friday. Shen is relocating the restaurant to a bigger place in Frankel Avenue, which will open early next month.

He adds that it was easy to make the transition as the rent was "fair and good".

The new eatery will serve buttermilk fried chicken, cornbread waffles, green goddess slaw made with tarragon vinegar and chives and soft-serve desserts.

Other dishes include Big Mac Fried Rice with wagyu beef balls (above), greens and Sriracha mayonnaise.

Prices will remain the same at about $30 a person including drinks.

He also says that the Ann Siang Hill restaurant, which seated about 40 people, was too small and he had to turn away customers on busier days such as Fridays.

Bird Bird's new space has room for about 65 diners.

He decided to move the business out of the Central Business District into a residential estate as the suburban crowd will be more consistent throughout the week.

He says: "It is a hassle to go into the city on weekends as most people do not want to return to the place where they work."

The decor of the new outlet will be more family-friendly and very different from the "bohemian feel with neon lights" look that evoked a dive bar at the former venue.

In contrast, the new space will have an "evergreen, airy and bright look".

Uncle Chicken

Where: 729 Havelock Road

Opens: Early December

Mr Niven Leong is on a quest to groom the next generation of food entrepreneurs.

He closed his Uncle Chicken Rice stall in The Bedok Marketplace two weeks ago and will open a 120-seat chicken rice restaurant in a shophouse in Havelock Road in early December. He is helped by two business partners.

The 57-year-old says that for his upcoming Uncle Chicken restaurant, the star of the menu will be Cantonese-style poached white chicken with ginger sauce, a dish he learnt from his late father who owned the popular Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice at the now-defunct Margaret Drive Hawker Centre in the 1970s.

At his stall in The Bedok Marketplace, Mr Leong also served chicken rice cooked from his father's recipe.

His restaurant menu will expand to include "old school" side dishes such as minced pork with salted egg; braised bittergourd with fish head or pork ribs; double-boiled soups; Hainanese pork chop; and emperor chicken. Desserts will include Hong Kong-style green bean soup and ginger custard.

By running a full-fledged business, Mr Leong hopes to attract more people to work in the food and beverage sector.

For a start, with a larger-scale business, he can offer his employees higher salaries compared with what they might earn at hawker stalls.

He is also looking to train his staff and show them the ropes of operating a food business, so that they can eventually take over his business or build it into a chain.

He hopes to impart the "A to Z of running a business" to them, from cooking to managing inventory.

"With a proper restaurant, I can create more routes for advancement for those who want to carve out a career in the food business," says Mr Leong, who plan to employ three kitchen staff and three service staff.

He will be spending $70,000 to $80,000 to renovate the space.

Mr Leong made headlines last month when he sold his chicken rice recipe to two aspiring hawkers for $42,800 each. The fee includes training on aspects such as managing a business.

He says: "It is only by sharing your knowledge and skills that you can ensure that the chicken rice recipe can be preserved."

kengohsz@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on October 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Indoor skydiver Kyra Poh captured a gold medal in the junior freestyle category at the Federation Aeronautique Internationale World Cup of Indoor Skydiving which ended yesterday.

Despite losing her shoe in the middle of her performance, the 14-year-old Singaporean kept her cool. She topped the standings with 63.3 points after nine rounds, ahead of Austrian siblings Andrzej (61.2) and Aleksandra (59.4) Soltyk. The competition was held in Warsaw, Poland, from last Tuesday to yesterday.

Kyra said: "I was really excited and wanted to showcase a perfect performance. But when I landed my spin, I accidentally hit the wall and my shoe came off. For a split second, I didn't know if I should continue, but I saw my mum's face and she was cheering me to go on, so I did.

"It was a challenge to carry on without my shoe as my routine's ending included a move where I have to run on the wind tunnel's net, and it was slippery and difficult to execute... I am really glad I managed to finish it."

Kyra, a School of the Arts student, had won the Australian Championship Freestyle Open title in August.

She and fellow teenager Choo Yi Xuan, 15, placed fourth for Team Firefly in the Dynamic 2-way category last Saturday. They finished behind teams Vipers, France 1 2WD and Suisse One.

Kyra said: "I think it's not the win that matters. It will expose the sport of indoor skydiving to Singapore. After my performance in Poland, hopefully this sport will be more well known in Singapore, and I'm also rooting for it to be an Olympic sport one day, so that I can represent the nation on a larger stage."

jonwong@sph.com.sg 

This article was first published on Oct 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Ms Kellyanne Conway, a pollster and political commentator, believes the Republican Party should treat women with more respect.

But as campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, she has found herself having to defend him, most recently against a rash of allegations by women who accuse him of groping and forcing himself on them.

For a while after the 49-year-old mother of four took on the job in August, she managed to rein in the brash businessman. He started using a teleprompter, gave serious policy addresses, and even expressed regret for some of the things he had said during the campaign.

But her effect on him might be wearing off, as evidenced by the 3am Twitter attack Mr Trump launched on former Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado, who claimed he had called her "Miss Piggy" after she gained weight.

Though Ms Conway said in interviews that she had reprimanded Mr Trump for his comments about women, it did not stop him from calling Ms Machado a "con" and "disgusting" in his tweets.

Ms Conway has also spent much of her time defending Mr Trump on cable networks.

When she was last on CNN on Wednesday, she was asked to comment on Mr Trump saying he could get away with going backstage before a pageant where he would see "incredible-looking women".

She defended her candidate by attacking his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's treatment of women instead.

"All you want to do is talk about something he said 10, 15 years ago, and yet we never want to talk about the women who were shamed and blamed by Hillary Clinton because they had sexual contact with her husband," said Ms Conway.

And when she was asked about Mr Trump intending to jail Mrs Clinton - a comment that came up in the second debate - she tried to brush it off by saying: "No he's not. You're taking it literally."

Ms Conway is no stranger to clients who make controversial statements about women. In 2012, she worked for then Missouri congressman Todd Akin whose comments on "legitimate rape" had frittered away his chances of re-election.

To prevent other Republicans from repeating such mistakes, Time magazine reported that Ms Conway was brought in to speak to a group of House Republicans at a golf resort. Her advice: stop talking about rape. She said the "four-letter word" had no place in political campaigns as it just gave credence to the Democrats' claim that Republicans were waging a "war on women".

Ms Conway, who co-authored a book in 2005 titled What Women Really Want, believes Republicans cannot treat women as a mere interest group and limit their pitches to women voters through subjects like reproductive rights.

Her co-author, Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, said: "In our book, we identified religious women, senior survivors, suburban caretakers and waitress mums, among others, that I would think would be targets for Trump."

Ms Conway told Time magazine in 2014 that the Republican Party should not talk to women "from the waist down". "Most women say, please speak to them from the waist up: my brain, my eyes," said Ms Conway, who runs her own polling firm.

Among her clients are former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Indiana governor and Mr Trump's running mate Mike Pence and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

330215

Photo Gallery

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in presidential debates

Source:

AFP

Reuters

"She has thought more about the concerns of women than any other Republican I know," Mr Gingrich told Time magazine.

Perhaps Ms Conway's deep understanding of women started at home. Her father, a truck driver, and her mother, who worked in a casino, were divorced before she was two, and she was raised by her mother, her grandmother and two unmarried aunts in New Jersey.

Politics was never a big part of family discussions, but she discovered it in high school in 1984 when she wrote about the Democratic and Republican national conventions for a local paper.

When she saw then President Ronald Reagan's speech, she told The New Yorker, she knew she was a Republican.

"He really touched me," she said. "I liked the more uplifting, aspirational, yet tough-guy kind of thing."

Interestingly, Ms Conway has not always batted for Team Trump.

At the start of this election cycle, she worked with a super PAC, or political action committee, supporting Mr Cruz, and it was only after he bowed out of the race that she became a senior adviser to Mr Trump. Only later did she become his third campaign manager.

Ms Lake said: "She could be a great help to Trump if he listens to her."

On Inauguration Day on Jan 20, Ms Conway will turn 50.

Before working for Mr Trump, she promised her family they would make a trip to Italy to celebrate, but now, she hopes to be in the capital instead, she told The New Yorker.

"I'll either be at a fabulous party in Washington DC, or I'll be in Italy," she said. "I can't lose."

simlinoi@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Oct 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A sarong-clad man stands on a clifftop and sings with gusto the opening lines of a famous Indonesian instant noodle TV commercial. "From Sabang to Merauke...," he croons, referring to two well-known cities at either end of the archipelago. "Flavour choices may differ, but we are single-hearted on taste."

Carefree children, businessmen in suits, hard-working farmers and trendy teenagers then slurp bowls of the piping-hot noodles as the song comes to its soaring conclusion: "Indomie, our taste."

The commercial effectively sums up Indonesia's near-universal love for Indomie, a popular brand which has become synonymous with instant noodles in the country.

And the humble dish is big business in the country of 261 million: Indonesia is the world's second-largest consumer after China, devouring 13.2 billion packets last year, according to the World Instant Noodles Association.

"Forget rendang or nasi goreng; Indonesia's real national food is instant noodles. There must be a packet or two in every kitchen here," said 18-year-old student Putri Aulia.

Dressed up or down, enjoyed at home or at warungs (eateries) for breakfast or late-night supper, Indonesians take their instant noodles seriously.

With prices starting from as low as 20 Singapore cents a packet, they are the go-to food for college students who live far from their families, office workers looking for a quick meal after work, and even the late president Suharto, who reportedly asked the palace chef to cook them for him and had even served them to guests.

First produced in Indonesia in the 1960s, instant noodles entered kitchens nationwide due to natural disasters, Mr Sribugo Suratmo, chairman of the Association of Bread, Biscuit and Instant Noodle Producers, told The Straits Times.

"Indonesia experiences a lot of natural disasters. When that happens, food aid is always in the form of instant noodles," said Mr Sribugo.

"Factories are able to produce instant noodles fast enough to meet unexpected spikes in demand. That's why noodle consumption is especially high in Indonesia, compared to other countries," he said.

The launch of Indomie by Indofood Sukses Makmur in 1982 took things to the next level through mass production and widespread sales, even in remote areas.

In a country where 40 per cent of the population live on less than US$2 (S$2.80) a day, the cheap and easy-to-cook dish soon became a staple. And with dozens of factories across Indonesia churning out an ever-growing variety of flavours, and street stalls everywhere offering the fare, experts expect consumption to grow up to 10 per cent this year, to 15 billion packets.

But while nature and economics launched instant noodles in Indonesia, it is innovation and marketing savvy that will ensure the staying power of the humble meal.

CHEAP EAT GETS HIP

From Indomie Gourmet (seaweed and corned beef flavour) and Indomie Pizza (smoked beef and Bombay onions) to Indomie Singapore Chilli Crab, the menu of instant noodle meals seems endless at hipster cafes such as Warunk Upnormal and What's Up Cafe.

Similar joints specialising in instant noodles have sprung up in downtown Jakarta in the last three years.

"Instant noodles are the 'food of a million followers'. Indonesians just love to eat them. I have been asked to open more outlets in various provinces," Mr Valentino Ivan Lie, 35, owner of What's Up Cafe where the noodles are priced at $2 per plate, told The Straits Times.

Mr Lie said he has opened nine outlets in Jakarta, Bekasi, Depok and Bandung in the past year, and plans to open at least 100 more in the next five years, including in Singapore.

At Goedkoop, a Dutch theme coffee shop whose name literally means cheap and good, the high-sodium and high-fat junk food gets a dash of wholesomeness in the form of Indomie Gourmet - noodles cooked in clear chicken-flavoured broth and topped with egg, nori, spinach and corned beef.

"Instant noodles are a must-have in any coffee shop. I grew up with it, and when studying abroad, that's the one thing I would eat if I missed home," said one of its founders, Ms Thanya Ponggawa, who lived in the United States for five years.

Some businesses are cashing in on the craze, selling unique noodles instead of other types of food.

Ms Sri Gusni Febriasari,who owns Mix Diner & Florist, sells 200 to 350 bowls daily of her signature Mie Mirip, or "Lookalike Noodles": instant noodles prepared and garnished to look exactly like photos on their packaging.

"Whenever we buy a packet of instant noodles, don't we look at the packaging and wish we could eat an exact copy?" she said.

In the age of YouTube and Instagram, instant noodles have developed a following on the Internet.

A video featuring London-based chef Ben Sumadiwiria's tongue-numbing experience at a Jakarta stall known for a particularly spicy version of instant noodles has attracted nearly 300,000 views since it was posted in August.

Mr Sumadiwiria, who owns a cooking show channel called Awesome Eats On YouTube, told The Straits Times he has at least 30 packets stashed in his suitcase at all times.

"Instant noodles are life. I eat them all the time!" said the 22-year-old.

The video is just one among hundreds posted online by instant noodle fans.

A group of young Indonesian rappers called SkinnyIndonesian24 sang in a video which has since attracted nearly 4.4 million views: "Indomie. Noodles from Indonesia. If you are hungry, don't despair. The solution is cheap. The taste is insane."

THE NEXT REVOLUTION

The dish is going luxe, with the development of higher-quality noodles and better ingredients.

"Instant noodles will remain as emergency food during natural disasters, but will also incorporate new innovations using real meat and vegetables," said Mr Sribugo.

Home-grown noodle makers are also expanding their reach overseas, while foreign ones are selling their noodles in Indonesia as well as partnering local experts to develop new flavours.

Indofood Sukses Makmur, which controls over 70 per cent of the market, has set up noodle factories in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and other countries.

Last year, the company reportedly began building what is expected to be the biggest factory outside Indonesia in Morocco. Two months ago, it opened a factory in Serbia.

Food consultant William Wongso said he spent the past year helping Japan-based Nissin Foods to develop four signature flavours - Malay chicken stew, savoury spicy seafood, classic oxtail and Indonesian tom yum - to be exported to Japan.

"The middle-income group is growing and is willing to pay for premium noodles, combining Japanese high-quality noodles with rich Indonesian flavours ," he said.

"But that's just a teaser, not a replacement. You must still come to my country to taste the real thing."

'Death' by instant noodles

The Indomie Pedas Mampus indeed lives up to its name.

The first few forkfuls were hot but not lethal, or so I thought as I sank my teeth into a mouthful of the Death Spicy noodles - packed with the punch of an estimated 100 chilli padi.

Stinging heat gushed through every nerve on my tongue and spread upwards to my nose and temples. My head throbbed, my ears popped and my eyes exploded with tears.

My pores oozed sweat and my skin itched. I rubbed my Angelina Jolie-esque lips and exhaled clouds of hellfire before popping a candy to douse the burn.

Mr Sartono, the 54-year-old owner of the Warung Abang Adek eatery, had warned me that some people fainted after eating the stuff while others had to be taken to hospital.

I only had diarrhoea for the rest of the day and had to gulp coconut juice and pop a painkiller to stop the cramps.

aarlina@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on October 15, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Republican Donald Trump has driven deep divisions between Americans, sparking a veritable civil war even within his own political party, but there is at least one Pennsylvania family the controversy-courting presidential candidate has united this year.

Mr Matt Carroll is a lifelong Republican, having voted for all of the party's presidential candidates since he first became eligible and cast his ballot for Mr George H.W. Bush. His wife, Beth, is a diehard Democrat.

"Now, for the first time in 20 years of marriage, we can talk politics in this house," said Mr Carroll, 46. "Trump has brought us together."

There is a twist though.

The sign on the white picket fence in front of their picture-perfect 19th-century home in Leetsdale, a leafy little borough 26km north of Pittsburgh, reveals that the couple will vote not for Mr Trump but for the Clinton/Kaine ticket.

Indeed, Mr Carroll represents the worst-case scenario for Mr Trump.

The swing state of Pennsylvania has not gone for a Republican presidential candidate since Mr Carroll first voted in 1988, and its 20 electoral votes are crucial to any chance of the party winning back the White House next month.

Current polls show the New York billionaire's road here is as steep as some of the streets that wind round Allegheny County's hilly eastern banks along the Ohio River. One puts him as much as 12 percentage points behind Mrs Clinton.

Yet supporters still predict Pennsylvania will give Mr Trump the kind of populist victory carved out by Republican Ronald Reagan, who piled up 49 per cent of the state's votes in 1980 and more than 53 per cent in 1984.

To do that after Democrat Barack Obama won more than 54 per cent in Pennylvania in 2008 and 53 per cent in 2012, Mr Trump will need every Republican vote he can muster, and more, in the state's mountainous rural mid-section and big city suburbs such as Leetsdale.

Mr Carroll's vote will not be one of them. He admitted that he's "not a Hillary fan", but said "I'll take her over Trump".

"I'm a lifelong Republican and I hope he loses badly, so it never happens again," he said. "There are plenty of Republicans I would have voted for, but there's no way on this green earth that I would vote for him."

Mr Carroll, a mechanical engineer who spent two years growing up in Japan and six years as a teenager in Taiwan when his father worked there, and speaks some Mandarin, lists his reasons for opposing Mr Trump in no uncertain terms: "He's a meglomaniac. He always has been one from Day One, before reality TV, when he was probably a freshman in high school.

"I will definitely come out and vote against him. I'm looking forward to it, in a sadistic sort of way."

Mrs Carroll, 45, who is a stay-at-home mother to their 61/2-year-old adopted daughter, voted for Mr Bernie Sanders in the primary but now supports Mrs Clinton wholeheartedly.

"She's very well qualified, over 30 years of experience," she said. "And it's time for a woman to be our president."

Pittsburgh resident Pam Iovina, a former navy captain and assistant secretary for congressional and legislative affairs for the Department of Veteran Affairs in the administration of the last Republican president, Mr George W. Bush, expressed similar sentiments. She has joined a group of 15 prominent Pennsylvania Republicans who announced last month that they would vote for Mrs Clinton.

"Hillary will support and promote total force readiness by protecting women service members that have been victims of military sexual assault and harassment," she said. "She will strengthen protections, so women don't fear retaliation from reporting."

Pittsburgh on Pennsylvania's western edge, like Philadelphia 454km away on the east coast, is a traditional urban stronghold for the state's Democrats; both cities are home to large numbers of African-Americans and Hispanics.

330215

Photo Gallery

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in presidential debates

Source:

AFP

Reuters

As in other swing states, Mr Trump's tacticians in Pennsylvania are targeting disgruntled Americans living in the countryside, suburbs and small towns hit hard by the modern economic move away from manufacturing, coal mining and steel production into cleaner fields like natural gas production, medicine and high technology.

Ambridge, little more than 3km north of Leetsdale in Beaver County, is one of those towns. Once one of the steel powerhouses that built Pittsburgh, whose American football team is called the Steelers, the borough is still reeling from the closing of all three of its steel mills. Those factories fuelled the American Bridge Company, which gave the borough its name and builds bridges round the world, but left Ambridge in 1983.

Residents once earned big pay cheques and the population grew to more than 20,000 in the 1930s. Now fewer than 7,000 remain, according to the estimated 2015 census, and some 29 per cent of those live in poverty.

Earlier, the same day that Mr Carroll expressed his dislike for his party's nominee, nearby Ambridge bubbled back to life again with thousands staging a rousing welcome - for Mr Trump.

A queue outside the Ambridge Area High School stretched for half a kilometre last Monday.

People patiently waited to go through stiff security checks to get into the Wright Automotive Field House, home of the school's basketball team aptly known as the Bridgers, to hear him speak.

Women proudly wore T-shirts with the image of Cosette but with the title of the Les Miserables musical replaced with the words "Les Deplorables" - a reference to Mrs Clinton's depiction of some of Mr Trump's supporters. Men wore Vietnam veterans caps and carried signs that said "Steel City for Trump".

One man in line was Mr Russ Hall, 74, who was with his wife Sondra. A retired air force master sergeant, he served two tours in Vietnam, has a master's degree in Chinese history, taught high school history, and marched alongside African-Americans in civil rights protests in Mississippi in the 1960s. That would seem to make him the antithesis of the less educated blue-collar white men usually portrayed as Trump supporters.

"I trust him. He has nothing to gain. He's not a politician," said Mr Hall, echoing many other Pennsylvanians. "He's a billionaire. He's giving up a lot of money-making opportunities in order to save America from what the Democrats have done to it in the last 15 to 20 years. If we lose this election, America is finished."

About 2,000 people, almost all of them white, packed the field house and roared their approval when former New York mayor Rudy Guiliani introduced Mr Trump as the "next president of the United States". The usual chants of "Lock her up" followed as their candidate-of-choice launched into a long attack on Mrs Clinton.

Another 1,000 people watched his speech on a video screen in a field outside. Across the street, a handful of steel workers, including women wearing pink construction helmets, and others protested. "Love trumps hate," they chanted.

Ambridge was one of two corners of the state that Mr Trump reached out to on Monday, right after the second presidential debate, not pausing for a breather. The other was a former coal-mining hub, Wilkes-Barre, some 500km across the Pocono and Endless Mountains to the north-east.

The city is the seat of Luzerne County, which has more Democrats, but state voter data showed more new Republicans than Democrats registered this year, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer website.

The Trump campaign expects to do well in Wilkes-Barre, as in the Ambridge area, because factories have closed and the presence of Latino immigrants has caused tensions, The New York Times reported, noting that thousands of equally enthusiastic Pennsylvanians turned out for Mr Trump.

Such large crowds showing up despite the release of the tape in which Mr Trump made crude remarks about women in 2005 appear to undercut the belief that he has little chance of winning Pennsylvania.

zach@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Oct 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Anaesthesia was a game-changer for modern medicine when it was first successfully used on a patient by American dentist William Morton on Oct 16, 1846.

Since then, surgery has become largely pain-free for patients, even as doctors are doing increasingly delicate and complex surgical procedures.

The mark of a successful general anaesthesia is that the patient remembers nothing of the surgery when he wakes up. And that is what happens almost all of the time.

Not surprisingly, what sticks in people's minds are stories of the very rare cases of people who are conscious during part of the surgery. These stories propagate misconceptions and anxiety in patients.

Patients with lower education levels and a lack of awareness tended to be more anxious. The most common myths were feeling pain during surgery, waking up during surgery and becoming paralysed after surgery.

Many patients may not know that an anaesthesiologist is part of the team that operates on them.

"Anaesthesiologists diagnose and treat medical problems or conditions that may arise before, during and after surgery, even while you sleep," said Dr Tay Yoong Chuan, a consultant anaesthesiologist at the Singapore General Hospital.

Here are his responses to some myths related to anaesthesia:

MYTH: The anaesthesia might wear off during surgery and I will wake up but be unable to call for help.

FACT: Consciousness during surgery is extremely rare. Before surgery, your anaesthesiologist will talk to you about your health and previous anaesthesia experience. This will enable him to provide you with the best and safest care plan to reduce the risk of problems.

MYTH: I may end up paralysed.

FACT: If you choose to have regional anaesthesia, you will be unable to move your arms or legs during surgery. Regional anaesthesia allows a part of the body to be anaesthetised for surgery without the need for general anaesthesia.

While there may be residual paralysis of a limb, this is temporary, until the medication wears off. Before being discharged from hospital, proper limb-care education is provided to protect it until full sensation and strength returns.

Permanent numbness and weakness of the limbs are extremely rare.

MYTH: I will still feel pain during surgery.

FACT: The anaesthesiologist is trained to provide pain relief during surgery. Do inform your doctor if you have any lingering pain after surgery. As pain is subjective, your anaesthesiologist will attend to your needs.

MYTH: I might not wake up after surgery.

FACT: Undergoing general anaesthesia is like going into a very deep sleep, after which you should wake up. This is the experience of patients, unless a serious event like a stroke has occurred.

Your anaesthesiologist will meet you before a procedure to discuss your individual risk associated with anaesthesia.

If there is a need for you to be closely monitored after a procedure, you will be sedated during your stay in intensive care.

When your condition stabilises, you will be woken up slowly.

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

With his boyish good looks and charming smile, it is little wonder that photos of Mr Lee Minwei, an auxiliary police officer at Changi Airport, have gone viral.

The 22-year-old gained instant popularity online last week, after his photos were posted on local humour site SGAG on Oct 14.

The photos show Mr Lee checking passports and have received a barrage of positive comments, mostly praising his striking features.

Then, just days later on Monday night (Oct 17), Changi Airport revealed the identity of the mysterious officer on their Facebook page, to the delight of his newfound fans.

Mr Lee said he was shocked by his sudden rise to Internet fame. "There are times when tourists ask me to take photos with them, but I never expected something like this to happen," he was quoted in the post.

"My friends and family tease me a lot, but I have a feeling my younger brother is slightly jealous."

The photogenic officer added that his mother has "really beautiful eyes", and he and his three siblings take after their parents' good looks.

While he also revealed that he is single, he added he is not actively seeking a relationship at the moment as he would like to focus on his career.

"I believe things will happen naturally if it's meant to be, and if the right girl comes along," he said.

332835

Photo Gallery

'Handsome' Changi Airport officer is a single 22-year-old Corporal

Source:

screengrabs

/SGAG

Facebook / SGAG

This is not the first time a police officer has gone viral for his good looks.

In February last year, Assistant Superintendent Ryan Koh became the unofficial poster boy for the Singapore Police Force after cardboard standees of his likeness were placed at store entrances across the island. He was dubbed Singapore's "most handsome" police officer.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Facebook video screengrabs

This article was first published on October 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in September last year, is a "plan of action for people, planet and prosperity".

High on the agenda is addressing the impact of climate change.

Droughts and floods are expected to become more frequent and intensive, with the potential to disrupt a country's economic and social fabric.

Singapore has a strong record of preparing for change, and looks well into the future for development planning.

On climate change, its ambitious Climate Action Plan aims at a 36 per cent reduction of emissions from 2005 levels, stabilising them by 2030.

The objectives to improve energy efficiency in power generation, industry, buildings, transport, household, waste and water are very comprehensive.

Examples include low-carbon technologies, new waste-to-energy plants that will optimise resource and energy recovery, better protection of coastal areas in the long term, fire probability index, impact of higher temperatures and strong winds on buildings, and innovative underground drainage and reservoir system.

Since the industry sector is responsible for 50 per cent of the emissions in the city state, plans include improving its energy efficiency by 1-2 per cent per year between 2020 and 2030.

The Government has also developed a "whole-of-government" strategy that will focus on coastal protection, managing water supply and improving food supply resilience.

Overall, the plan seeks to reduce long-term emissions, build capabilities for adaptation, develop opportunities for green growth and establish partnerships for implementation purposes.

Partnerships are essential as without participation of the public and private sectors and the population as a whole, no initiative would ever become reality.

However, Singapore's people sector still has a long way to go on water conservation.

CONSUMPTION: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Singapore's per capita daily water consumption is one of the lowest in Asia, but is significantly higher than many cities in western Europe.

Last year, after eight years of declines, daily water consumption increased from 150 litres to 151 litres.

One litre per person a day may not seem much, but it equates to a daily increase of 5.5 million litres.

In contrast, in Europe, daily average consumption per person in Denmark as a whole is less than 110 litres, as is the case in Hamburg and Leipzig in Germany, and Tallinn in Estonia.

Water conservation is especially relevant in times of scarcity.

In Spain, for example, water conservation efforts were triggered by serious droughts from the 1980s.

At present, cities like Madrid, Seville, Barcelona and Zaragoza have achieved a significant reduction in their daily use.

Consumption of water per capita per day is 128 litres, 113 litres, 102 litres and 96 litres respectively.

A point to note is that in all cases, water conservation strategies have included an increase in prices.

For example, in Zaragoza, tariffs increased by 56.31 per cent between 2002 and 2016.

Public response in Australia during, and after, the so-called "Millennium Drought" has also been positive.

In Sydney, per-capita water consumption decreased by 35 per cent.

It is reported that the city uses less water in total at present compared with 30 years ago, even with two million more people.

Experiences in California during the ongoing five-year extreme drought have been mixed.

According to the State Water Resources Control Board, in the 12 months to June this year, 2.4 billion cu m of water was saved, "enough water to supply 10 million people for a year".

However, when comparing August this year with August the previous year , it was found that water savings declined to 17.7 per cent from 27 per cent the previous year, raising concerns again on public engagement.

THE SITUATION IN SINGAPORE

In Singapore, the public still has to embrace water conservation and adopt new practices, not only during normal times, but also during drought conditions.

According to the American Meteorological Society, in Singapore, there were 40 days with less than 1mm of rain in January-February 2005, 42 days in the same period in 2009, and 62 days between Jan 13 and March 15, 2014, the longest and driest period from 1929 when official records started.

During the dry period in 2014, daily water consumption was reported to have increased by 5 per cent.

The solution does not depend on prices, which have not increased from the year 2000, but on a change in societal behaviour, education and awareness.

In 2015-2016, a prolonged drought in Johor also affected one of the sources of water for the city state.

Of especial concern has been that water levels in the Linggiu Reservoir dropped to 36.9 per cent, a historic low.

Impacts of climate change, dry periods in Singapore, and prolonged droughts in Johor seem to be becoming the norm rather than the exception.

The question is whether the public in the city state is ready to confront the challenges of achieving resilience by changing behaviour and reduce water consumption.

Plans in Singapore are to reduce water consumption to 147 litres per person by 2020 and 140 litres by 2030.

This will be achieved only with more emphasis on water demand management and social awareness, education and behavioural changes, issues on which the public has a major role to play.

It is not about pricing alone. It is about the understanding of the importance of water conservation for the resilience of the city state and society as a whole.

The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; and editor-in-chief of the International Journal Of Water Resources Development.

This article was first published on October 18, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

For more than a year, investigative journalist Frederik Obermaier - one half of the German duo at the heart of the Panama Papers revelation - lived a life that seemed better suited for the pages of a thriller.

He and Bastian Obermayer, his colleague at Munich-based daily Suddeutsche Zeitung, wrestled with fear and paranoia as the names of drug cartel members and world leaders surfaced among the 11.5 million documents leaked from Panamian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

They chained their computers to the wall to prevent them from being carried off, worked in a secured room armed with a vault and an alarm system and joined forces with hundreds of journalists from all corners of the world to comb through the treasure trove of confidential data.

When the story finally broke in April, it brought to light the secret offshore dealings of the rich and powerful, igniting public ire and political and financial fallouts.

But Obermaier - who will be in town next month for the Singapore Writers Festival, which runs from Nov 4 to 13 - tells The Straits Times wryly: "To be honest, I nearly missed the project."

The 34-year-old was on parental leave and had just received an offer from a renowned media outlet in Germany when Obermayer came calling.

"I told Bastian about the offer and shortly afterwards, he called me, asking me not to leave Suddeutsche Zeitung as there may be an interesting investigation. I thought it was a trick to keep me there - especially as he didn't tell me any details," says Obermaier.

"So we met in the evening, in a shady corner of a Greek tavern near where we both live. There, he told me about John Doe and the Mossack Fonseca data and gave me some names. I was electrified."

It was Obermayer, 38, who had, late one night early last year, received an anonymous e-mail that would set off the world's most massive data leak.

"Hello, this is John Doe," it read. "Interested in data?"

In the months that followed, John Doe - whose identity still remains unknown - sent more than 2.6TB of data, exposing an intricate web of corruption and tax evasion.

"The more names of notorious individuals we found, the more I was scared," says Obermaier.

"I mean, hey, they were members of drug cartels, of the mafia, (Syrian president) Bashar al-Assad's cousin, the best friend of (Russian president) Vladimir Putin, guys close to (Libyan dictator) Muammar Gaddafi. In other words, questionable people you don't want to mess with."

It soon became clear the leaked documents had to be handled with utmost care and caution, even for two seasoned journalists who had lifted the lid on financial scandals and Germany's weapons dealings.

"We asked our boss for a specially secured project room, with a vault and alarm system. We chained our PCs to the wall - and then came the part my girlfriend is still making fun of me about," says Obermaier. "I bought glitter nail polish and painted the screws of our computers."

If anyone tampered with their computers, he adds, the polish would likely crack, a signal that something was up.

Although the pair turned to the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists to handle the deluge of material, only Obermaier and Obermayer had direct access to John Doe, with whom they communicated over various encrypted channels.

The source's anonymity is not just a necessity - "My life is in danger. No meeting ever," John Doe had told them - but also a safeguard.

"The authenticity of the data and public interest are what counts for me. It is important that I can trust the documents. The source and his or her motivation are secondary for me as long as the source makes no conditions," says Obermaier.

"And although I'm very interested in the individual behind the pseudonym, I think staying anonymous is the best John Doe could have done for his or her safety - and for ours."

He adds: "Someone could put a pistol to my head and I wouldn't be able to lead him to John Doe. What better protection could John Doe have?"

Already, some journalists who worked on the project have suffered repercussions.

Obermaier rattles off a laundry list of casualties: a Venezuelan journalist dismissed by Ultimas Noticias, a pro-regime newspaper; and a Tunisian partner's website, the online magazine Inkyfada, hit by hackers after it reported on Tunisian involvement in the Panama Papers.

Closer to Singapore, Hong Kong daily Ming Pao's executive chief editor Keung Kwok Yuen was dismissed the very day the paper carried a front-page report on Hong Kongers named in the leak.

It was, the paper said, a cost-cutting exercise, but hundreds took to the streets in protest, believing the veteran editor's dismissal to be politically motivated.

Newspaper colleagues in Panama, meanwhile, took to printing the first issues about the leak at "a secret location, for fear that someone would use violence to stop their work", says Obermaier.

And in Ecuador, President Rafael Correa tweeted the names, private details and photos of reporters involved in the Panama Papers investigation.

"The message was clear: He wanted to put them under pressure. All these happenings are unacceptable," says Obermaier.

"Society needs a free press and if the rich and the powerful try to attack freedom of the press, we should all raise our voices. If you fight one of us, you fight all of us, you fight free society."

The thrills and spills behind the scenes of the Panama Papers saga are captured in the German duo's book, The Panama Papers: Breaking The Story Of How The Rich And Powerful Hide Their Money.

Since its publication in June, its film rights have been snapped up by Netflix.

At the Singapore Writers Festival on Nov 12, Obermaier is set to take on issues such as personal privacy, public accountability and transparency in the Internet age in his lecture Privacy Versus Surveillance: What The Panama Papers Mean For Everyone In The 21st Century.

On the same day, he will discuss the changing face of journalism at the panel The World In The Age Of Digital Journalism.

Besides the rise of data journalism, he sees collaboration as one of the ways forward. The Panama Papers project, after all, took the work of more than 400 journalists.

"In the past, investigative journalists were lone wolves, not sharing anything. But projects like the Panama Papers have shown what we can accomplish if we work together and share radically," he says.

At the same time, adds Obermaier, whose frank responses are peppered with frequent bursts of humour, the nature of journalists made them the project's greatest risk too.

"What can I say, journalists are chatty people. They love to speak about their job. I felt sure it would leak, to be honest. And I was sure we would lose stories along the way," he quips.

"But I am very happy it didn't in the end and that was because everyone on the team understood that the story was better for everyone if we published at the same time."

Investigative journalists - such as American Seymour Hersh, who exposed the mass killing of civilians in Vietnam by US troops - have long fascinated Obermaier, but he says "in high school, I didn't even dare work for the school magazine as I thought I couldn't write".

"My teachers also were of this opinion. I got the worst grade in a test with the topic Article Writing."

He started off studying political science in university - but met journalism students there and fell into their world.

"I was thrilled by what they told me about their studies. I started studying journalism, besides political science - and I've never regretted it."

His passion has yet to wane. He is still in love with journalism and its ideals, even at a time when the industry looks to be on the rocks.

And if dwindling trust is an issue journalists find themselves grappling with, they have to work hard to regain it, says Obermaier.

"We can do this only by responsible in-depth reporting. It is the duty of us journalists to have a critical view on the world, on the rich and the powerful, and to make wrongdoings public," he adds.

"This may sound a bit pathetic, but I believe in it."

When asked what he saw as his mission in releasing the data, he promptly dismisses "mission" as too big a word.

"I simply did my job - informing people about wrongdoings. The Panama Papers showed that there is a whole parallel world offshore in which the rich and powerful enjoy the freedom to avoid not just taxes, but also all kinds of laws they find inconvenient," he says.

"We should always keep in mind - the offshore world is not designed for the blue-collar worker or average earner. It's not for the 99 per cent."

The Panama Papers, he says, show that a person needs at least €1 million (S$1.53 million) before he can head offshore and see his taxes drop. The twisted reality, he points out, is that the more you have, the easier it is to pay less tax.

To him, the most important result of the leak is how it has sparked a fierce worldwide debate about tax havens and anonymous companies, and the threat they pose to society and democracy.

There are many other Mossack Fonsecas out there, after all, where the uber-rich can head for shelter, says Obermaier.

"Our democracy is at stake. People will lose faith when they see that the rich and the powerful do not stick to the rules that govern how lower- and middle-income earners pay tax," he says.

"There are already signs of deep hatred towards the elites and scorn for democracy. This will only increase if politicians keep ignoring the issue."

But the Panama Papers are not just about tax evasion. The documents show that non-transparent company structures allow for all sorts of financial misconduct, such as money-laundering, and help criminals hide their wrongdoings.

Obermaier says: "We have to stop this. To be precise: We, politicians, citizens, taxpayers, have to stop it."

asyiqins@sph.com.sg

The Straits Times is the official media partner of the Singapore Writers Festival. For more stories on the festival, go to www.straitstimes.com/tags/ singapore-writers-festival-2016

BOOK IT/ THE WORLD IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL JOURNALISM

Where: Play Den @ The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane

When: Nov 12, 10am

Admission: Festival pass event, $20 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg)

BOOK IT / PRIVACY VERSUS SURVEILLANCE: WHAT THE PANAMA PAPERS MEAN FOR EVERYONE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Where: Victoria Theatre, 9 Empress Place

When: Nov 12, 4pm

Admission: $25 from Sistic

This article was first published on October 18, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

WASHINGTON - Three suspects, including a father and his son, have been arrested over the death of American Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay's daughter, who was caught in a shooting between two vehicles outside a Kentucky restaurant.

Witnesses told police that gunfire was exchanged between occupants of two parked cars - a grey Dodge Charger and a dark-coloured sports car with tinted windows - in a parking lot in Lexington in the wee hours of Sunday.

After the shooting, Trinity Gay, 15, was taken in a private vehicle to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, Reuters reported.

Lexington Police Department yesterday said 38-year-old Chazerae Taylor and his son D'Markeo, 19, were charged with wanton endangerment in the fatal gunfire.

A third man, Dvonta Middlebrooks, 21, was charged with the same count and a weapons charge. He had fired multiple shots, CBS News reported police as saying.

A fourth man was being questioned and has not been charged.

"She didn't make it. I'm so confused," Mr Gay told the sports editor with NBC-affiliate Lex 18 television. "She was just here last week for fall break. It's so crazy."

Mr Gay, 34, who made his Olympic debut in 2008, won a silver medal with the 4x100m relay team at the 2012 Games in London. He is the US 100m record holder and the joint second-fastest 100m runner of all time, behind Usain Bolt.

Trinity was a rising star on the track team at Lafayette High School, her father's alma mater.

This article was first published on October 18, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.