Events
N & G R EEN S I N GAPORKorean Culture Club:
Singapore’s Last Leper
Community Sees Young
Voluteers PG 3
THE INGAPURA TIMES
November - January 2018
Train Closure: A Price To Pay For Smoother Rides
Commuters hope for a smoother
ride in 2018 in light of train closure
on Dec 10 and 17.
By: Jonathan Mak
O n Dec 10 and 17, 19 stations were
fully closed, but commuters find it a
necessary price to pay for a smoother ride in
2018. direct the crowd, orderly lines leading to the
The train closure was an initiative done
to give time for extended engineering works
and quicken the installation of the new sig-
naling system on the line. On Nov 21, the
Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced
these closures, as well as the changes in the
operating hours for these affected stations on
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Dec 8
to 31.
Notices were made before the closure,
with signboards put up prominently around
the station to inform commuters of the clo-
sure and the location of which the shuttle
bus services can be found. Furthermore,
ride-hailing firm Grab had also informed
commuters of the closure of these 19 sta-
tions. However, despite the many notices,
the closure still caught many by surprise.
Ms Lee Kim Fuong, 43, is one of the
many. “I can’t remember it’s actually today,”
she said.
On the first day of the closure, Dec 10,
many commuters could be seen approach-
ing the SMRT staff for help in directions and
how to go about with the train closure.
In light of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
MOE Kindergartens Bring New
Challenges For Private Kindergartens
MOE’s new regulation gives priority
to MOE kindergartens, but private
kindergartens have plenty to offer.
By: Chan Wen
W ith the Ministry of Education (MOE)
announcing their new pilot pro-
gramme on Nov 27, private kindergartens
may face a drop in enrolment with parents
changing preferences.
The programme, which gives priority
to students from an MOE kindergarten en-
rolling into a primary school located within
Clean and Green singapore
CLEA
Working Towards A Greener
Singapore
PG 4-5
With the help of staff and crowd marshals, commuters were able to find their way to their
destinations. Photo: Jonathan Mak.
train closure, shuttle bus services were made
available and a team of 400 staff and crowd
marshals were activated to help direct com-
muters.
However, the shuttle bus services came
at a cost, following the trains’ fare structure;
$0.77 for up to 3.2km and a $0.10 increase
for every kilometre travelled thereafter.
In an interview with TODAY, Singapore
University of Social Sciences (SUSS) econo-
mist Walter Theseira said the fare structure
was a “non-issue”.
Mr Lau Chi Kan, 45, felt otherwise.
“MRT should be convenient and fast to reach
a shared compound, will take place during
2018 Primary 1 registration exercise, for ad-
mission in 2019.
It aims to create a consistent and famil-
iar environment for students as they transi-
tion from kindergarten to primary school.
Students from these MOE kindergar-
tens will fall under Phase 2A2, together with
children whose parents are former students
or with siblings studying in the same school
as well as parents who are employed by the
school. A fixed number of places are set
aside each year for children enrolling under
this category.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6) Source: www.moe.gov.sg
CAMPUS Stories
E
A Step Up The Big Stage
PG 8
YOUR LOCAL SOURCE OF NEWS
an email interview.
These shuttle buses were said to come at
an interval of three to five minutes during
peak periods, and five to 10 minutes for non-
peak periods.
In the afternoon on Dec 17, at Bukit Ba-
tok bus interchange, it was observed that the
shuttle buses to Jurong East came at a regular
interval of two minutes. Additionally, with a
team of crowd marshals and staff activated to
respective shuttle buses were seen.
However, commuters complained about
the severe difference in travelling time via a
shuttle bus as compared to a train.
Ms Jermaine Ho, 19, said, “It usually
takes me 10 minutes to travel from Choa
Chu Kang to Jurong East by train but today,
because of the closure, the trip took about 30
minutes.”
However, many like Ms Ho were not
upset over the train closure, but rather felt
that the time gained from the train closure
a destination but the bus, you take a longer should be well-spent by SMRT to make train
time and should not [be] fared with the same rides in 2018 smoother.
MRT price,” he said. “I do feel that the closure is needed be-
Nonetheless, commuters agreed that the cause MRT has a lot of breakdowns recently
shuttle bus services were the only solution to and a lot of people are not really happy with
the closure of the affected train stations. how SMRT is handling it. I just hope that
“Shuttle buses are suitable alternatives the time they got from this closure will be
for MRT in short-term. However, the [ne- enough to really repair the trains and make
cessity] of MRT should be reviewed if the MRT more reliable,” she added.
shuttle buses can satisfy the daily regular There will be another train closure on
travel demands and do not affect the level the eastern-sector of the East-West Line on
of service in road networks,” said Dr Hsieh Jan 21 and 28, 2018.
Cheng-Hsien, a senior lecturer in Logistics
and Supply Chain Management in SUSS, in
Locations of current MOE kindergartens
MK@Northoaks
MK@Riverside MK@Punggol Green
MK@West Spring
MK@Punggol View
MK@DaZhong
MK@Sengkang Green MK@Springdale
MK@Westwood
MK@Frontier
MK@Farrer Park
MK@Blangah Rise
 PAGE 2
Modern Day Pasar Malam Supports Local Talents
The Local Lingo Tingkat Party
celebrates the old and new
Singapore through the sales of
traditional snacks and crafts.
By: Isabella Cordelia Chua
C
hinatown Food Street held its first ever
arts market, The Local Lingo Tingkat
Party, which supported Singaporean talents
who gave modern twists to traditional
goods.
Held on Nov 4 to 5, a variety of items
ranging from old-school snacks to mod-
ernised knick knacks were sold. The
marriage of food, art and entertainment
brought together 37 local talents, work-
shops and stalls.
The Local Lingo Tingkat Party was
formed with the idea of wanting to breathe
new life into traditional Singaporean prod-
ucts. Limited edition Tingkat sets (tradition-
al take-away containers) were sold for $12.
Ms Pin Goh, founder of The Local People
(TLP) who co-organised the event said, “I
came up with Local Lingo as when you’re
ordering food, you’ll be ordering in your
native tongue, a mix of Teochew, Hokkien,
Chinese and a dash of English.”
Freedom Film Festival Receives Surprising Number Of Films
Citizen Cinema was introduced to encourage local film-makers to make more films with social content.
By: Tan Shi Yun Joy
T he Freedom Film Festival showcased
nine local films related to social issues
in the new segment Citizen Cinema on Nov
11 and 12.
This new element called for local
film-makers to submit thought-provoking
films on Singapore’s social issues.
Mr Tan Tee Seng, the chairman of the
organising committee of Freedom Film
Festival, said that they were only expecting
around five films to be submitted for Citizen
Cinema, but had a pleasant surprise when
they received 24 films.
Nine were selected to screen during the
festival and three of the best films won $500
from Function 8.
Mr Tan said, “We are a small city but we
have big stories.” He explained that this new
element was created to allow people to “make
films to tell their own stories” and “use this
platform to showcase” their films.
The festival saw a full house audience in
The Projector during Citizen Cinema. Films
about the hardships foreign workers faced
in Singapore, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender community (LGBT) and other
social issues were addressed.
“I felt good about winning. [It was] more
of a team effort, so it was nice to see the
film getting recognised,” said Mr Tang Kang
Sheng, the film-maker for one of the win-
ning films, Falling. Falling talks about a les-
bian couple who were going through a tough
time in their relationship.
singapura TIMES EVENTS
featured Uncle Ringo-styled games to raise
funds for 51 lesser known charities from
10 different sectors under their movement,
Pledge It Forward.
They also provided employment op-
portunities for members of the Association
for Persons with Special Needs to pack old
school snacks like iced gem biscuits and
haw flakes for the event. The proceeds will
go back to the movement.
While people were slowly supporting
locals, the items still needed to win the
heart of others. “Something that is stopping
me from even buying is the price … as
much as I like it, I don’t think it’s worth that
much,” said Ms Rachel Tan, 22, a student.
Ms Colombine Lord, 19, a Canadian
who moved to Singapore three months ago,
said that people are “more aware of external
brands because everything is imported”
Bingz started when the team wanted something cheap and cold on a hot day but could not find which made us “less aware of what is pro-
their favourite dessert from the past. Photo: Isabella Cordelia duced locally”.
Amongst the stalls was ‘Bingz’, which had also been to Hong Kong to promote Singaporeans can better support local
sold sng baos (ice pops) to bring “olden days Singapore’s food culture to an international talents when they “buy local products,
into modern times” said Mr Darren Yeo, 25, audience. support local music and be attentive to new
co-owner of ‘Bingz’, who used to pester his The local artists hope that the govern- and upcoming talents that are happening all
mother to buy them daily despite having ment can help by giving a more subsidised around,” said Ms Pin Goh.
asthma when he was five. rate of rental fees and host more public The Local People will be celebrating
Ms Mandy Kew, 25, another stall owner, art conventions to help other startups like Christmas in a huge fashion by transform-
sold illustrations of local dishes like chicken them. ing South Beach Avenue to a one-stop all-
rice and laksa on badges and tote bags. She Another stall, The Social Carnival, things-local event with workshops, movie
screenings and music on Dec 15 to 17.
Mr Tang said that many film-makers “start
to self censor because [they] are scared” and
thinks that “we should make the film we
want to make and then after that, whatever
hurdles we go through, we try to overcome
them”.
Another new element that was added into
this year’s festival was the panel discussion
on film censorship in Singapore. The panel
consisted of underground artist and Gold
90.5FM DJ Chris Ho, film maker Martyn
See, programme director and artist Seelan
Palay, and arts activist Tan Tarn How.
When asked whether it is a good idea to
court censorship for box office success, Mr
Palay said:
“”
“No, as an artist we should never
think that way. Our work has to be
pure, no courting of anything.”
Seelan Palay
However, Mr See said: “I totally disagree.
If you want fame, controversy, you want your
name out there in the lights, make some-
thing controversial.”
2017 marks the 6th edition of the Free-
dom Film Festival. When it first began, the
festival was only a one-day event with an au-
dience of 80 people, but has now grown to a
two-day festival with around 300 people in
the last two years. Source: Function 8’s Facebook page.
 EVENTS singapura TIMES PAGE 3

Diabetes: A Personal Fight

The fight against diabetes is ultimately an individual choice,
says Dr Amy Khor.
An example of which is the “My
By: Jonathan Mak Healthy Plate”, a graphic aimed to bring
awareness towards the ideal portion an in-

S enior Minister of State, Dr Amy Khor,

spoke about the need to take ownership
over one’s fight against diabetes at World
Diabetes Day Singapore.
This came after Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong’s address towards the issue at
the National Day Rally 2017. With 400,000 and Wellness at Singapore Polytechnic.
Singaporeans having diabetes, about a third
whom have poor control of condition, he
urged Singaporeans to start making lifestyle
changes. “Personal choice and responsibil-
ity make all the difference to whether we
get diabetes or not, and if we already have
diabetes, whether we keep it under control,”
he said at the rally.
At the World Diabetes Day Singapore
on Nov 12, attendees could participate in
various activities for free, from Zumba and
Yoga sessions to talks on how to curb diabe-
tes.
Twenty-two booths were set up, some of
which ran by students who wished to raise
awareness towards healthy eating.
dividual should consume in his meals. “We
are promoting this healthy plate because
like it’s a[n] easier way for like the public to
understand about healthy eating,” said Heng
Tzai Tung, a second-year student currently
pursuing a Diploma in Nutrition, Health
There were also booths that promoted
healthier alternatives to people diagnosed
with diabetes. Dr Amy Khor trying out one of the many healthy supplements meant to combat diabetes that
When comparing between normal were promoted at World Diabetes Day Singapore. Photo: Jonathan Mak
kinds of food and the healthier options, Mr
sold at around $9 while the same amount of calories that costs $2.80 per bowl.
Douglas Yap, a diabetic patient said, “There
brown rice is sold at $14.10. Nonetheless, while the Singaporean
could be more done by the government to
Such a perception needs to be cor- government have plans in place to aid citi-
help like lower down the prices so that it
rected, said Dr Khor. “Healthier food and zens in their fight against diabetes, the fight
could be more affordable for people with
healthier options need not be more ex- is still an individual journey.
diabetes and maybe high cholesterol.”
pensive,” Dr Khor added. “You can opt for “Even as the government does its best
Nutritionist Daniel Ker also felt that
lower calorie dishes in hawker centres, food to create a supportive environment for
the price of healthier food should be made
courts and coffee shops under our Healthier people in Singapore to prevent or better
more affordable. “I hope that the cost of
Dining Programme.” manage diabetes, health is ultimately a per-
healthy food can be lowered significantly
Her personal recommendation would sonal responsibility,” said Dr Khor during
first,” he said.
be the Mee Soto at the hawker centre at Our her speech.
At supermarkets, 5kg of white rice is
Tampines Hub, a healthier dish with 500

Singapore’s Last Leper Community Sees Young Volunteers

A volunteer and a resident raise their hands to play the “Price is Right game”.
Children volunteers helping with the preparation of food for the residents of SILRA. Photo: Joseph Lim
Photo: Joseph Lim
year as compared to 36 in 1990. However, Half of the volunteers were children
Hope Worldwide Singapore sends parent and children volunteers to the even though the residents of SILRA are now who came with their parents.
cured, scars remain, with many patients Mr Adrian Ng, a programme develop-
Singapore Leprosy Relief Association (SILRA). having stumps on their hands and legs. ment executive at Hope Worldwide said,
Institute of Mental health, SILRA is an During the event, volunteers played “Since the volunteers are usually parents,
By: JOSEPH LIM organisation that is dedicated to improving games like The Price is Right where residents they usually bring their children along,
the life of its 31 elderly ex-leprosy patients had to guess a price of a household product letting the children see and imitate them

S ingapore’s last remaining leper commu-
nity received parent and children volun-
teers, who brought joy to the home through
2 hours of songs, games and food.
The event was a community outreach
programme organised by charity Hope
Worldwide Singapore, which sends its
volunteers to SILRA every third Sunday of a
month. This event was also one of the only
10 to 12 visits the home receives from the
public each year.
Located within the compound of the
by providing them with a home, basic care
and love.
Leprosy is a mildly infectious disease
which attacks the sensory nerves in the
hands, face and feet, causing a loss of sensa-
tion in the affected regions. This leads to a
person’s inability to feel pain, increasing the
risk of injuries and infections, which may
result in the amputation of limbs.
Today, leprosy is curable, due to im-
provements in medical science. On average,
Singapore sees seven new cases of leprosy a
or food item, and the winner who guessed
the closest figure to the exact price would
receive either a box of biscuits or a packet of
Milo drink.
Mr Roger Low, who was in charge of
the volunteers that day, said, “I think more
people are interested in helping children
and older people. However, this group of
people [the residents] are only a bit differ-
ent, they have a disease which no longer
exist in Singapore and not many people
know that this group of people still exist.”
because they want to let them learn from
young.”
“I feel a little proud as I helped to push
the wheelchair for the old person,” said
Noah Loy, 6, who had been to the home six
times.
“I felt that is a good experience for him
to know that there are unfortunate people
and we should do at least a little bit to con-
tribute and bring joy to them,” said Mdm
Karen Chang, Noah’s mother.
 PAGE 4
Alternative Mode Of Transport For A Greener Future
Bike-sharing services can combat pollution, but users must learn to exercise responsibility.
By: Isabella Cordelia Chua
W ith people starting to choose shared
bikes over driving for their daily
commute, Singapore can work towards a
greener city in the long run.
One such user is Mr Tang Wei Chong
Leonard, 30, an office worker who used to
take Grab, Uber or Taxi to work. Now, he
cycles on an Ofo bike to work everyday and
finds that it saves him travelling time and
money ever since he started using the bike
services in May 2017.
Apart from working adults such as Mr
Tang, students are also joining the trend of
cycling to school.
“Riding a bike allows for freedom for
Guide To Singapore's
Shared Bike Industry
5X
Number of Shared
Bike Companies
in singapore
(SG Bike, GBikes, Mobike, oBike, ofo)
30,000 X
Total Number of
Shared Bikes in
Singapore
278 X
Number of Bikes
Impounded in 2017
Source: The Straits Times.
Building A Greener Future
A garden city - How youths can uphold Singapore’s name.
By: Gray Chua
B uild-it-Green Club hosts their first work-
shop of the year to promote a greener
building environment to youths.
In a recent workshop organised by the
Building and Construction Authority’s
Build-it-Green (BiG) Club, it addressed
the current green building environment in
Singapore, alongside the functions of an
eco-friendly green building to the student
participants.
The BiG Club mostly consists of tertiary
education students in engineering and archi-
tecture related courses.
singapura TIMES
the user to travel in terms of taking short-
cuts, travelling on pavement, going through
buildings which cars and buses cannot do,”
said Eze Seah Yi Tse, 16, a student who cycles
to school every day.
Andre Shum Kai Heng, 17, a student
who used to rely on his parents to drive him
to school or take the cab now cycles to school
on an Ofo bike.
“It is a step closer to being a greener city,
especially with the government beginning to
introduce more bike paths,” said Andre.
More Singaporeans are open to the
bike-sharing services as it allows them free
transport during promotions. Additionally,
it also brings convenience for short distances
when it is faster to bike to the destination.
Ms Leia Japhia Lai Sze Min, 20, also uses
Mr Immanuel Lim, 34, a representative
of the Building and Construction Authori-
ty (BCA), said, “BCA has one key pillar that
looks into green buildings. So, we decided
that we should actually look at students be-
cause they are the next generation who will
be joining our workforce.
“It’s important to organise such work-
shops to inculcate such mindsets into them
before they actually join our built environ-
ment sector. So, this enables them to have
this consideration when they take on future
professions in our industry.”
The BiG club aims to develop students’
abilities before they take on future profes-
sions in the industry.
CLEAN AND GREEN SINGAPORE
the bike-sharing service when she is in a
rush. Ms Lai believes that if people consid-
ered riding bikes for short distances instead
of driving, it can go a long way in helping the
environment.
However, bike-sharing can be dan-
gerous if people who ultilise the service
do not take the responsibility to report
broken bikes. “I once got on a bike and
started paddling, only to ram into a rail-
ing because the handle was completely
loosened, so the wheel turned out of way
by 90 degrees,” said Ms Lai.
Mr Keshvinn Naidu, 21, the Envi-
ronmental POLITE Council Co-Found-
R E
er felt that most people treat the bikes
& G
well and do not damage them on
N
purpose. However, the
CLEA
Mr Finnegan Tan, 18, a student member
of the Executive Committee of the BiG Club
said, “I think that it really helps me in the fu-
ture because I really like the idea of pushing
for a cleaner and greener environment.”
The workshop also had an upcycling ac-
tivity, where an expert, Ms Catherine Chong,
came down and taught the students how to
create a dreamcatcher using recycled mate-
rials. A dreamcatcher is a handmade willow
hoop from some Native American cultures.
Ms Chong said, “It’s important for [the
youths] to know what recycling is. A green
building environment and recycling is in-
ter-related. For a cleaner and greener envi-
ronment, [the first step] is to cut down and
bike-sharing services can erode Singa-
pore’s clean and green city state if locals
continue to mishandle the bikes by toss-
ing them in bushes, drains and in the
middle of the roads.
“Singapore is cultivating so many
campaigns on several environmental
issues, however the simplest way would
be to simply reuse reduce and recycle. It
makes a big difference if we all did it,”
said Mr Naidu.
“Start a culture of responsibility and
be considerate to the next user,” said Mr
Caleb Soh, 24, Digital Designer.
recycle.”
The upcycling activity teaches the stu-
dents how they can be eco-friendly by do-
ing simple things themselves and using it in
their daily lives.
“For green buildings in particular, it’s a
little difficult for the man on the ground to
understand, because we are looking at, for
example, air conditioning, designing and
lighting etcetera. So, by having such easy to
understand messages through an upcycling
workshop, it helps to trigger [the youths’]
curiosity, to then explore further in terms of
the facilities they can actually look into,” said
Mr Lim.
BCA aims to further encourage and en-
 CLEAN AND GREEN SINGAPORE
Preventing The Aftertaste Of Food Waste
The National Environment Agency (NEA) aims to combat food wastage in Singapore with a Food Waste Management Hierarchy.
By: Jonathan Mak
N EA’s first Food Waste Reduction Am-
bassador Training workshop in 2018
attracted around 200 enthusiastic partic-
ipants wanting to do their part to reduce
wastage.
Held at the Environment Building, NEA
trainer Ms Fiona Yeo taught participants
how to start preventing food wastage, begin-
ning from their daily activ-
it i e s .
EEN SINGA
gage more students who are interested in a
career in the industry by spreading the mes-
sage of the importance of a greener Singa-
pore.
“[This] is more like an initial phrase
where we stir some interest through an up-
cycling workshop and then we can bring the
message further with the further engage-
ment that we have. This BiG club program
is to kind of identify key stakeholders or key
advocates within the student population, to
hopefully groom them and identify some of
them to move on to higher tier roles for ex-
ample like scholarships.
“But if they do not decide to join the in-
dustry, at least they have this mind-set, and
singapura TIMES
From making a grocery list before shopping
to asking servers about portion sizes before
ordering, participants learn how small ac-
tions can make a big difference towards food
wastage in Singapore.
This is NEA’s on-going battle to reduce
food waste in Singapore. In the recent de-
cade, it was found in a study conducted by
NEA that food waste has been reported to
increase by 50 per cent.
NEA has four strategies under its Food
Waste Management Hierarchy. Training
like-minded individuals is the first step.
“For this kind of mass communi-
ty training, we try to organ-
ise [these trainings]
about two to
POR
E
hopefully will all contribute to a greener Sin-
gapore,” said Mr Lim.
“”
“It’s important for [the youths] to
know what recycling is. A green
building environment and recycling
is inter-related.”
Catherine Chong
PAGe 5
three times a year, spread out throughout very [luxurious] and convenient and com-
the year and each time, we are looking at fortable, affordable place, there’s a lot of
100 to 150 [participants] and today, we have wastage, unnecessary wastage,” said Ms Sita
overwhelming response, we have more than
200 signups,” said Ms Cong Ying, deputy
Devi Dasi, 49, one of the participants in the
Food Waste Reduction Ambassador Train-
manager of the community and outreach ing.
department at NEA. The other strategies from the Food Waste
In these trainings, participants are Management Hierarchy include redistribut-
trained to be food waste ambassadors, which ing unsold and excess food, recycling and
includes three roles. The first of which would treating food waste, and recovering energy
be to pledge and commit themselves into by having food waste that is not recycled or
reducing food waste through their daily ac- treated to be disposed of at the Waste-to-en-
tivities. Secondly, to raise awareness of food ergy plants.
wastage to their family and friends, encour- However, despite the many efforts NEA
aging them to not waste food. Lastly, to join has in place, it is ultimately up to the individ-
as volunteers into public outreach events uals and the ambassadors to make a differ-
conducted by NEA. ence with their knowledge gained from these
“I guess it’s a very good exposure for trainings.
awareness because apparently everywhere “We must take the role of a RC… not the
and anywhere, because we come from a resident committee but responsible citizen.
Do what you think is right.” said Mr Bran-
don Low, deputy director of the community
and outreach department under NEA.
TIPS FOR SAVING FOOD AT HOME
Cook just enough.
Measure exactly to
100g
avoid wastage
SHARE.
pack excess food for
Friends or family
USE IT UP.
Cook meals using whats
Left in your kitchen
Source: NEA.
Upcycling activity during the workshop.
Photo: Gray Chua
 PAGE 6
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) an MOE kindergarten as it will smoothen
The MOE kindergarten curriculum
focuses on a local education with an em-
phasis on Singaporean traditions, festivals
and cuisine. Bilingualism is a key feature of
the curriculum with its Starlight Literacy
Programme. Currently, monthly fees are
$160 for Singapore Citizens and $320 for
Singapore Permanent Residents.
The new programme is favoured by
parents, especially those who wish to reduce
stress on their children from having to
adjust to a new primary school environ-
ment while also increasing their chances of
applying to a primary school.
EVENTS
Mr Thait Leong, 54, a father who is
waiting for the enrolment period to com-
mence for his daughter, prefers enrolling in
No Love For New Ngee Ann Gantries
Ngee Ann staff and students speak up about problems caused by gantries.
By: Joseph Lim
N gee Ann Polytechnic’s recent addition
of car park gantries have not been well
received by both staff and students.
The car parking gantries were opera-
tional as of Oct 1, 2017 and were added to
enhance campus security and automise car
parking facilities throughout campus.
The gantries were also installed to en-
sure that the institution keeps in-line with
the Public Service Division’s clean wage pol-
icy, to ensure that employees in public sector
do not receive hidden benefits like subsi-
dised parking.
Even though the gantries were added
as improvements, student drivers like Mr
Joshua Yeo, a second year International Lo-
gistics and Supply Chain Management stu-
dent, found that the gantry causes unneces-
sary delays to his daily commute to school,
adding an extra 10 minutes to his already
lengthy journey.
Mr Yeo drives into campus through
the back exit via the Pan Island Expressway
(PIE). “There is usually a long line of cars as
they have to go through the gantry one by
one, causing a bottleneck congestion to enter
the school,” he said.
Mr Mak Yeuw Foun, a senior estate
manager in charge of installing and manag-
ing the gantries, acknowledged that the back
Source: Mr Mak Yeuw Foun, senior estate manager.
singapura TIMES
the journey for his daughter’s education.
“Continuity will be good for the child and
there will be less disruption,” said Mr Leong
on his decision to enrol his daughter in an
MOE kindergarten.
Following the new regulation, MOE will
look to build a total of 50 kindergartens by
2023, which is likely to result in increased
competition for private kindergartens. The
new regulation has led to many private
kindergartens to fear a drop in enrolment.
However, Ms Rin Wong, 56, the prin-
cipal of Ripples Montessori Kindergarten
at 10 Jalan Pari Burong Picardy Garden,
remained confident in her kindergarten’s
ability to attract parents. “I only have 10
kids in a class, so this is an attraction be-
A long line of cars waiting to access the only gantry at the back exit near the PIE (Pan Island
Expressway). Photo by Joseph Lim
exit near the PIE is a critical area.
“We have a car park officer to stand by in
case the barrier arm doesn’t open, so he can
raise the barrier for the drivers, as for every
one minute of delay, [the gantry queue] can
go almost all the way to the main road,” he
said.
The gantries also mean that visitors and
student drivers are now able to park any-
where on campus. To ensure that the staff still
has parking space, lots have been reserved
just for them. However, these reserved lots
cause … the smaller the ratio, the better,”
she remarked.
Currently, Ms Wong has five teachers
under her employment and 40 students
enrolled. Fees are $550 a month at the mo-
ment.
“I don’t think they (MOE kindergar-
tens) will have much of a personal touch
and I don’t think the teachers will have so
much free time for personal touch,” Ms
Wong added.
The programme has not swayed all
parents. Mdm Felicia Goh, 36, a mother of
two, is sceptical of the programme. She has
a daughter who had just graduated from a
private kindergarten in 2017.
“It doesn’t affect my preference as my
criteria for choosing a pre-school is based
come at an increased season parking price,
$80 for surface lots and $110 for sheltered
lots, a far cry from $30 and $50 respectively
before the installation.
However, paying for season parking
does not guarantee a spot near one’s office as
Ms Rachel Lim, a Student Development Of-
ficer, who is currently six months pregnant
found out.
She pointed out that even with the re-
served spaces, “there are no changes and we
are still fighting for car park space”.
ISSUES
on the curriculum and the learning envi-
ronment the school offers. Other factors
include the calibre of the teachers, the loca-
tion, teacher-student ratio and school fees,”
said Mdm Goh.
The programme may also create an
atmosphere of competition for parents.
“I don’t agree with the government’s de-
cision to give priority for students within
the same compound, as this will only spur
parents’ competitiveness to enrol their kids
with such kindergartens, and extend the
six years of primary school life into the K2
year,” she added.
Thus, if Ms Lim were to be slightly late,
she would be unable to find a lot near her
office, forcing her to park somewhere further
away, which is troublesome due to her preg-
nancy.
However, she accepted that this is part of
driving to school and added, “We need not
drive, we can take public transport, and even
if we have to take stuff to school, there is al-
ways Grab, Uber and taxi.”
While staff understand the rationale for
adjusted rates, students find it unfair to pay
$1.20 per hour to park in school as they are
not allowed to purchase season parking.
Mr Charlton Lau, a second year Aero-
space Electronics student who used to drive
to school daily in a rented car, is no longer
able to do so due to the increased cost of
parking.
“Because I’m in archery, my bow bag
is quite heavy, so driving to school is much
better and much more convenient,” he said.
“There used to be free parking on Saturdays,
so I can drive to school for trainings, but
now Saturdays we still have to pay, so I don’t
drive to school for training as it is a full day
thing. It costs too much.”
Mr Yeo said, “Most of the student’s mon-
ey are already being spent on food and other
activities, for us when we drive to school it is
like $5, $6 which is a lot to us, it is as good as
having one meal gone.”
 ISSUES singapura TIMES PAGe 7

Oh, Rats! Holland Village Unable To Shake Off Pesky Rodents

National Environment Agency
(NEA) not doing enough to exter-
minate pests, say residents and
business owners.
By: Isabella Cordelia Chua
October 2017 due to the rat infestation.
They were also fined $800 and received six
demerit points.
“Actually we can’t really prevent (rats
from multiplying) because [of] mother
nature. Some more it’s raining season, the
rats will just find house and find food. We
can only block them from coming into our
restaurant,” said Mr Law Kar Heng, 24,

S ightings of rats are rampant at the

popular hangout destination and blocks
of Holland Close, causing distress to stall
owners and residents for many years.
H M Hussain, a neighbourhood conve-
nience shop in Holland Village (HV) is one
of the shops that suffered losses and was
badly affected by the rat infestation.
Ms Nur Fathima, 18, student, whose
mother owns the shop, shared that the
rodents would climb up the shelves to eat
bread, rice and snacks. Her mother com-
plained at a Meet-the-MP session but the
rat issue was still detrimental.
“Our customers start complaining
about the holes (in the snacks). So that’s
when we take out all our stocks and reno-
vate. But when we clear a lot of our stocks,
there were a lot of rats,” said Ms Fatimah.
Now, there is a rat trap at every corner of
the shop.
Other stall owners had to fork out their
own money to take preventive measures on
the issue. Fruit stall boss, Mr Lim, 50, seals
up his stall with fencing and covers after
incurring a few hundred dollars’ worth of
losses when the rats bit his fruits.
Nakhon Kitchen, a Thai restaurant
in HV, was suspended for two weeks in
Manager of Nakhon Kitchen.
Mr Chua Soo Guan, 60, boss of Guan
Seng Coffee Powder, shared that the rat
issue started from as early as 30 years ago.
“In the past, it caused a lot of hin-
drance. The rats will spoil my things by
biting them and there will be a stench too.
The sight of rat droppings and urine is very
disgusting. The rats running around can be
quite scary too,” said Mr Chua.
Mr Ko Yang Meng, 60, an odd-job
worker said that “this is all up to NEA and
the cleanliness of the food stall owners
here”.
Others such as Ms Tong Ping Ping,
35, resident, said that rats have started to
become more brazen. Ms Tong, who exer-
cises downstairs three to four times a week
often sees rats openly crossing the paths of
people, adding that even cats in the area are
afraid of them.
“You do see the cleaners cleaning the
floors a lot here. Like the staircase and the
floors, and all these pathways. You see them
clearing but yet you still see all these rats
running around so, I don’t get why,” said Ms
Tong.
Mr Salam who goes by one name only,
29, a cleaner at HV, has been facing the rat
In the past, the pest control companies tried to capture rats with glue boards but failed so, they
gave food shop owners market cages and rat poison instead. Photo: Isabella Cordelia Chua
issue for the past six years. He claimed that
he killed more than 100 rats in one night
with a group of people.
Now he helps to patch up rat holes
whenever residents complain. He works
with the NEA and pest control companies
to exterminate the rodents. NEA comes in
two to three times a week to patch up the
soil while the pest control company comes
in four times a month.
NEA has not replied by press time.
Rat poison and biscuits would be
added into new burrows at each check and
newspapers would be placed at the entrance
of the hole by the pest control company. If
the paper was pushed out of the entrance,
it meant that the attempt to poison the rats
inside the burrow was unsuccessful.
When asked about how the rats can
contaminate the environment, Mr Fazly Ah-
mad, Managing Director of Innovative Pest
Management, said “The urine is the cause of
leptospirosis (an infectious disease), which
can result in liver and kidney damage.”
“It’s a collaborative effort of everyone.
It’s not just the effort of one person,” said
Mr Bo Ah Kwang, 62, retiree.
Scan the QR code to
watch a video about
the rat epeidemic in
Holland Village.

Junction 9’s Empty Retail Spaces

Although both are located in Yishun, Junction 9 pales in comparison to Northpoint City.
Yishun who shops at the mall once per week hardware store in Junction 9, said that there still be supported.”
By: Tan Shi Yun Joy as it is very convenient. However, Ms Guo would be more people visiting the mall on Despite the opening of Northpoint
thinks that Northpoint City is a better place weekends, but it would be quieter on week- City, some shop tenants remain optimistic

R ecently opened in December 2017,

Northpoint City is the largest mall
in Northern Singapore, causing tenants
from Junction 9 to be worried about their
business.
The original Northpoint Shopping
Centre, which previously opened in 1992,
was integrated into Northpoint City and
renamed as the North Wing of the new
mall. The 1.33 million sq ft building houses
more than 400 retail and dining outlets, an
increase from the previous 171.
Community spaces such as a rooftop
garden and an air-conditioned bus inter-
change will be included soon. Nee Soon
Central Community Centre will also move
into the South Wing of the new mall, mak-
ing it the first community centre in Singa-
pore to relocate into a shopping mall.
Northpoint City is 10 times the size
of Junction 9, a residential mall in Yishun.
While Northpoint City has an underground
link to Yishun Mass Rapid Transit (MRT),
Junction 9 is a 7-minute walk away from it.
Opened in June 2016, Junction 9, locat-
ed in Yishun Avenue 9, counts Supermarket
Sheng Siong as its anchor tenant.
Ms Guo Jun Lin is a resident living in
to shop because she can buy whatever she
needs there.
days.
“We are, of course, concerned about
and believe that the new mall will not affect
their business.
Ms Nor Hezlynn, a shopper at Junction Northpoint City affecting our business here. Ms Joyce Chu, the owner of S&acks &
9, said that she enjoys her experience at the However, we have another outlet opened Nuts, said: “Junction 9 is more of a residen-
mall. However, when asked whether she there,” he said. tial mall, while Northpoint City is catered
prefers Northpoint City or Junction 9, Ms When asked whether they had any for people who are looking for a shopping
Nor also agreed that Northpoint City is bet- difficulties in covering the costs and rental mall, therefore the targeted crowd is differ-
ter as there is a bigger variety of shops there of the shop, Ms Humairah Whomyra, the ent. Besides, the rental at Northpoint City
as compared to Junction 9. owner of Duo Collections, said: “Sometimes is easily two to three times more, therefore
Mr Michael Chiam, a senior lectur- we do have a bit of difficulty, but because we it would be a higher risk to set up a shop
er on tourism at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, have an online business, our shop here can there.”
said, “Our retail is quite run-of-the-mill,
everybody sells the same thing so people
have other choices. That’s why foot fall has
dropped.”
Out of 146 units, 31 are not occupied
at Junction 9. On the contrary, Northpoint
City had around 90 per cent of their retail
spaces leased before its opening.
Mr Chiam added that when a mall has
too many empty shops, it gives people a
feeling that it is not a very popular mall.
“It’s a chicken and egg kind of thing. As
you have fewer shops, less people come
and those assisting people may not survive,
these people will leave, and then have more
empty space,” said Mr Chiam.
Mr Desmond Chai, an employee at a A whole row of empty retail spaces in Junction 9. Photo: Joy Tan
 PAGE 8
Korean Culture Club: A Step Up The Big Stage
Ngee Ann Polytechnic Korean Culture Club holds its first-ever production at Music Box.
By: Chan Wen
N gee Ann Polytechnic Korean Culture
Club’s first-ever production on Nov 5,
which revolved around seven dance styles
proved a hit, with all 600 tickets sold. choreographers.
Dawn was Korean Culture Club’s (KCC)
first dance production since its conception
in 2006. Revolved around the segregation
between different social groups at a Kore-
an high school, it featured seven different
social groups: the cute, nerds, gentlemen,
street, sexy, swag and flower, each with its
own unique dance style.
Ms Joyce Neo, 19, the president
of KCC said that the name Dawn came
from the hope that the production would
be the start of a new beginning for the
club. “It (the storyline) mentions how there
are different cliques and how the conflict
arises due to these cliques. This is kind of in
relation to our club, because there are lots of
different cliques in our club so what we aim
to do is resolve the conflict and bring the
CCA together as one club,” she said.
With a total of 10 dance items,
the audience were in for a treat. The items
included the seven different dance styles, a
Hazy Results Towards Smoking Restriction Ban
Non-smokers are sceptical about the effectiveness of the measures in place towards creating a smoke-free nation.
By: Gray Chua
S tudents feel that the permanent shutdown
of smoking corners outside of campus is
ineffective, causing only inconvenience and
not help in promoting a smoke-free Singa-
pore.
On Oct 1, 2017, the National Environ-
ment Agency (NEA) issued an extension to
the ‘2017 Smoking Prohibition’, stating that
smoking will not be allowed within 5 metres
of tertiary institutions, including Ngee Ann
Polytechnic.
Mr Damien Quek, a student of Ngee
Ann Polytechnic said, “Most of the smok-
ers in Ngee Ann [Polytechnic] now just line
themselves up along the side of the road or
in the sheltered walkways, which is even
worse than smoking at a designated smoking
area.”
This has resulted in students who were
passing by the sheltered walkways on their
way to school to inhale second-hand smoke,
proving to backfire against what NEA had
aimed to do.
Mr Irsyad Feerqan Bin Anuar, 18, a sec-
ond-year student currently pursuing a Diplo-
ma in Chemical Biomolecular Engineering,
said, “These days, when I come to school, I
feel like I breathe in a lot of smoke, which is
not good for me because I have asthma.”
According to Ms Peggy Lim from NEA,
a member of the Environmental Public
Health Operations, the smoking restriction
aims to protect members of the public from
singapura TIMES
Over 90 dancers came together for Dawn. Photo: Chan Wen
freshman item, a senior item and the finale.
The finale was one of the standout
performances of the night. The stage was
filled with all the performers, who then
proceeded to dance their way off stage and
into the stands, giving the audience a finale
to remember.
Mr Kharshan Kumar, 18, was
the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
She said in an email interview, “NEA
is continuously looking into extending the
smoking prohibition to more public plac-
es. Our long-term policy goal is to prohibit
smoking at all public areas except at desig-
nated smoking areas.”
Zechariah Wong, a non-smoker and a
student of Ngee Ann Polytechnic feels that
the closure of the smoking corner does not
help improve the policy goal but creates
more problems as smokers “might resort
to smoking within campus grounds like in
staircases”.
He added that, “Security guards will
Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s new smoking spot. Photo: Gray Chua
one of the many who liked the finale best.
“When everybody got together, there was a
sense of unity you can feel from the Korean
Culture Club,” he said.
The entire production was the
largest project the club had produced at
the time with a preparation period of close
to four months and 97 dancers involved.
have to go around patrolling more [areas] to
make sure students don’t smoke [at undes-
ignated areas] and the cleaner uncles and
aunties will have to go around and clean and
pick up [cigarette butts] because there isn’t a
proper place for the smokers to dispose their
cigarette butts.”
Damien felt that bans like the ones im-
posed will not help promote a smoke-free
nation.
He said, “Implementing policies on al-
ready existing smoking groups, all it really
does is hinder smokers. It doesn’t really stop
them from smoking.”
CAMPUS
However, such a big production came with
its own problems.
“Basically we were short of man-
power and we started the preparation late,”
said Ms Goh Li Ying, 18, one of the student
However, the club came together
and KCC’s alumni came back to help as
well, working together to finish the props
as well as practicing the stage movements
tirelessly.
Their efforts were rewarded. The
audience were not disappointed, with many
praising the effort put into the performance.
“It’s very nice, because they put in a
lot of effort into it,” said Ms Yukie Tey, 18, a
student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
“We have been trying many years
but this is the first year it has been ap-
proved. We push for production to boost
recognition for KCC and for our dancers
to have a bigger platform to share their
passion,” said Ms Goh.
The show was so popular that the
club was given the opportunity to stage
another one which saw all tickets snapped
out.
THE
INGAPURA
TIMES
EDITOR
Jonathan Mak
SUB-EDITOR
Tan Shi Yun Joy
REPORTERS
Gray Chua
Isabella Cordelia Chua
DESIGNERS
Chan Wen
Joseph Lim
CONSULTANTS
Ms Foo Yueh Peng
(Editorial)