A happy ending -Singapore Table Tennis

A happy ending -Singapore Table Tennis

Women’s team trio greeted by 300 cheering fans at Olympic celebration

By Lin Xinyi

Less than 24 hours after the sombre meeting which ended the recent table tennis controversy, national paddlers Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu were all smiles again.
The trio, who bagged the women’s team silver medal at the Beijing Olympic Games, were greeted by loud cheers from the 300 fans at the Olympic celebration and autograph session at Ang Mo Kio Hub’s FairPrice Xtra yesterday morning.

Their relaxed demeanour was in stark contrast to their sullen expressions in recent days following the Gao Ning incident at the Beijing Olympics.

Gao had crashed out in the third-round singles after playing without a coach.

An upset Singapore Table Tennis Association president Lee Bee Wah then revealed that team manager Antony Lee’s services were no longer needed, and that head coach Liu Guodong’s fate would be decided by a coaching committee.

Fans were furious over the announcement as it had dampened the nation’s mood to celebrate its first Olympic medal in 48 years.

But Ms Lee brought the smiles back on Friday when she said sorry.

Yesterday, Ms Lee, along with the players, Liu and Lee, looked decidedly more chirpy when the fans applauded them.

The cheerfulness of the women’s team trio did not escape student Habe Choo.

The 15-year-old said: ‘They look much more cheerful. Now that the problem has been resolved, we can all celebrate.’

The women’s team were at the supermarket to thank fans for their support and to sign autographs.

They shook hands, accepted presents and chatted with the fans during the 30-minute session.

Fifteen minutes before the event began at 10am, the queue for autographs had already snaked out of the supermarket.

Many of them had also turned up at the Raffles City Shopping Centre on Monday to welcome back Team Singapore.

Then, the scheduled autograph session was cancelled.

Others, who were at the supermarket by chance, bagged more than they bargained for.

Said IT consultant Tan Kiang Huat, 46, who does grocery shopping every Saturday but did not know about the event beforehand: ‘I didn’t get an autograph, but getting up close to them is enough.’

Singapore’s top paddler Li was delighted with the turn-out, saying: ‘It was great to meet the fans.

‘I need to thank them for the support they’ve given me all these years.’

Source : Straits Times - 31 Aug 2008

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15,000 stranded in Thailand Phuket

15,000 stranded in Thailand Phuket 

Anti-govt protests force indefinite closure of Thailand’s second-busiest airport 
  

Phuket - More than 15,000 passengers were stranded yesterday on the holiday isle of Phuket as officials said the airport would be closed indefinitely due to ongoing anti-government protests.
Thailand’s second-busiest airport was closed on Friday afternoon after 5,000 protesters set up a blockade and marched down the tarmac, forcing the authorities to suspend flights to and from the island.

About 1,000 protesters from the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which is also squatting in the main government compound in Bangkok, blocked access to the airport yesterday.

The airport’s director Wicha Nurnlop said the protesters had refused to negotiate with the authorities on reopening the runway.

‘Phuket airport is shutting down indefinitely,’ he added.

So far, more than 100 flights have been cancelled, including 25 on international routes, leaving 15,000 passengers stranded, said Mr Wicha.

Phuket’s tourism authority and hotels’ associations are scrambling to help stranded tourists by handing out room discounts and arranging buses out of the island for those who need to catch connecting flights from Bangkok.

The timing could not be worse for the popular tourist destination, which will soon head into its peak tourist season.

With most Europeans choosing country packages for the peak year-end travel season around now, Thai travel agents are worried that the protests may drive Phuket’s customers to Bali or Vietnam instead.

The closure of Phuket airport - the second-busiest in Thailand after Bangkok - could hit the tourism industry hard as a third of the 15 million to 16 million visitors to the country each year go to the resort.

The nearby Krabi airport also has been closed since Friday evening. But the southern airport in Hat Yai reopened for a Thai Airways flight early yesterday, after protesters had forced its closure on Friday.

Thailand’s political troubles have already prompted South Korea to advise its nationals to avoid travelling to the country ‘until calm returns’.

As for the travellers who are caught in the middle, they just want out. One frustrated Australian told Agence France-Presse: ‘I want to go home. I have nothing to do with this situation.’

Reuters, AFP

Source : Straits Times  - 31 Aug 2008

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I won’t quit, says Samak as tensions rise - Thailand

I won’t quit, says Samak as tensions rise  - Thailand

Protesters threaten to topple Thai PM by bringing down the financial system
 
By Nirmal Ghosh, Thailand Correspondent 
  
Bangkok - There was no end in sight to the tense political stand-off in Thailand last night as embattled Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej vowed not to quit in the face of anti-government protests.
At the same time, Mr Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said his people would not back down either and threatened to step up the pressure until Mr Samak is toppled.

He raised the possibility of a massive withdrawal of money from banks by wealthy PAD supporters.

‘The whole financial system of Thailand will go down the drain,’ he told reporters.

He also said the PAD, which overran terminals and tarmacs at Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai on Thursday, closing down the airports, could do it again ‘any time’.

‘We closed the airports to tell the government that we can do this on a much, much larger scale if you do not listen to us,’ he said.

Yesterday, although Hat Yai airport reopened, both Phuket and Krabi airports remained shut, leaving thousands of tourists stranded.

Asked when the PAD protest would end, Mr Sondhi said: ‘When Mr Samak resigns.’

Asked how far he was willing to go, he replied: ‘As far as it takes.’

Although the atmosphere was calmer yesterday than the day before, when police fired tear gas to repel an assault on their Bangkok headquarters, thousands of PAD supporters continued to occupy the grounds of Government House.

At a public ceremony in the afternoon, Mr Samak declared : ‘I occupy this post legally and I will never resign despite the pressures and threats.

‘If I have to step down, it has to be because of the law, not because of threats.’

Mr Samak later flew to Hua Hin for an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej to update him on the political situation.

On his return to Bangkok, he met leaders of other parties in his ruling coalition.

While Mr Samak avoided the press, the other coalition leaders held a press conference in the evening, at which they made known their continued support for the Prime Minister. They also said they backed stronger measures to curb the protests.

‘All coalition partners are sticking together and there is no change in leadership,’ said Mr Somchai Wongsawat, a deputy leader of the People’s Power Party (PPP).

Mr Surapong Suebwonglee, another deputy leader of the PPP, added: ‘We will listen to the PAD, but we have to say that the PAD does not represent the majority of the population.’

The coalition leaders said Parliament would provide the best forum to work out a solution to the crisis.

A special joint session of the House and Senate is scheduled for this afternoon.

Earlier in the day, there were rumours that Mr Banharn Silpa-archa, leader of Chart Thai, a key coalition partner, may replace Mr Samak as prime minister.

But one of his spokesmen told The Sunday Times: ‘It’s wait and see at the moment; everything depends on the main party (PPP).’

Meanwhile, the opposition Democrat Party is showing more overtly its support for the PAD. Senior Democrat Party MPs visited the protesters at Government House yesterday, a day after party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva did the same.

And tensions rose yesterday when some 5,000 pro-government supporters gathered at the Sanam Luang grounds, a couple of kilometres from Government House, with many more reportedly on the way from PPP’s power base in the north and north-east of the country.

For the moment, the military is against imposing a state of emergency. Neither is the army chief, General Anupong Paochinda, in favour of an army takeover.

But some reports, quoting military sources, said the top brass have also indicated to Mr Samak that their patience is finite and he has to find a solution quickly.

Source : Straits Times  - 31 Aug 2008

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Mulberry Tree @167 Moulmein Road - Singapore - District 11

Mulberry Tree @167 Moulmein Road - Singapore - District 11

Mulberry Tree @167 Moulmein Road

Street Name: Moulmein Road

District / Estate: 11

Tenure = Freehold

Floor(s)/Storey = 28 storey

D11 Freehold - Soho concept/Retro style Apartments
 TOP 2012
 
a 5 storey of 32 units

Swimming pool with water therapy feature

Gym/Jacuzzi, BBQ pit & communal facilities
 
6 units :        2 bedroom         -            667sq ft & 732 sq ft
12 units:        1 bedroom           -          from 441 sq ft - 602 sq ft
6 units:          1+1 bedroom           -        646 sq ft
2 units:          1 bedroom (high ceiling)   -    570sq ft & 603 sq ft
6 units:          Penthouse size         -            1087 sq ft,1270 sq ft & 1356 sq ft

Maintenance : $200, Surface car park

 
COMPELLING REASONS TO BUY:

2 minutes’ walk to Novena MRT Station
2 MRT stops away to Orchard MRT
2 majors shopping malls- VELOCITY & United Square
 
300m  SJI Junior and with 2 km of ACS Barker Road and CHIJ(Toa Payoh)
grade A office buildings with good catchment of potential tenants, making it a sound investment property.
 
Medical hub. Good potential as resale property to foreigners seeking close proximity to medical services, as well as rental property to professionals working at medical hub.
Floor Plans 
 
Type A (2 bedroom, 66 sqm)
Type B (2 bedroom, 62 sqm)
Type C (1 bedroom, 41 sqm)
Type C1 (1 bedroom, 56 sqm)
Type D (1+1 bedroom, 60 sqm)
Type E (1 bedroom, 42 sqm)
Type F (1 bedroom, 42 sqm)
Type G (1+1 bedroom, 60 sqm)
Type H (1 bedroom, 40 sqm)
Type H1 (1 bedroom, 53 sqm)
Type PHA (2 bedroom, 118 sqm)
Type PHB (2 bedroom, 118 sqm)
Type PHD (3 bedroom, 126 sqm)
Type PHE (2 bedroom, 101 sqm)
Type PHF (2 bedroom, 101 sqm)
Type PHG (3 bedroom, 126 sqm)
 

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Singapore MCYS says table tennis saga is over

Singapore MCYS says table tennis saga is over

SINGAPORE: The controversy surrounding the Singapore Table Tennis Association has been called to a close by the Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

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In a special media conference on Friday evening, it announced that team manager Antony Lee will continue for another three months, to finish up his Olympics reports. He will then move to the Singapore National Olympic Council in November.

The association will also have two separate head coaches, one each for the women’s and men’s teams.

President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association, Lee Bee Wah, apologised for causing grievances and stress. With that, the dust has settled over a week—long saga that mired Singapore’s silver medal win at the Olympic Games.

Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said the issue was caused by misunderstandings and ties have been mended.

He added that the local sports scene, especially the Singapore Table Tennis Association, has emerged stronger from the incident.

He said the strong public reactions such as those online, showed how sports play an important role in unifying Singaporeans and that the sports scene here has come of age.

Dr Balakrishnan said: “Can I promise there will never be a problem? I can’t make such promises. What is more important is the trust and discipline is in place in the team to overcome these problems, get on with the mission, do their best and hopefully their best is good enough to win medals for us.”

When asked for their reactions, the table tennis team members stood up in solidarity and said they were all very satisfied with the discussions and decisions.

Other officials also called for Singaporeans’ continued support, especially for the association’s president Lee Bee Wah.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Teo Ser Luck, said: “For Ms Lee to come in and carry on this work, she will need time. She is only a month—plus old.

“And I believe that she will need the time in order to know what’s happening and to gain that knowledge in order to run STTA and bring it to greater heights.”

Ng Ser Miang, vice—president, Singapore National Olympic Council, said: “Its time for the athletes to reflect on the values, become true Olympians and go back to our celebrations.”

The table tennis team will meet their fans on Saturday at a special autograph session in Ang Mo Kio. — CNA/vm

Source : Channel NewsAsia  - 31 Aug 2008

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Travel plans on hold as six more Phuket-bound flights cancelled

Travel plans on hold as six more Phuket-bound flights cancelled

By Kaixin Liang,

SINGAPORE: Six flights bound for Phuket from Singapore were cancelled on Saturday as the Thai airport remains closed after protesters stormed it on Friday.

And SilkAir said some 600 of its passengers remain stranded at the popular beach resort.

A day after anti-government protesters began camping out on the tarmac, Phuket airport authorities said more than 100 flights have been cancelled, including 25 on international routes, leaving 15,000 passengers stranded.

Thailand closed three airports at the beach resorts of Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai on Friday after protesters stormed the Phuket International Airport.

The airport protests came as thousands of activists laid siege to government offices in Bangkok, calling for Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to resign.

Rail travel in the country has also been disrupted.

In Singapore, some passengers are now unsure about their travel plans.

Sherine Perera, a Singaporean traveller, said: “Tonight I need to think about it and I will talk to my office colleagues….if they decide to go, I will go. Otherwise, I will not go. This trip (we’ll) just cancel it.”

Another Singaporean traveller, Tan Kai Earl, said: “We may want to cancel our trip, because we have kids, and if it’s dangerous or unstable, we won’t go now.”

Questions abound as foreign tourists realise their beach holiday is not going to turn out as planned.

Vijaykumar Agarwal, a tourist from Kolkatta, said: “They have only given us accommodation for one day and if the flight doesn’t take off tomorrow, then we are left on our own and we have to look for accommodation (and pay from) our own pocket.”

Tiger Airways, which flies once a day to Phuket, says it has offered its passengers flying from Singapore a choice of a full refund or a change in travel dates.

- CNA/ir

Source : Channel NewsAsia  - 31 Aug 2008

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S’pore’s paddlers celebrate Olympic medal win with fans

S’pore’s paddlers celebrate Olympic medal win with fans

By Patwant Singh,
 
 

SINGAPORE: With the recent controversy over management issues in the team put firmly behind them, it was celebration time in the heartlands for Singapore’s Beijing Olympic silver medallists.

A crowd, carrying placards, turned up at Ang Mo Kio’s FairPrice Xtra a good hour before the arrival of Singapore’s Olympian paddlers.

Some 100 fans were rewarded with an autographed poster.

Others behind the players were also given their due recognition by FairPrice who sponsored the celebrations.

Among them was team manager Antony Lee, who was moved by the accolade given by Ng Ser Miang, vice-president of the Singapore National Olympic Council.

Lee, who spent little time with his 5-month-old child in the preparations leading up to the Beijing Olympics, received a gift of milk powder from the supermarket chain.

Also honoured was Singapore’s first Olympic medallist, Tan Howe Liang, who won a silver in the 1960 Games. He was acknowledged as the inspiration for Singapore’s medal quest.

President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association Lee Bee Wah was given a pair of running shoes - a reflection of the the big shoes she has to fill in building on the team’s Olympics success.

Mr Ng said the recent controversy involving the table tennis team has been a blessing in disguise, because they can learn valuable lessons from this incident as they prepare for their next big challenge, the 2012 Olympic Games.

He said it gave the National Sports Associations “something to ponder on how we should really do team-building and resolve issues first.”

After the weekend celebrations, the paddlers will have to prepare for another competition - the Women’s World Cup starting in Kuala Lumpur next week.

- CNA/ir

 
Source : Channel NewsAsia  - 31 Aug 2008

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Ms Lee Bee Wah - I’m sorry, singapore

Ms Lee Bee Wah - I’m sorry, singapore 

By Lin Xinyi & Terrence Voon 
  
‘I sincerely apologise for causing any grievances, any stress.’ - Ms Lee Bee Wah, acknowledging that the episode spoilt the celebratory mood after Singapore won its first Olympic medal in 48 years
‘I can announce quite categorically that the crisis is over.’ - Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who said he spent the week in numerous meetings with all concerned to sort out the problem. — ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

‘I SINCERELY apologise.’
Ms Lee Bee Wah, the president of the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA), had those words for the country last night.

Her comments last weekend, that she would replace the Singapore table tennis team manager, unleashed a storm of criticism and calls for her resignation.

In a quavering voice, she said sorry for souring the country’s brightest sporting moment in almost half a century.

Facing a throng of close to 30 journalists at a press conference last night, she said: ‘It is regretful that this situation happened and turned out the way it did.

‘I had made comments which had been misunderstood and had upset some Singaporeans. I sincerely apologise for causing any grievances and any stress.’

She also said: ‘Our action has dampened the celebration mood of our fellow Singaporeans.’

With that, she brought to a close one chapter of an episode that sparked unhappiness from all quarters.

Since last weekend Ms Lee, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, has been criticised by many for spoiling the party mood after the country’s first Olympic medal in 48 years.

Just five days after the women’s table tennis team took silver at the Beijing Games, she revealed that team manager Antony Lee’s services were no longer needed, and that national head coach Liu Guodong’s fate would be decided by a coaching committee.

She had been angry after Singapore No. 1 Gao Ning found himself with no coach for his third-round men’s singles match and crashed out to a much lower-ranked Croatian.

Ms Lee took over as table tennis chief barely two months ago, on July 4. Though many called for her to step down, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan made it clear last night that she will stay, but she needs some time to get results.

Last night’s press conference, held at the STTA’s headquarters in Toa Payoh, also made clear that head coach Liu is in talks with Ms Lee to negotiate a new contract.

But team manager Lee will leave the STTA. His secondment from the Singapore Sports Council to the association will be extended by three months beyond the end of this month. He will then join the Singapore National Olympic Council.

Dr Balakrishnan said: ‘He’s gained a lot of experience in dealing in international sports, and I want to leverage on that as we go on in our preparations for the Youth Olympics as well as London 2012.’

There was no question of Mr Lee being sacked, he said.

The minister began the press conference by saying: ‘Categorically, the crisis is over.’

He acknowledged more than once that the table tennis controversy had soured the celebratory mood of many Singaporeans rejoicing over the Olympic medal win.

‘There have been some mistakes made, there was a lack of communication, there were certainly some misunderstandings, there was some overreaction,’ he said.

He described the timing of Ms Lee’s comments as ill-conceived, and said he had received many reactions to them.

Flanked by a sombre-looking Ms Lee to his right, and by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck and chairman of Project 0812 Ng Ser Miang on the left, Dr Balakrishnan said: ‘Over the past four days, both Ser Luck and myself - we’ve met all the players, the coaches, all the key officials. I’ve had numerous meetings with the senior management and committee of the STTA.’

Also present were glum-faced silver medallists Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei, as well as the head coach, team manager, Gao Ning and other members of the men’s team. They were a sombre group, who said little when called upon to answer reporters’ questions.

Dr Balakrishnan praised them all for doing their best in Beijing. Looking ahead, he urged Singaporeans to trust in what the association was doing. He and Ms Lee said the table tennis team had a bright future - its immediate challenge is the Volkswagen Women’s World Cup in Kuala Lumpur starting next Saturday.

He said: ‘This is a team which I believe has great potential for the future.’

Added Ms Lee: ‘We assure Singaporeans we will work harder to achieve greater heights, and I hope for their support.’

The next step? Said Mr Ng, a Singapore International Olympic Committee executive board member: ‘Let’s go back to our celebration.’

To restart them, the table tennis team will be at Ang Mo Kio Hub this morning to greet well-wishers.

Source : Straits Times - 30 Aug 2008

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Dip in Singapore property development fees

Dip in Singapore property development fees 

Lower charges for non- landed private homes - first time in 5 years - reflect fall in land values
 
By Fiona Chan, Property Reporter 

ANOTHER sign that the values of land and private homes are sliding arrived yesterday in the form of the new property development charges.
These charges, which reflect changes in land and property values over the last six months, were lowered for residential apartments and condominium units for the first time in five years.

Property consultants were not surprised. They had expected fees in this sector to stay stable or dip slightly, given that the only residential plots sold in the past six months were state-owned parcels that transacted at fairly low prices.

No area was spared, with rates for non-landed residential homes falling across the board by an average of 6 per cent islandwide.

The move was the ‘first signal from official sources that some values in the property market are falling’, said Mr Nicholas Mak, director of research and consultancy at Knight Frank.

The Government levies development charges on developers who want to build a new, bigger development on an existing site they have bought.

The fees are categorised by sector and location. They are revised every six months by the chief valuer, based on transactions of land and property in the past half-year.

Lower charges imply that recent land and property deals have been transacted at lower prices, and also mean that it will be cheaper for developers to buy and redevelop a collective-sale site, for instance.

But property consultants do not expect the new lower charges to revive the deathly quiet collective-sale market.

‘The rise in construction costs is higher than the fall in development charges. So total development cost would still increase,’ said Mr Mak.

Developers may also hold out for further decreases in development charges in the next revision in March, he added.

‘All we need is another quarter of weak sentiment and chances are, six months from now, there could be more downward revision in the charges.’

Mr Li Hiaw Ho, executive director of CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) Research, also expects development charges to fall again in upcoming revisions.

‘In the next 12 to 18 months, development charges might move downwards moderately to reflect a scenario of realistic consolidation after the run-up in land prices in the past two years,’ he said.

This time around, the falls in fees for non-landed residential land ranged from 3.85 per cent to 10.77 per cent, depending on location.

Areas where rates dropped most included prime locations such as Ardmore Park and Sentosa, city fringe districts like Balestier, Keng Lee and Kallang, and suburban regions such as Bayshore and Bishan.

Apart from non-landed residential land, development charges barely budged in other sectors, reflecting the lack of activity and flat prices in the broader property market.

The fees for land to be used for offices, shops, landed homes, hospitals or hotels remained unchanged across all locations in Singapore.

For industrial land, charges rose only in the Ubi and Kaki Bukit area. They went up 11.1 per cent, possibly due to the recent sale of an industrial site in Ubi Avenue 4/Ubi Road 2 in April, suggested CBRE’s Mr Li.

Source : Straits Times - 30 Aug 2008

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Music and F&B close to home?

Music and F&B close to home? 

URA mulls over easing rules for businesses near residential areas 
By Tessa Wong 
  
The Thomson Village area at Upper Thomson road is an example of a livelier neighbourhood. — ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

COMING near you in the neighbourhood: hot food, cold beer and live entertainment.
At least, that is the plan if a bid by the authorities to help businesses create more vibrant residential areas around the island passes muster in a public consultation.

Businesses in the food and beverage industry now climb a mountain of red tape if they want to give patrons something a little different - for example, a restaurant cannot have live music unless it applies to be a nightclub, and a food kiosk cannot serve freshly cooked food unless it applies to cook on the premises.

But if the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) decides to tweak current planning guidelines, it means less form-filling and bureaucracy for businesses and increased vibrancy in residential areas.

Though it would apply to all businesses, where it would have the most impact would be in quiet residential neighbourhoods.

It could create more magnets around the island like Thomson Village on Upper Thomson Road, Jalan Legundi in Sembawang, and Holland Village, and potentially more nuisance as well as convenience for residents.

But the public will have a say in whether this happens.

The URA is canvassing public feedback through an online survey which will be on the website www.ura.gov.sg from Monday till Sept 30.

It wants to focus on businesses in private shophouses near residential areas, as these are places where the changes will likely have the most impact, said URA officials in a media briefing yesterday. There are currently 2,500 such shophouses around the island.

Current rules forbid regular performances of live music and entertainment - whether it is a violinist serenading diners nightly, or a resident rock band playing for barflies - in restaurants and pubs in residential areas. Owners of such businesses usually have to apply for change-of-use permission for nightclub status.

Food shops - takeaway food counters that have no dining areas - are also not allowed to have cooking facilities unless they apply for approval.

If the URA decides to relax guidelines, businesses no longer have to go through a two-week change-of-use application process that can cost $800.

Restaurant owner Melissa Chong gave the move the thumbs-up.

‘I think flexibility is always good for any business, especially now Singaporeans are looking for more interesting experiences.

‘If we want to create something special to attract guests but have to go through a lot of red tape, we may just forget about it,’ said Ms Chong, who runs the restaurant Peaberry and Pretzel in Sunset Way.

But while restaurants, food shops and pubs can be a good thing for a neighbourhood, ‘they can also potentially create noise, smell as well as traffic and parking issues,’ said Mr Han Yong Hoe, URA’s director of development control.

The URA has received a steadily increasing number of complaints from residents about disturbances from nearby businesses. They have got 16 complaints this year already, compared with 13 for all of 2006.

Gripes range from too-loud screenings of football matches outside pubs, to restaurant patrons taking up precious parking space.

One resident, officials revealed, even complained about the pungent smell of fried hae bee hiam (dried shrimp chilli) coming from a nearby restaurant, which permeated her drying laundry.

Source : Straits Times - 30 Aug 2008

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Defamation suits: Spare the content hosts

Defamation suits: Spare the content hosts 

By Chua Hian Hou 

POPULAR technology website VR-Zone has a team of moderators - including a lawyer - who spend hours daily trawling for and removing defamatory remarks made by the hordes of users who frequent its online forum.
Defamation lawsuits, said the site’s spokesman Terence Lee, have always been a headache for content companies like his, even if they had nothing to do with the comments.

So, it was with a loud cheer that Mr Lee greeted a recommendation from the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (Aims).

The council wants online intermediaries to be given some protection from defamation lawsuits.

Such protection, said Aims yesterday, will in one stroke solve two problems: It will stop lawsuits against content hosts who had not put up the allegedly defamatory material, and overzealous censorship by content companies worried about such prosecution.

Since the Internet ‘is potentially a medium of virtually limitless international defamation’, people are more likely to sue ‘borderline defendants with very little role in the dissemination of the defamation simply because the creators… may be difficult to locate or anonymous’, the report said.

Singapore’s defamation law allows people to go after the person who made the offending remarks, plus others in the ‘chain of publication’.

Currently, network service providers, including SingNet and StarHub which give users access to go online, are free from defamation lawsuits.

But Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must not have made the defamatory remarks and must agree to a ‘credible and authenticated’ request from the victim to remove the allegedly defamatory material. Such a request is called a take-down notice.

But it is not clear whether content hosts, from blogs to citizen journalism site Stomp, are similarly protected.

Since no case involving a content host had gone to trial, the law remains untested, said Aims.

This ‘ambiguous and uncertain’ position means content hosts ‘have little incentive to continue carrying, hosting or linking the allegedly defamatory material, and may in the face of a complaint err on the side of caution’ and simply remove the offending material, it added.

This ‘may lead to abuse by persons who wish to have truthful but unfavourable material removed’.

Aims’ recommendation: offer content hosts protection similar to that given to ISPs, for defamation.

It also suggested introducing a ‘put back’ notice, allowing users to force content hosts to reinstate the original material.

This, it said, would ‘prevent abuse of the take-down regime as a means of censoring speech’.

Nominated MP and lawyer Siew Kum Hong, who blogs, said it is ‘generally a good thing for all parties involved to have their rights and obligations clearly spelt out’. He is among several in the legal community involved in Aims report.

 
Source : Straits Times - 30 Aug 2008

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Three ways to tackle Section 33

Three ways to tackle Section 33 

By Jeremy Au Yong 

THE current wide-ranging ban on party political films stifles expression. It also stands in the way of works that could contribute to well-informed, rational and insightful debate on issues.
That is the view of the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (Aims), which says the outright ban must go.

The council suggests three ways to liberalise Section 33 of the Films Act, which regulates such works.

It wants the public to give feedback on which of the three to recommend to the Government.

The first is to narrow the scope of the law, which now takes a ‘broad, drift-net approach’.

That will mean excluding only films that distort facts and mislead the viewer. What makes the cut and what does not will be determined by an independent, non-partisan citizens’ panel.

The second option is to repeal Section 33 from the Films Act and introduce several possible conditions, such as a blackout on new political films during election season.

The third option is to repeal the law in phases, by first narrowing its scope, then moving towards a total removal when ‘the negative risks of misleading films are assessed to have been minimised’, Aims said in its report.

In putting forward these three proposals, Aims chairman Cheong Yip Seng stressed that the council had not yet made up its mind on which one was best.

‘We feel that it’s better for us not to come out and say that this is where we’re leaning. Let’s hear what the public has to say and then we’ll process what they’ve suggested and we will then decide later, certainly before the end of the year,’ he said yesterday.

Two weeks ago, in his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had hinted at moves to ease the current ban on party political films.

Yesterday, Aims also made two other recommendations on the regulation of online political content.

It wants a wider range of online content - including podcasts, videocasts, blogs and other new media tools - to be allowed as part of election advertising.

The Parliamentary Elections Act should be amended accordingly, it said.

Aims also wants an end to the current rule that requires websites dealing with political or religious issues to register with the Media Development Authority under the Class Licensing Scheme.

Political parties should still register their sites, but individual bloggers and webmasters should be exempt, it suggested.

As its 95-page consultation paper made its way across the Web yesterday, it drew generally positive reactions.

Businessman Alex Au, who runs the political blog Yawning Bread, welcomed the suggestion to do away with registration requirements.

On party political films, he would prefer Section 33 to be repealed completely, without caveats such as a blackout period during election time.

He painted one problematic scenario that could result if a blackout period were imposed.

‘If on the eve of Nomination Day, one side puts out a video, the other side does not get a chance to reply,’ he said.

Political analyst Terence Chong from the Institute of Southeast Asia Studies lauded the proposals on political content, calling them ‘good and long overdue’.

As for the ban on party political films, he believed it should be lifted completely.

‘We have more than adequate laws already to handle any problems from such films,’ he said.

 
Source : Straits Times - 30 Aug 2008

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Singapore Govt should engage online for forums

Singapore Govt should engage online for forums 

By Lynn Lee 

FROM paying taxes to renewing road tax, the Government has led the way in offering e-services to people here.
But its approach to interacting with Singaporeans online has been decidedly more conservative.

Yesterday, it was urged to change tack, and ramp up efforts to engage an increasingly tech-savvy population, or risk putting them off as well as losing touch with them and their concerns.

This call came from a panel appointed by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts to study the impact of new media on Singapore.

In a wide-ranging report released yesterday, the 13-member panel said that greater online engagement of Singaporeans was one of four pressing issues the Government needed to deal with, as it grapples with the changing face of new media.

To start, it could participate in online conversations, like responding to posting on blogs or online forums, said the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (Aims) in its 95-page report. The report is available at www.aims.org.sg

Elaborating on it at a press conference, panel chairman Cheong Yip Seng said his view was that online petitions and forum letters on The Straits Times website (www.straitstimes.com) should also be taken seriously.

‘If it’s a seriously considered opinion, though posted only online, my colleagues and I feel that the Government should engage,’ said Mr Cheong, a former editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings’ English and Malay Newspapers Division.

The panel also had other recommendations.

They include training civil servants to respond to online comments - a different kettle of fish from writing press statements or letters to mainstream media.

Aims also felt people would need to be shown that their online feedback is being taken seriously. One oft-heard criticism was that it went into a ‘black hole’.

Finally, the council urged the Government to actively consult young people by setting up a youth panel.

It did not specify the age of panel members or its composition, but said they could act as ‘feelers’ for the Government by highlighting latest trends in computing and social networking, threats to youth and other cyber-safety issues.

On its part, the Government would have to think through its approach to online engagement, said Mr Cheong.

‘How do you engage? Do you respond to anonymous blogs? Do you only go to places in cyberspace that are more habitable? These are important details, I feel, that the Government should carefully study,’ he said.

Institute of Policy Studies researcher Tan Tarn How likened the Government’s approach to online engagement as ‘crossing the river by feeling each stone’.

This, he said, was prudent as such initiatives are new even in the most advanced countries elsewhere.

‘Making sure the first experiments here are successes will be essential in nipping any cynicism in the bud,’ he said.

 
Source : Straits Times - 30 Aug 2008

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Singapore Swissotel Merchant Court Hotel up for sale

Singapore Swissotel Merchant Court Hotel up for sale

Clarke Quay hotel on the market for $330m-$380m

By KALPANA RASHIWALA

(SINGAPORE) After a holding period of barely two years, a fund managed by LaSalle Investment Management which bought Swissotel Merchant Court in the Clarke Quay area is putting the 476-room property up for sale.

The hotel, which stands on a site with a remaining lease of about 85 years, is being sold subject to a long-term management contract with Swissotel, part of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International.

The indicative price is understood to be in the $700,000 to $800,000 per room range, translating to an absolute quantum of around $330 million to $380 million.

The LaSalle Investment Management fund that currently owns the property bought it in late 2006 for about $250-300 million, it is understood.

The hotel, which stands on a site with a remaining lease of about 85 years, is being sold subject to a long-term management contract with Swissotel, part of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International.

Despite the softer visitor arrivals into Singapore lately, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, the sole marketing agent for the property, is confident that investors will find the property appealing given that Asia’s hotel investment market is tightly held. ‘Long-term investors don’t take a weekly or monthly perspective, and the overall infrastructure being invested in Singapore gives them comfort on the long-term growth prospects here,’ says Mike Batchelor, managing director, investment sales (Asia) at JLL Hotels.

The hotel will be marketed through an international tender that will close on Oct 3.

‘Investor interest for the property is expected to be strong. We anticipate the property will attract interest from Europe and the Middle East as well as from the more traditional investment markets across North and South Asia,’ Mr Batchelor said.

In May last year, CDL Hospitality Real Estate Investment Trust bought the nearby Novotel Clarke Quay in a deal that priced the 398-room hotel at $219.8 million or about $552,000 per room. Mr Batchelor argues that Swissotel Merchant Court’s average room size of 30 square metres is larger than Novotel Clarke Quay’s. Also, room rates are higher at Swissotel Merchant Court, which would allow for a higher pricing on the hotel. ‘Historically, hotels in Singapore have been transacted at net yields ranging from about 4 per cent to 5.5 per cent,’ he noted.

The LaSalle Investment Management fund reportedly bought Swissotel Merchant Court in 2006 from Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (owned by Kingdom Hotels International and Colony Capital), which had in turn acquired it as part of the entire hotel business of Raffles Holdings in 2005.

The hotel has three food-and-beverage outlets, conference facilities, an Amrita Spa complete with a fitness centre.

‘The incoming purchaser will also have the opportunity to further enhance the asset through the redevelopment of the prime riverfront space overlooking Clarke Quay,’ said JLL Hotels senior vice-president Tom Oakden.

‘The hotel’s ground floor space offers the ideal location for a new state-of-the-art indoor/out- door food-and-beverage facility, tying in well with plans to revitalise the riverfront precinct and new signature events such as The Singapore River Festival,’ he added.

Source : Business Times - 29 Aug 2008

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Singapore Ho Ching is world’s 8th most powerful woman

Singapore Ho Ching is world’s 8th most powerful woman

Temasek Holdings CEO also the only woman in Asia in the top 10 of Forbes’ ranking

By Michelle Tay

Ms Ho, credited with boosting Temasek’s investment portfolio, has been in Forbes’ top 10 list for two years.

TEMASEK Holdings’ chief executive Ho Ching is the only woman in Asia to feature in the top 10 of Forbes magazine’s fifth annual list of the world’s most powerful women.
The low-profile Ms Ho, who rarely gives media interviews, pipped several regional and global high-fliers to maintain a spot in the top 10, at No. 8 this year, down from No. 3 last year.

They include US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, No. 35; Myanmar’s Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, No. 38; Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, No. 41; and Mrs Laura Bush, wife of US President George W. Bush, No. 44.

Ms Ho, 54, wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has headed the Singapore investment company since 2002 and is credited with boosting its investment portfolio by investing in Indian and Chinese telecom companies, for instance.

Forbes said that Ms Ho’s achievements in the past year included ‘moving more of the city-state’s money abroad’, such as Temasek’s move to take a 15 per cent stake in US financial giant Merrill Lynch for US$5 billion (S$7 billion) in December.

The Forbes top 100 list measures power as a composite of public profile based on press mentions and financial heft.

Temasek’s assets rose 13 per cent to $185 billion in the year ended March 31. Last month, it pumped an additional US$900 million into Merrill Lynch.

Ms Ho’s drop from the No. 3 spot last year to No. 8 this year appears in part to be the result of the spike in interest last year over Temasek’s take-over of Shin Corp, one of Thailand’s biggest telecom firms. That sparked a wave of protests which eventually led to the overthrow of then Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Said Forbes: ‘Her moving down is more a factor of other women attaining greater power and pushing her farther down. That said, being on this global list is a celebration of her achievements and certainly not a statement that her power is diminished.’

Ms Ho’s meteoric rise to No. 3 last year - she was 36th in 2006 - also came after Temasek’s portfolio had crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time.

Last year, she came in just behind German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who remains in top spot this year, and China’s Vice-Premier Wu Yi, who has dropped off the list after retiring earlier this year.

This year’s list comprises 23 who shape governments around the world, 54 business executives, and others who are high-profile media personalities and leaders of non-profit organisations.

Ms Sheila Bair, head of Federal Deposit Insurance, the embattled US bank-deposit insurer, debuts in second place as she tries to stave off financial panic amid a worldwide credit crisis.

PepsiCo’s chairman and chief executive Indra Nooyi, who was born in India, but is now a United States citizen, is No. 3.

US senator Hillary Rodham Clinton garnered the most media attention at No. 28, while media maven and global philanthropist Oprah Winfrey is No. 36.

The women on this list control US$26 trillion worldwide, said Forbes.

Source : Straits Times - 29 Aug 2008

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