Radio DJ, emcee and all-round entertainer Joshua Simon took to Facebook today to bring up a sensitive matter that we've maybe kept quiet about for too long — the lack of equal representation on local media.
He challenged folks to count how many Malay or Indian men and women are included on posters, print advertisements, film and tv commercials — which we all know there's not much of.
Despite getting intensive care at Bali's Kasih Ibu Tabanan Hospital, shark attack victim Ryan Boarman was transferred to Singapore for further care, with the pain proving too much for the 26-year-old American.
The American surfer was out catching waves in Balian, West Bali on Monday when a shark bit his arm near the elbow, tearing through muscle, all the way down to the bone.
Boarman’s friends and onlookers helped stabilize him and get him to a local hospital — after Boarman himself was amazingly able to surf back into the beach following the bite. Legendary.
Another public holiday, another open house at the Istana grounds. From 8.30am to 6pm, you can stroll through the area and check out the 'Everyday a Learning Day' activitiy booths, where hands-on activities like crafting toy cars with clay are offered (because Singapore promotes lifelong learning).
There'll also be school performances by the Maris Stella High School Military Band and the Xinmin Secondary School Concert Band.
To fawn over the flora, sign up for the Nature Guided Walk at the Istana. Tours will begin every hour from 10am to 4pm, and cost $2 for children and $4-$10 for adults. Alternatively, you can go for a guided tour of the main building ($2 for children, $4-$10 for adults).
Entry to the grounds is free for Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents; foreign visitors have to pay $2 per person.
Ride-and-dash incidents have been a particular malediction for cabbies of late. A total of 240 cases of taxi fare evasion was reported in 2015, said to be a 90 percent escalation from the previous year, and a three-fold increase from 2013, according to Public Transport Council (PTC) Chief Executive Alvin Chia.
As such, the PTC announced the implementation of higher fines come May 9 for passengers who don't pay their fares, with the first offence already hitting wrongdoers with a $200 penalty. It'll be twice that amount — $400 — for the second offence, and that's not including the restitution payment of the unpaid fare.
Currently, taxi fare cheats are fined $100 and $200 for those same offences.
Once three or more offences are committed, they'll face prosecution in court, said the council.
When you see SMRT in the news, it's usually related to something unfavourable — especially in light of the recent breakdowns. But here's a story to restore your faith in humanity: A mother recently posted on SMRT's Facebook page, sharing a sweet tale of her young son making friends with a staff member of SMRT.
"I see many complaints mostly on this page and just wanted to brighten up someone's day with this post," Samantha Bek explained, going on to elaborate on how her son looks forward to taking the train ride every morning because of a special 'Star Wars' uncle who bears a 'light saber'.
Yes, yes, your new profile picture and/or Instagram shots look very nice with all that pretty lights cascading around you. The thing is, everyone else has the same picture as yours.
Local multi-label store ACTUALLY has teamed up with homegrown brand MASH-UP to create a new capsule collection in support of Pink Dot SG. Of course, everything is pink — from the tees and caps to the tote bags. Showcasing the different faces of mascot Pinkie, this collab celebrating the freedom to love features quirky and colourful designs splashed on the items, giving them a playful, eclectic vibe.
Proceeds from sales will go towards covering the cost of running this year's Pink Dot which, if you haven't heard, is happening on June 4, 3pm at Hong Lim Park.
Take a look at some of the fun-loving campaign photos below.
UPDATE: PrimaDeli comes clean and says that it was their staff member whow as involved in the incident. He has since been dismissed by the company.
For a company that supposedly prides itself in serving the Muslim community, what a pretty horrible episode in unbridled racism, if what baker Sarah Carmariah (of @thebakelife) says is true.
In a Facebook post that has since gotten nearly 3,000 shares, Sarah recounted a pretty upsetting experience during a job interview at an unnamed "well-known halal bakery" as a cake decorator — a passion that she's had over the past couple of years as a home baker.
Though Sarah Carmariah held back from naming and shaming a popular Halal bakery for spouting racist nonsense at her during a job interview, Prima Deli came clean in public, announcing that it was their staff member who was involved in the viral post.
Less than 24 hours ago, young baker Sarah Carmariah published a Facebook post recounting about a horrible experience faced when she tried to apply for a job as cake decorator. TL;DR: she noped the fuck out of the interview process after a head of department outwardly displayed racial prejudice towards her — one of which was telling her that she won't be able to make it in the job because she was Malay.
Great news, good people of the North — your long commutes to the central business district will have a significant portion of travel time shaved off once a new route gets built by 2026.
The Land Transport Authority has announced plans for the construction of the 21.5km North-South Corridor (NSC) as the country's first integrated transport passageway. What it'll do is connect residential towns in the northern region to the city centre, reducing bus travelling times to the city by up to 30 minutes. Those living in Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio will be having a much easier time accessing town by bus — the only caveat being the fact that you'll have to wait for a decade before enjoying the NSC.
COCONUTS HOT SPOT– No, there won’t be any masked fighters flinging ninja stars at you or challenging you to a sword fight at Ninja Bowl. Instead, this new 46-seater is casual and chic, retaining a similar industrial-style décor to its predecessor, Department of Caffeine. But don’t expect the usual boring line-up of eggs benny and waffles here – it’s all about the titular Ninja Bowls.
Eight options feature on the menu, all of them hearty and affordable. First off, pick your base: go carb-free if you’re watching your diet, or toss in some garden greens for an additional $2; white quinoa will set you back $3, while $2 gets you orzo pasta with honey, multigrain mustard, miso and chilli, or ninja rice, a mix of vinegar-y Japanese pearl rice and brown rice with seaweed flakes.
63-year-old Wong Cheung Pok bumped into an old friend on the bus — a teenage student whom he had first met at church. Having not seen each other for several months, they started chatting and Wong invited the 18-year-old to his house for a drink.
Unfortunately, the invitation was for something more depraved — Wong molested his young guest in his home.
The man has since been sentenced to jail for seven months for using criminal force intending to outrage the modesty of a victim, Channel NewsAsia reports.
A street party is coming to Bukit Pasoh Road. Closed off for the first time this long weekend, the area will pay tribute to the golden days of old, where people strolled along the streets without a care in the world. Yes, you'll be transported back to the 1930s, complete with old school performances and retro vibes.
Catch lion dance troupes in action, watch orchestras and operas for free, listen to '60s-style melodies by the Pinholes at Duxton Park Plain and stay on for more dance battles and local music acts as the night wears on.
Bukit Pasoh Street Party is on Apr 30-May 1, 6.30pm-10pm at Bukit Pasoh Rd. Free.
A new challenger approaches! From May 29 onwards, Singaporeans will be able to see new bus operator Tower Transit in action across the island in its fresh green get-up.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced that 26 new bus services will start operating from Bukit Batok, Clementi and Jurong East bus interchanges in three phases. The bus services will terminate at four bus interchanges — Bedok, Marina Centre, Shenton Way and Toa Payoh.
UK-based operator Tower Transit managed to score the first contract as part of the new Government Contracting model, and they're running LTA's Bulim package from Bulim Bus Depot in Jurong.
Already expelled from Wheaton College in Illinois, USA last year, Alexander Lim faces charges of using a hidden camera to secretly videotape three female students in the shower of their apartment.
The 25-year-old Singaporean admitted guilty to six counts of unauthorised video recording, reports the Chicago Tribune. He'll face sentencing on June 30, where he could face up to five years in prison.
Taste Italian dishes by one-Michelin-star guest chef Roberto Rispoli from Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris, at a special four-course menu in Raffles Singapore. From the historic Il Carpaccio restaurant in Paris, the chef's menu will include his signature dishes, as well as wine pairings from the Tenuta di Trinoro wine estate.
Start off with an artichoke salad, followed by squid ink farfalle with mullet fish roe. Next up, a roasted veal loin 'calzone' with zucchini flower, ricotta and spinach. Last but not least, savour the tiramisu with coffee jelly and salted chocolate.
This year's haze in Singapore may not be as severe as last year's. While that's not saying much — 'cause last year's was really bad — it's still an improvement.
The El Nino weather phenomenon, which caused forest fires in Indonesia to burn more intensely for longer periods of times, is expected to wane by the time the traditional dry season comes next month. And La Nina, another phenomenon associated with heavier rainfall in the region, is highly likely to follow in the third quarter of the year, according to The Straits Times' report.
Heavier rains and less forest fires could lead to better air quality in Singapore, although there could still be dry spells in between rainy days.
A quick show of hands — was anyone actually waiting anxiously for Newton Food Centre to reopen? Anyone besides tourists, that is. 'Cause the tourist trap late-night eatery has just flung open its stall doors after three months of upgrading works. It now boasts a cleaner and slightly posher look, as well as the occasional menu item price hike.
New flooring, a higher roof for ventilation, spacious aisles, more seats and revamped toilets are just some of the improved facilities customers get to enjoy. The space is also more open and brighter, and utilizes energy-efficient LED lighting indoors.
For those who grew up in Singapore, you'll remember (quite fondly) a time when Far East Plaza was the coolest hangout on Orchard Road. In its golden years since opening in 1982, it was a teen shopping haven, a place where you could buy affordable clothes and cheap meals. Unfortunately, now it's just a sad shell of what it used to be.
Walk around the mall and you'll find multiple stores empty and displaying 'For Lease' signs. The eateries get quite crowded during meal times, and the nail and hair salons still see a good amount of regular customers, but the clothing shops aren't faring as well.
Seeing increasing incidents of racial discrimination being brought to light lately, the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) have had enough of it all and suggested a possible solution to the issue.
Noting the lack of a publicly available database that tracks such appalling incidents and the reparative actions taken afterwards, AMP called for the formation of a central body to address discriminatory practices. Not just limited to Malay-Muslims too — discriminatory practices carried out by individuals, companies or employers against the minority and foreign communities in Singapore.
