Local News

It started off with a big hoorah. Two young aspiring Singaporean entrepreneurs pumped in $30k of their money as an initial investment to start a hawker stall in Chinatown. They billed it as a new push towards F&B Hawker for the younger generation.

32-year-old Gay Yu Ting and 28-year-old business partner Alex Ho pumped in $15,000 each to open their stall, Sutachi, in December 2017. But slightly more than a year into this venture, both have decided to call it quits, after making substantial loses over the short period when they were in business. Sutachi Japanese-Italian fusion food at Chinatown Complex, with one rice bowl costing between S$5 and S$7.50.

According to the two, business was good in the first three months of their opening. However, once the novelty factor wears off, the stall was not making enough money to make their business sustainable. The monthly expenses, including rent and services, already cost about $8,000. This would mean that they need to sell 1,300 bowls of rice just to break even. 

Yet another story of failed young hawker trying to cut it in the hawker business, mostly killed by the high rent. 

What would you do if your child is being abused in a childcare centre? Report to the principal? Report to the police? This is what Facebook user Polly Low has done. She reported a case of her daughter being abused by her childcare teacher in July 2018, that's about 7 months ago. However, the police IO and SIO has been giving her standard answers to her frustration. 

Read her full posts:

Hi SPF.

I desperately need HELP.

My daughter was physically abused by her childcare teacher way back in JULY 2018. That was more than 6 months ago.

Every single i emailed the IO, the SIO.. the reply is always standard. It is a copy and paste as below :

I refer to your call of 19 January 2019 with regard to the above subject matter.

2. Please be informed that investigations into the police report dated 19 July 2018 (F/20180719/2118) is still in progress. Upon its completion, Police will be addressing the Attorney-General’s Chambers with our findings. You will be informed of the case outcome in due course.

3. If you require any assistance in the matter, please contact me at 62181208.

Every single time i call, the answer is the same.

The SIO told me.. mdm.. DEC school holidays.. i bringing my kids for holiday. I UNDERSTAND.. i gave them 2 mths break.

Jan I called. Still the same.

IF THE SIO, THE IO.. OR WHOEVER IS NOT FREE TO INVESTIGATE MY DAUGHTER ABUSE CASE, KINDLY GET SOMEONE MORE EFFICIENT TO DO IT.

AN ANIMAL ABUSE CASE, YOU GUYS TOOK LESS THAN 1 MTH TO INVESTIGATE.

MY GAL IS A 6 YR OLD CHILD. SHE WAS HOSPITALISED FOR 4 DAYS. SHE HAS WOUNDS. AND HER CASE IS NOT WORTH INVESTIGATION AS COMPARED TO AN ANIMAL ABUSE CASE????

I had been very patient. not to post on social media as i had faith in our SPF. HOWEVER, you guys failed me.

Whoever sees this post, please help me to make it viral.

Let everyone know, how important they view CHILD ABUSE CASE IN SINGAPORE.

There is almost one accident, serious or otherwise, that happens on Singapore's roads every day. But this accident is something that we will not see that often. In fact, this kind of accident is once in a lifetime. A monitor lizard was killed after it was run over by a bicycle at the Serangoon Park Connector Network (PCN) on Saturday.

In the bizarre accident, a female cyclist was cycling across the Serangoon PCN when the monitor lizard scurried across her path. Unable to avoid the creature, the woman ran over the monitor lizard, which got entangled in the spokes of the bicycle's front wheel. The female cyclist was sent tumbling after the collision. The monitor lizard's body ended up contorted.

It was reported that the monitor lizard died immediately because of the impact, while the female cyclist injured herself when her bicycle flipped over. It was lucky that she was wearing a helmet. RIP,  Monitor Lizard

When your job is to help people at their weddings, you jolly well don't fuck up. Facebook user Domenica Tan posted about her awful experience with French Toast Productions, whom she hired to take pictures for her wedding. 

Although there were some photos that were delivered nicely, French Toast Productions allegedly screwed up most of the part.

The first problem occurred when the photographer accused the couple of not informing them of the overseas location for their wedding photoshoot. That was despite them telling the company repeatedly that they wanted to go to Hokkaido. Due to misunderstandings and financial restrictions, the poor couple had to pay for the photographer and make-up artist's accommodation. 

Even after their goodwill, the photographer tried to give them fewer photos as per what was agreed beforehand. The final blow came when it lost many of the couple's photographs. 

"We found out after going through the set of photographs that we were missing a significant bulk of the table shots we had taken with all our guests (more than 80% of the table photo shots were missing!).

What followed was even more ridiculous, with Shawn denying that this mistake was a failure on his part, repeatedly mentioning that it was a virus that had attacked the files."

According to them, the photographer did not put in much effort to try to recover the photos. The couple was appalled and disappointed with the company's lack of responsibility, bad service recovery and rude replies. 

"I believe there are clients of French Toast Productions who have suffered the same plight, as Shawn did mention that there were footages of other clients, which were lost too.

I hope that with us sharing this experience, no one else would have to go through the trauma of losing pre-wedding and wedding footages like we did."

You only have one job. Way to go.

If you thought that Ng Eng Hen's statement came late, (Minister Ng Eng Hen Will Only Address NS Deaths On Feb 11 In Parliament), wait till you check out our PM.

On 15 February 2019, PM Lee finally broke the silence and wrote a length post on his Facebook page addressing the NSF deaths. 

"The recent SAF training incidents have attracted a lot of attention and concern. I thought it would be useful to share my views on them. – LHL

- - - - - - - -

The recent SAF incidents have been very painful, because they cost precious lives. I know how heartbreaking this is to all of us, and especially the families. When it happens to a well known figure like Corporal (First Class) Aloysius Pang, the emotional impact is greater, and the loss is even harder to take.

The SAF has put enormous emphasis on training safety. It aims to achieve zero fatalities. After every incident, we make sure the injured get the best medical care. When a soldier dies, the SAF grieves deeply. His comrades understand how his family feels, because they feel the loss keenly too. But they try to put aside their emotions to take care of the bereaved family, and continue carrying out their SAF duties.

At the same time, the SAF will investigate the incident and identify its causes. We will improve SAF processes and training, so that it does not happen again. We know zero fatalities is extremely hard to achieve. But we will strive for it, because every life is precious to us.

I speak from personal experience. As a unit commander, I was responsible for my men’s training, safety, and welfare. In a way, I was standing in for their parents.

Later, serving on the General Staff, I had to deal with training incidents, decide what needed to be fixed, whether anyone should be punished, what we must keep on doing and what we must stop. I had to account to the bereaved families, and think hard how to keep servicemen safe while still fulfilling the SAF’s mission.

As Prime Minister, I have made sure that the Ministry of Defence has capable leaders, and that when a training accident happens, the government answers, not only to the family, but also to all our NSmen and the public too. That is essential for the SAF and national service to retain public confidence and support.

I can therefore assure you that I and the SAF leadership take safety with utmost seriousness. It was so when I was there, and I am confident it is even more so today.

In war, we will have to put servicemen in harm’s way to defend the country; but in peacetime training, we owe it to our servicemen never to compromise their safety and endanger their lives.

The SAF has to carry on training and fulfilling its operational duties. We cannot outsource our security and defence to anyone else; we have to defend Singapore ourselves. Because we have a strong and well-trained SAF, Singapore enjoys peace and security, and can maintain friendly relations with other countries.

I thank Singaporeans for supporting the SAF and national service. Your support has helped us to build a strong and professional SAF, with a comprehensive order of battle, and well-equipped, well-trained, and well-motivated soldiers.

So when something goes wrong, I hope you will see things in perspective. We must never gloss over shortcomings and failures. But neither should we forget the SAF’s progress and achievements, and its contributions to Singapore’s peace and security."

Netizens questioned what took him so long to write this statement as well as why half the statement was a humble brag of his own accomplishments. What do you think of the statement by our own Prime Minister?

Now, let's see if our President will give a statement too. 

A crocodile was spotted hanging out at Orchid Country Club, which is located in Yishun, on Valentine's Day. A Facebook post by the PUB alerted the public t the sighting of the crocodile.

It was not known how the crocodile could have gotten that far inland. Crocodiles in Singapore are usually sighted at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the northwest areas. The lone crocodile of Orchid Country Club was spotted near the Aranda Course, one of the golf courses at the country club that is near Hole 7. PUB also announced that all water activities in or near the Seletar Reservoir, of which the the crocodile was spotted, will be suspended, and the public has also been advised not to go near the edge of the reservoir.

If you do see the crocodile, no need to say hello. Just stay calm and slowly back away.