Local News

The Sembawang Town Council have blamed the algae growth on the concrete flooring behind a block of flats in Woodlands on poor workmanship. This case recently came to light when residents alerted the Town Council, indicating that the floor had only recently been repaved. 

Photos taken by residents clearly show dark green patches on the concrete flooring located next to the void deck at Woodlands Street 81. Some residents said the algae had been there for months, and appeared almost immediately after the concrete flooring had been repaved. The algae is a concern, as they might be a potential fall hazard, especially to the elderly residents.

The Sembawang Town Council, who was responsible for the area, said that the algae growth was due to poor workmanship done when the floor was redone, between October last year and April this year. The Town Council said that the contractor responsible for the works have agreed to carry out rectification works.

Some people are not going to have a Merry Christmas. The National Council of Churches recently expressed displeasure with the Disney-themed Christmas decorations along Orchard Road. The festive decorations are part of a 3-year collaboration between the Singapore Tourism Board and Disney. 

Their beef is that the Disney theme did not reflect the true spirit of Christmas. "Christmas, at its heart, is a festival in the Christian calendar, which commemorates the incarnation and birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

The council also complained that Christmas, compared to other festive occasions, is too commercialised and profit-oriented. They recognise that it is a season of gift-giving but wanted the relevant authorities to do more in preventing it from turning into a money-making venture. 

"It is against such a backdrop that this year's light-up is particularly disappointing for us. We are not against the use of Disney characters per se, but we wonder if they should be the focus of what is essentially a Christian festival. The original meaning of Christmas has been effectively buried under the thick layer of this extensive and sophisticated brand promotion exercise."

Poor Elsa. She didn't even do anything. Why make a mountain out of a molehill?

In a Facebook post dated 22 November, netizen Claris Ortega recollected on how she was approached by old woman who was pushing a trolley full of cardboard that she had collected, and asking her if she could buy for her a packet of chicken rice.

Recalling the incident, Ortega said that this happened around dinnertime at Clementi Food Centre. She had noticed this old woman looking at a table with leftover food as Ortega was leaving. She went up to the old woman and and before she could do anything, the old woman asked her is she could buy for her a meal, as she was hungry having gone all day collecting cardboard. Ortega bought the woman a chicken rice, and although the woman accepted that, she refused any monetary help, or even a second packet of food. 

Most online netizens said the old woman is seen frequently around the area collecting cardboard, and she seemed hunched over and unable to walk straight. The Ministry of Social and Family Development stated that the old woman is known to them, and she is supported by her children and grandchildren, as well receiving pensions and Silver Support payouts. The MSF failed to explain why she still have to collect cardboard if she was receiving all these help. 

A video of three children throwing objects at stray cats started to circulate via social media on 23 Nov 2018. The video depicts three children stalking a cat under some cars before chasing after it and throwing objects at it. The video taker claims that the incident occurred at Block 653 Hougang Avenue 8. You can watch the full video here:

Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) & Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) are both currently looking into the video. SPCA has counseling sessions for children who engages in acts of animal cruelty. 

Anybody with information on the video can contact AVA at ther 24 hour hotline 1800-476-1600.

A Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) lecturer had been found out by the University after he leaked out exam questions and provided solutions to the questions for the paper during a revision class.

AS a result, SUSS decided to void the exam as the integrity of the exams had been compromised, and those students who attended the revision class should not gain an unfair advantage over the rest. The exam paper was reported as FIN303 Financial Management, which students sat for on 20 November. However, the lecturer had made known the questions and solutions to the paper prior to the exams sitting on 20 November during a revision lecture. 

About 590 students, both part time and full time, were affected by the void. They will be given a choice to either resit for another paper on Dec 4, or accept their Overall Continuous Assessment Score (OCAS) for their final grade.

The lecturer have not been named, but SUSS said that they will not hesitate to take actions against the lecturer once their investigations are complete.

The Online Citizen has announced plans to continue its publication despite initially saying that it will go on hiatus. It is undergoing investigations for defamation and had its electronic devices seized by the police. Both its editor, Terry Xu, and one of its writers, Willy Sum, are being investigated. 

Even though they have many obstacles in their way, TOC will continue with the support from kind-hearted Singaporeans. People have contributed to the purchase of new equipment and as subscribers to the website. It is only right for it to keep business going. 

"We would like to express our thanks to all who have contributed so far, whether it is in monetary or in contribution of article and information. 

We will be running a fund raising campaign soon to prepare and expand our team so as to deal with the election next year. As there is risk of me [Terry Xu] being arrested and put to jail, there is an urgent need to ensure that the publication is able to run even with me behind bars especially during the election period."

Xu promised to keep the website going until the day TOC has exhausted its resources. 

Be strong TOC. Let's hope our democracy has not been exhausted.