SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic helper took to social media justifying that as long as she did not reveal her employer’s address or personal details in the photos or videos she took, she should be allowed to post the images.
Following a number of online discussions, one employer took to a social media group asking domestic helpers for their thoughts on taking videos in their employer’s house and posting them online. The woman wrote in an anonymous post: “Dear Helpers, I’d like to seek your point of view. I’ve noticed on other pages conflicts between helpers and employers about taking videos to post on social media”.
She added that the videos were taken in the employer’s house without permission. She then asked helpers in the group: “For those who do take videos in the employer’s residence to post on social media, what’s your thoughts on this? I’d like to seek views from everyone who both do this and don’t this, just to understand everyone’s thoughts and position on this topic”.
One helper who commented on the post had strong views: “For example I’m in my room at night, after work, I take photos of myself, of course, behind me is my employer’s wall. Am I compromising their privacy and safety by doing so? If the employer is so strict about their doors or walls or ceiling popping up as the background of my selfie after work, I don’t think I can work from them. What is scary is when we take photos and videos outside the employer’s house showing the blk, house number, or in the hallway showing a clear description of their location.. I know my boundaries, I know what to post and what not to”.
Most others said that the matter should be discussed beforehand with the employers. Another helper said: “Employers should inform the helper first and foremost about their rules of not putting their family especially kids on social media.. because some employers were okay, some are not .. and for the helpers like me , if they forgot to inform us ,we need to ask our employers if they’re okay posting them .. Everybody needs their privacy right.. so we need to respect each other. No hate. Just love”.
According to the Advisory Guidelines on the Personal Data Protection Act, the following example was given: “Photo-taking by an individual acting in a personal or domestic capacity Diana, an employee of Organisation XYZ, attends XYZ’s corporate social responsibility event. At the event, she meets her friend Dawn. During a break in the programme, they have a personal chat and catch up on each other’s personal lives. During the chat, Diana takes a photograph of the two of them to update her friends of the encounter via social media. Diana then uploads the photograph and displays it on her personal social media page. In this instance, Diana would likely be considered to be an individual acting in a personal or domestic capacity, and would not be required to comply with the Data Protection Provisions in respect of the photo-taking and subsequent disclosure of the photograph via her social media account.
Notwithstanding the above, the Data Protection Provisions may apply in other contexts where Diana is not acting in a personal or domestic capacity. For example, if the photograph is subsequently published for XYZ’s publicity purposes (such as in XYZ’s corporate brochures or website) instead of for Diana’s personal purposes, the Data Protection Provisions are likely to apply to XYZ in respect of the collection, use and disclosure of the photograph. For example, XYZ will have to obtain Dawn’s consent before publishing her photograph for XYZ’s business purpose”.
Earlier this year, a frustrated employer of a foreign domestic helper complained on social media that her maid would not only “scold her vulgarities” on TikTok videos but also “wear makeup at home, wear s*xy underwear, tiktok around the house and then she told us she cannot finish her duties because she has too many things to do”.
In her anonymous post, the woman also wrote that her neighbour’s maid also said that her helper “has a Facebook with a lot of guys chatting. Her private life yes but she is also married with kids back in phillipines”. The employer wrote that she had spoken to her maid over five times asking her not to film TikToks in the house, or even in her room as they were a private family. “It is ok for her to have a TikTok account and dance outside or with her friends. I don’t think I should control her use of TikTok outside. It’s none of my business. Just don’t do it in my house because we have pictures of the kids (we also don’t like guests)”, the woman wrote.
SINGAPORE: Mr Ravi Menon, the outgoing head of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, acknowledged that inflation has gone down, but added that it’s too soon to discuss reversing monetary policies.
Mr Menon told CNA that MAS is “not declaring victory” quite yet against the high inflation rates that have affected Singaporeans in the past few years. From 7.5 per cent in September of 2022, headline inflation was at 4.1 per cent in September this year.
Singapore’s core inflation—which does not take into account private transport and accommodation— has also recently dropped to 3 per cent, the lowest it’s been since March 2022.
MAS also said last week that inflation is projected to ease even further, estimating it between 2.5 per cent and 3 per cent year-on-year by December, adding, “Excluding the impact of the increase in the GST rate in January, core inflation is forecast at 1.5 to 2.5 per cent.”
However, Mr Menon called 3 per cent inflation “not good enough” in an interview with CNA, as core inflation usually averages at about 2 per cent.
“Core inflation is in a much better place than in the last two years but we’re not home yet. So, I think it would be premature to talk about relaxation or easing in monetary policy,” Mr Menon, who will have his last day as MAS chief after 12 years on Dec 31, 2023, is quoted as saying. He added, “It’s too early to ease because once you ease and if inflation surges up again, you’ve got to redo all that hard work. Central banks are right to be conservative on this and to wait.”
Bloomberg also quotes the MAS chief as saying that the country’s monetary policy “remains appropriately tight” adding that even as countries in Southeast Asia have turned hawkish, Singapore is not under pressure to do more.
While there have been surprise rate hikes in the Philippines and Indonesia this month in the face of inflationary pressures, Singapore is unlikely to follow suit. Mr Menon described MAS’ current aim to Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin as “not accomplished yet, but it’s on track”.
The MAS chief also sounded an optimistic note about the economy at present, saying, “At least now, we can imagine a pathway to lower inflation without necessarily having a recession.” Authorities are more sure of this than they were last year./TISG
SINGAPORE: The opposition People’s Power Party (PPP) has re-elected Goh Meng Seng as its secretary-general, while its founding chairman, Syafarin Sariff, has stepped down. This was announced by the party following the conclusion of its party congress, which also elected its fourth central executive committee (CEC) on Sunday (Oct 29).
Although Syafarin has relinquished his position as chairman, the party has decided to make him “Lifetime Honorary Chairman and Advisor to the CEC”. A new addition to the CEC, Peter Soh, will also serve as the party’s advisor to the CEC. Hobart Lee has been appointed chairman, George Chang organising secretary, and William Lim treasurer. There are seven other party members in the CEC. They are Chan Joon Kiang, Ho Loone Tat, Lee Yu Ru, Neo Kai Jie, Soh Guan Soon, Soh Ying Ping, and Tan Meng Lock.
In a media release, PPP’s secretary-general Goh said, “The People’s Power Party is determined to serve Singaporeans and the nation for a better future and will continue to build up our strength for the development of fully functional democracy with proper ‘Separation of Five Powers.’ The Party Congress has also mapped out our political route map as well as the direction and objectives for the party in the coming years.”
Goh added that they would continue to work towards a “grand alliance with other political parties so as to forge a long term commitment towards a viable alternative political option for Singapore.
“We have successfully forged a formal alliance with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), People’s Voice (PV) and Reform Party (RP). While the registration of our Alliance is awaiting formal approval from Registrar of Society, we will continue to convince other opposition parties to join our cause and Alliance. We are prepared to present a good slate of candidates for the next General Elections so that Singaporeans will have the real choice,” explained Goh.
Earlier, in June, the four parties (PPP, DPP, PV and RP) announced in a media release that they would be forming a new alliance called the People’s Alliance. They added that once registration of their proposed alliance was approved, they would call a press conference. Over the weekend, another set of four opposition parties — Red Dot United, Singapore People’s Party, Singapore United Party and the NSP — came together to form an informal political partnership called “The Coalition”.
The PPP was formed in 2015 by veteran politician Goh, who previously contested general elections with other opposition parties such as the Workers’ Party (WP) and the National Solidarity Party (NSP). Goh made his electoral debut in 2006 with the WP in Aljunied GRC, before making the switch to the NSP in the following election in 2011 when he stood from Tampines GRC.
The PPP has contested two general elections, putting up candidates in Chua Chu Kang GRC in 2015, and MacPherson SMC in 2020. Below are the results from their two elections.
GE 2015 – Chua Chu Kang GRC
PAP (76.91%) – Gan Kim Yong, Low Yen Ling, Yee Chia Hsiang, Zaqy Mohamad
SINGAPORE: Ms Noor Kusumawati Rosman, 33, one of the greats of Singapore women’s football, has recently announced that she is retiring.
“Last month, Noor Kusumawati, our veteran goalkeeper, achieved her 51st and final cap for the country at the 19th Asian Games Thank you for your dedication, commitment, and sacrifice for the nation, as we wish you the very best in the next chapter of your life!” wrote the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Saturday (Oct 28).
The footballer, affectionately known as Wati, started playing for the national team in a game against Vietnam at the AFF Women’s Championships in 2011. She was only 21 at the time.
A short dozen years later, she earned her fifty-first cap—her farewell one at that— in this year’s Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, China, from Sept 23 to Oct 8.
FAS noted, however, that the decision to announce her retirement from football before the Asian Games instead of after surprised many people. Many commenters were dismayed by the announcement, as seen in the Sept 29 Instagram post below. Others asked her, however, to continue to inspire the future generation of footballers.
“Class player!! Keep up the good work and keep inspiring the younger generation!” wrote one, while another commented: “My twin girls’ idol!! what a career!”
Even her teammates and family were shocked by the announcement that she is retiring, but Ms Wati has been surrounded by love and support.
“They were shocked by it but they understood and respected my decision to retire and give others a chance. They are proud of my achievements and will support me no matter what,” she is quoted as saying to FAS.
But she is happy to have reached a milestone of 51 caps, something she described to FAS as “a long time coming”. She is not only the most-capped goalkeeper in Singapore’s history but also the second most-capped female footballer.
“It’s an immense honour and a proud moment for me. There have been ups and downs in football, but I managed to go through them all and finish off in a big tournament,” she told FAS. /TISG
SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party Youth Wing has regrouped in the wake of the resignation of its former president, Ms Nicole Seah. It posted on Facebook on Oct 28 a photo of some of its members with party chief and Leader of the Opposition, Mr Pritam Singh, and the new WP Youth Wing leader, Mr Nathaniel Koh, who was named in a social media post for the first time.
“On this rainy Saturday afternoon, we were thrilled to see so many passionate youth wing members gather for the inaugural engagement session with Party Secretary General Pritam Singh and Youth Wing President Nathaniel Koh 许金桂.”
“They discussed their ideals and initiatives on pressing youth issues. These young leaders are the fearless future of Singapore!” reads the post, which also said that the members come from diverse backgrounds but share a “united vision… to build a brighter future for all Singaporeans.”
Mr Koh also shared a photo from the session on his Facebook account, writing that he “Had an incredibly productive and insightful session with the dynamic members of the WP Youth Wing this Saturday afternoon!” He added that he was “Looking forward to many more engaging sessions in the months ahead. Together, we’re building a brighter future!”
Ms Seah, who had led the WP Youth Wing since 2021 and had just been re-elected in June this year, resigned in July. Mr Perera also stepped down from the party and, therefore, from his duties in Aljunied GRC.
Mr Koh managed Mr Singh’s Meet-the-People sessions as a secretarial assistant and also assisted Aljunied GRC MP and WP vice chair Faisal Manap since the general election in 2015. He has also been part of the executive committee of the WP Youth Wing.
In the 2020 general election, Mr Koh was fielded as a candidate on the WP slate at Marine Parade GRC, where the opposition team won 42.24 per cent of the vote. In November last year, Ms Seah and Mr Koh and their families joined the WP Youth Wing beach clean-up at East Coast Park. /TISG
SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim shared how he helped a family obtain birth certificates for their twin girls who had been stillborn. The twins’ mum, Ms Mandy Too, had reached out to Assoc Prof Lim for assistance over two years ago, and this month, Ms Too was able to get them.
While the WP mainly advances causes that affect a broad cross-section of Singaporean society, “every now and then, we also carefully consider raising issues that are narrower in scope, but are nevertheless important, because they are consistent with the beliefs that we hold, and because doing so is the right thing to do,” wrote the MP in a Monday morning (Oct 30) Facebook post.
This is why when Ms Too reached out to him for help getting birth certificates issued for stillborn babies, Assoc Prof Lim was more than willing to do so by filing questions on the matter in Parliament.
“The Ministry provided a way forward, as long as there was demonstrable demand. Through her advocacy, Mandy essentially did the rest; she gathered thousands of signatures to show that, indeed, grieving parents wanted this to happen,” he added.
The MP wrote that he was heartened to hear that the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority is now issuing commemorative birth certificates for stillborn babies and tells grieving parents that this is possible. “This is important, because not everyone in mourning thinks about these things, even if it’ll help them with closure,” he added, calling it a “small administrative step… that is enormously meaningful to those that grieve.”
An Oct 30 CNA piece tells the story of Ms Too and Mr Hoy, whose daughters were stillborn in August 2021. The couple was given a document titled “Notification of a Still-Birth”. While some birth details were indicated on the document, it did not contain the babies’ names. Instead, their daughters, whom they named Abigail and Lara, were merely indicated as “Twin 1” and “Twin 2”.
“It felt wrong that there was no space for their names. You’re basically saying it doesn’t matter what their names are; it doesn’t matter who they are. They’re dead, who cares, you know?” Ms Too is quoted in CNA as saying.
Ms Too went into action and started a petition, which was signed by 2,800 people. She also heard from many bereaved parents. Earlier this month, she was informed by the ICA that she could apply for a commemorative birth certificate for Abigail and Lara. /TISG
SINGAPORE: An employer took to social media enquiring about how much it would cost her helper to build a house in her village.
The employer posted her question in an online support group for domestic helpers and employers. She wrote: “I can’t remember if I’ve posted this question here before. You see, I’m trying to help my helper from Palembang estimate how much it would cost her to build a house in her village in Palembang”. The woman added that after her helper completed a 2-year contract working for her, the maid managed to buy a piece of land back home with her savings. “She is aiming to be able to earn enough to build a house on that piece of land. Do we have friends from Palembang in this group? Any one of you have any idea how much she would have to save to fulfil her dream?” the employer wrote.
Other helpers who commented on the post advised on the types of houses they built and how much it cost them. One helper who built her house 11km from Palembang said: “I just built my home last year in Cirebon. It cost me around $45k-50k for buying materials and paying the contractors till finished (1 level house with planning to expand to level 2 in future).No furniture except kitchen. It consists; 1 bedroom, 2 toilets (one outside, one in the bedroom), 1 washing machine area, 1 big hall with an open kitchen. It took me 15 years to save up. It was really hard to save, but I am very happy to finally have something that call “home” for my own and that was my biggest dream”. Another helper commented: “Depends (on the) house she want to build. One level house with all the cement, the cost is around 20,000$.. can be with 3 rooms,If she makes more than one level, it will be more expensive than double Bec need Iron for concrete pillars and second floor foundations…and the price of iron is quite expensive”.
In 2021, a Filipino woman on TikTok came back with a sassy response to netizens who called her out for being a maid. A netizen commented on the woman’s TikTok channel: “no lah she’s a maid”. In response, the woman, @shery2291, said: “I may be a maid but I have car in the Philippines, then I got three houses in Cavite, two land in Samal and one of them is near the beach”. The helper added: “Singapore is good enough to make me earn money and invest in the future. So if I’m maid here in Singapore, it’s okay”. She added as an aside: “as long as I’m just thinking about the future and not just (posting) hating comments in other people’s videos”. The woman retorted: “Just saying”. /TISG
If the idea of coming up with a special broth for babies sounds like an Epicurean soup made just for babies to savour, well, that’s exactly what Souper Baby is.
Eunice Phua, 32, decided to become one of the first broth specialists in Singapore in February 2020 with her 33-year-old husband, Jovan Chua, when their son, affectionately and famously known to customers as Souper Baby 1, started weaning. “He began his solids journey and went through a phase where he did not want anything but soups. So I started making broths on a weekly basis because I wanted to give him nutritious homemade meals without any preservatives or additives,” she said. Ms Phua realised it was a handy way to incorporate a good amount of vitamins and nutrients needed to support their growth. “Broths also helped with digestion, be it for noodles, porridge or stews,” she added.
However, both were working full-time. Mr Chua was a banker, while Ms Phua was a finance manager with a fund management firm. They could not find time to prepare the ingredients, portion the broth, and cook it daily. “I ended up sacrificing quality time with my son as there were not any healthy alternatives in the market which were unsalted and suitable for babies.” This problem impressed upon them the idea of a niche product. “Thus, (we planned) to create a convenient yet nutritious alternative for anyone who might be strapped for time and do not want to compromise on the quality of the broths and time with their kids,” said Mr Chua.
None had experience in running a business, let alone with F&B products. The notion was ludicrous. However, as first-time parents, a baby’s development and growth during formative years were critical. Their love drove them to pursue this path. Furthermore, the surrounding circumstances boosted the possibility of selling a product to serve other young, busy parents. The first half of 2020 was the period of the Covid lockdown, and working from home became the norm. It was inadvisable to go out, so online shopping and home deliveries became a lifestyle. Many parents started looking for healthy and convenient alternatives to prepare their meals for their babies and toddlers. So, the duo leapt through this window of opportunity.
They decided Souper Baby will only be made from 100% natural ingredients without preservatives, artificial colouring, MSG, sugar, and salt. “We pride ourselves in using only quality ingredients to craft out recipes with the aim of bringing out the essences of the bones and numerous health benefits for our son,” said Mr Chua.
Getting it off the ground while juggling full-time jobs and raising an infant was a handful. However, the founders invested in the work – waking up before the crack of dawn and sleeping only a few hours a night. “We immersed ourselves in the process to ensure strict compliance with Singapore Food Agency (SFA). We conducted extensive research to ensure the broths were of high quality to yield the highest concentration of benefits to our little ones, including our daughter, Souper Baby 2, who was born in June 2021,” said Ms Phua.
“Although we were both in industries that had nothing to do with F&B, we equipped ourselves with the necessary knowledge and also obtained a full-fledged food manufacturing license issued by the SFA; this was important – we knew credibility and qualification was the crux of trust.”
Eventually, as demand heated up, they quit their full-time roles to invest their energy solely in Soul Souper. “We were so shocked,” said Mr Chua. “Just within the first year, people were willing to wait three to five months for our broths!” Due to the volume of orders, Soul Souper had to stop marketing their products to control the waiting time of orders better.
Photos: Jovan Chua
The pork and chicken broths became their bestsellers. The other flavours are beef, threadfin fish, organic chicken, pork collagen, and chicken collagen. For parents preparing dry meals, Souper Baby Powderful Organic Kale and Spinach can be sprinkled in to add vitamins and antioxidants.
“The main issue we faced from the get-go was increasing production from the overwhelming support we received. We had fully booked delivery dates for months ahead and had to explore options of how to better meet the demand without (compromising) the quality of the broths in any way,” said Ms Phua. Soul Souper then decided to invest and manufacture the broths at premises licensed and approved by the SFA.
“The capital that was needed to start and expand the business was the main concern, and we are so grateful and thankful that we were able to purely from the support of our customers,” said Mr Chua. They also could purchase a van for deliveries. Previously, Mr Chua and his family made door-to-door deliveries personally, even on the weekends.
He also felt that starting a flagship factory was critical in their commitment to their customers and brand – to show that they were in it for the long term and to be part of their parenting journeys.
The boom in demand kept blowing up. It impressed upon their hearts the need to ultimately bring their products to a brick-and-mortar store because it was “a proper and more reflective distribution channel for customers to better know our products.” explained Mr Chua. “This would also allow customers to self-collect, have a feel of the products, and personally meet us at the shop to have a better understanding of the products and how best to incorporate it into their meals.”
Photo: Jovan Chua
Ms Phua said the perk of a physical store is it reaches a larger audience and adds value to the customers with the flexibility and convenience of a retail store. “It serves as a one-stop baby shop with a wide range of curated baby essential items that our customers can buy at one go,” she added.
When Souper Baby officially launched, queues formed even before opening hours at United Square on Sept 23 and Sept 24 mornings. There was a promotion for the first 20 customers, and parents were literally showing off the printed queue number on social media in relieved elation, like scoring a BTS concert ticket.
“We did an official launch partially as a form of customer appreciation for the support from 2020,” said Mr Chua. “We initially launched pre-order forms so we could reduce waiting time on launch days for the customers and queues. However, pre-orders came in much more than we had expected, and we had to close off pre-order and only reserve the forms that had already been submitted,” he added.
For all subsequent customers, items were first come, first served on the launch days. “We calculated the volume of sales. If we had continued with pre-orders, there would not have been any stocks left for walk-ins,” said Ms Phua.
On the first day of launch, many flavours were sold out by the late afternoon. “It really fills our heart with so much warmth. We were able to put faces to names (whom) we were only able to communicate online with all these years.”
Part of the appeal of Souper Baby was their charming ambassadors: four-year-old Souper Baby 1 and their two-and-a-half-year-old Souper Baby 2. They accidentally dived into fame when their parents posted regular content on Instagram of their adorable, larger-than-life personalities.
“Most importantly, we wanted to show that our kids were the resounding reasons and the biggest factor as to why we created these broths. It is our promise that we will only list food items that we will feed our own children and every food item listed is tried and tested.”
Jaslin Chew said the broth was “light but flavourful.” Her four-year-old son enjoyed it as it was, while her daughter, a 10-year-old, preferred a stronger palate. Ms Chew said that for children with these tastes, the broth paired well with just a little soy sauce to lift its flavour.
Photo: Veronica Ho
Veronica Ho, 37, opined that Souper Baby is thriving because the idea of broths for babies is brilliant. “It is super fast and something that is nutritious and tasty,” she said. Ms Ho has a three-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter. “The soupy broth with macaroni was not salty and comfort food for my daughter; it was the only food she was willing to (eat). It smelled great too. The next day, she had it with chicken udon.”
Son Min Ju, a 35-year-old Korean who has lived in Singapore with her family for three years, said that her children have been craving macaroni soup for a long time. “I couldn’t find any suitable broth which tasted good to make for them, but the chicken broth fitted it perfectly.” She has a three-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son.
Souper Baby also imports a range of nutritious and healthy snacks directly from Korea for babies and children, which can be enjoyed by adults, too. The juices are 100% natural and organic fruit juice with no sugar added. It comes in purée juice form, too. Speciality snacks pack probiotics, which boost a baby’s developing immune system and aid gut health.
Ms Son added that these Korean snacks are popular in her country and safe for children.
The Bye Bye Mucus Syrup by Rose Organic helps in the recovery from flu, cough, and ulcers because of its rich platycodon and saponin. Premium seaweed brands, both seasoned and unseasoned, are stocked, too, to conveniently sprinkle flavour into the broths or family meals. On-the-go snacks like porridge pouches, yoghurt cube melts, and rice puffs are as tasty as practical and convenient.
Photo: Jovan Chua
As though 2023 has not already been going stellar for Soul Souper, the brand was awarded the Singapore 500 SME Company of the Year 2023 by SME 500 Singapore.
Photo: Jovan Chua
“We will always be grateful and thankful for all the love and kind support all these years. If we are fortunate enough, we plan to open more outlets at different locations in Singapore to make it more convenient for our customers,” said Mr Chua.
Photo: Jovan Chua
“If we can venture abroad in other countries too for further expansion, that would be amazing,” added Ms Phua.
SINGAPORE: Singapore Premier League clubs, Lion City Sailors and Hougang United failed to maintain their winning momentum in their respective regional Asian competition matches on Oct 25. The Sailors were handed a 3-0 defeat to South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the AFC Champions League Group F match, while Hougang went down 3-1 to Indonesia club PSM Makassar in their AFC Cup Group H match.
Both clubs registered their first tournament win in their second match earlier in the month. The Sailors triumphed 2-1 against Kitchee at the Hong Kong Stadium, while the Cheetahs (Hougang’s nickname) sealed a 2-1 win at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
But both clubs faced stiffer opponents on match day three as the Sailors went up against two-time AFC Champions League winners (2006, 2016) Jeonbuk at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium. The South Korean club have won their domestic league title nine times, including for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021.
Photo: Facebook screengrab / theafccl
Jeonbuk led by head coach Dan Petrescu, a former Romania international footballer, took the lead as early as the fifth minute of the game through their Japanese attacking midfielder Jun Amano. The hosts doubled their lead in the 33rd minute as Sailors defender Lionel Tan uncharacteristically poked the ball into his own net while attempting to clear the ball.
The Sailors had an opportunity to reduce the deficit before half-time, but Maxime Lestienne’s effort was palmed away by Jeonbuk’s goalkeeper Kim Jeong-Hoon. The hosts added their third and final game goal after the restart in the 57th minute. Sailors goalkeeper Zharfan Rohaizad fumbled a cross from the right, and Jeonbuk’s Moon Seon-min took advantage of it and tapped the ball into the back of the net.
Although Sailors head coach Aleksandar Rankovic would have preferred a win and the three points, he acknowledged that it was not an easy game as they faced a team of a higher calibre.
“Congratulations to Jeonbuk, they deserved this victory tonight. The result was a tough pill to swallow, even though we knew even before the game they had quality in their ranks. It was a difficult game and we were struggling especially in the first half. When you concede two very easy goals early on, you know it’s going to be a long evening ahead,” said the Sailors head coach after their match against Jeonbuk.
With the defeat, Sailors are now in third place on three points in Group F. Bangkok United are top of the group on nine points, while Jeonbuk are in second place on six points. Kitchee are at the bottom of the group, with three defeats after three matches. Sailors will host Jeonbuk at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Nov 8. In their final two matches, Sailors will take on Bangkok at the Thammasat Stadium on Nov 29 and face Kitchee at home on Dec 13.
Photo: Facebook screengrab / AFCCup
Meanwhile, Hougang faced a resurgent Makassar side at the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium. The Indonesian club suffered defeats to Vietnam’s Hai Phong (3-0) and Malaysia’s Sabah (5-0) in their first two matches of the competition but finally struck form.
The hosts started strong and went on the offensive early in the game. They were relentless in their attack and were rewarded with two goals in the first half, courtesy of Safrudin Tahar and Cape Verdean player Yuran Fernandes Lopes, in the 22nd and 29th minutes of the games. Portuguese striker Adilson Silva added the third goal in the 55th minute. The Cheetahs managed to pull a goal back in the 78th minute from the penalty spot. But Dorde Maksimovic’s goal was not enough as the hosts sealed a 3-1 win to register their first three points in the AFC Cup Group H campaign.
Hougang are now tied on three points with Makassar, but the Singapore Premier League outfit are at the bottom of the group. Hai Phong and Sabah are both on six points, but the Vietnamese club are at the top of the table. Hougang will next host Makassar at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Nov 9. Their final two group matches will be against Sabah on Nov 30 and Hai Phong on Dec 14.
SINGAPORE: Veteran national team netball player Charmaine Soh announced retirement after Singapore defeated Papua New Guinea 59-56 to win the 2023 Mirxes Nations Cup on Saturday (Oct 28) at the OCBC Arena, Singapore Sports Hub. It is Singapore’s third Nations Cup title, which they last won 16 years ago. Singapore won the first two editions of the tournament in 2006 and 2007 and were finalists in four subsequent editions in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2019.
Soh is arguably one of the most iconic netball players for the national team. She made her debut for Singapore against Jamaica at the Netball World Cup held in Singapore in 2011. Over the years, she has been a key player in many successful Singapore national netball teams, including those that won the gold in the 2012 and 2014 Asian Netball Championships and the 2015 Southeast Asian Games.
“It’s been amazing from the start, from getting selected to the team and being the newbie to now being the oldest in the team. I would like to thank my teammates and the coaches who have been with me throughout these years. I’m really thankful to them for shaping me into who I am today. And to the team, I would like to tell them to continue to work hard and ‘jia you’ to the young ones,” shared a tearful Soh, Singapore’s most capped player with 128 appearances with the national team over 12 years.
The 33-year-old was inducted into the Netball Hall of Fame in 2018 and has competed in three Netball World Cups (2011, 2015, 2019), five Asian Netball Championships (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022), and three Southeast Asian Games (2015, 2017 and 2019). She also held leadership roles within the team, serving as co-vice-captain from 2015 to 2018 and national captain in 2019.
SINGAPORE’S FIRST NATIONS CUP TITLE IN 16 YEARS
In the inaugural tournament, Singapore lost to Papua New Guinea in the round-robin match but turned the tide when the two teams met again in the final as the hosts won 46-41 at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall. The following year, Singapore defeated all their opponents in the group stage and won 56-32 against Trinidad and Tobago in the final.
This year, Singapore won the title the same way they did in 2006, losing to Papua New New Guinea in the group stage but beating them in the final.
In the first match, Singapore suffered a narrow 50-52 defeat to Papua New Guinea. After that loss, the Singapore team regrouped, focused and went on to win the rest of their group matches. They were impressive in their 22-goal win over Cook Islands (58-36) in their second match, and they followed it up with a hard-fought 50-44 against Canada next. In their fourth match, Singapore had no difficulties winning 55-31 against the younger Singapore ‘A’ team. Singapore then set up their rematch with Papua New Guinea in the final with an 11-goal victory over Sri Lanka (65-54) in their last round-robin match.
Photo credit: Mirxes Nations Cup
It was a fiercely contested final as both teams were pouncing on each other’s defence, trying to find ways to score goals. However, midway through, Singapore made some errors, allowing Papua New Guinea to edge ahead and claim the first quarter with a two-goal lead (18-16).
However, Singapore managed to calm their nerves and dominated the second quarter. The home team overpowered their rivals through solid defensive play from Jamie Lim, Aqilah Andin, and Khor Ting Fang, complemented by precise shooting from Amandeep Chahal and Toh Kai Wei. Singapore established a nine-goal lead at the half-time interval, gaining a 19-8 advantage.
Despite some errors creeping into Singapore’s game during the third quarter, Papua New Guinea couldn’t capitalise. Instead, Singapore’s sustained defensive pressure enabled them to win the third quarter by three goals, further extending their lead (48-37). It was a tense final quarter for Singapore as they experienced a higher turnover count and more missed shots than in previous quarters. The Singapore players on the bench, as well as the fans, were kept on the edge of their seats as Papua New Guinea mounted a strong comeback and reduced the gap in the closing stages of the game. Although Papua New Guinea registered 19 goals compared to Singapore’s 11 in the fourth quarter, it was not enough as Singapore held on to win the match 59-56 and lift the Mirxes Nations Cup 2023 title.
Reflecting on her team’s performance against Papua New Guinea, Singapore national coach Annette Bishop expressed her pride in her team’s resilience, stating: “They were brilliant. They stuck together and stuck to the task. Papua New Guinea were coming at us, but we stood tall, and that was what we had to do. Minimise our errors and then just grow our game. We attacked the ball and, and just needed to tidy up on our defence.”
Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth Edwin Tong congratulated the Singapore national netball team on their triumph and made a special mention of Soh on her retirement.
“A huge shoutout this Sunday to our national netball team for securing a historic victory. Their first title in 16 years! They faced Papua New Guinea, a team to whom they had lost narrowly in the tournament opener, and emerged triumphant in the finals! This victory not only brought the Mirxes Nations Cup title back to Singapore but also marked our third title in the tournament, the first since our memorable win in 2007,” posted Minister Tong on his Facebook page.
“What truly sets this victory apart is the camaraderie among our players. Their strong teamwork and unity made this victory even more meaningful. And not forgetting our coaches who dedicated themselves in nurturing and developing this team of young promising players. I also want to extend the shoutout to our sharpshooter, Charmaine Soh, for her remarkable achievement of 128 appearances for the national team. Her unwavering dedication and exceptional skills have been a cornerstone of our success.”
The minister added that the victory was a testament to the resilience and unity of the national netball team. He hopes that as we celebrate this momentous occasion, we can look forward to a brighter future for Singapore netball.
Match Results – 28 October 2023 (Saturday)
Final – Papua New Guinea vs Singapore: 56-59
3rd Placing Match – Cook Islands vs Canada: 49-48
5th Placing Match – Singapore A vs Sri Lanka: 55-48
