SINGAPORE: After three months of searching for a Singaporean man who fell off a cargo ship in USA waters, the U.S. Coast Guard has formally presumed the 25-year-old dead.
The missing man, Muhammad Furqan Mohamed Rashid, held a Diploma in Nautical Sciences from the Singapore Polytechnic. During his military service, he was a naval firefighter with the Singapore Civil Defense Force. He then joined his current company, Apex Ship Management, as a deck officer and was a deck officer II before the incident.
The young man was attending a junior deck officer course in the United States and was working on board a cargo ship when the incident occurred. He was reportedly on deck getting ready to exercise when he fell off the ship and into the ocean as the merchant’s vessel travelled about 22 kilometres from the Californian coast.
His family was told that the warden of the merchant ship immediately called for help and lowered the life buoy in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue him. The ship then turned around to look for him and notified the U.S. Coast Guard. The authority quickly deployed its team to conduct a 15-hour search and rescue operation involving sea and air routes. The team dispatched helicopters; the search and rescue range exceeded 200 nautical miles.
Unfortunately, the team only found life buoys and suspended the search after the arduous 15 hours it had spent covering 370 kilometres to find the young Singaporean.
The man’s sister, Nur Afifah Mohamed Rashid, revealed on Facebook on Friday (29 Sept) that the U.S. Coast Guard concluded that her brother was dead as they had not found him three months since the tragic incident.
She also said the family hopes to receive a formal report from the U.S. Coast Guard as soon as possible to get long-awaited answers and better understand what may have happened.
SINGAPORE: With the alarming increase in cyber scams across Singapore, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) has launched an educational campaign urging the public to take proactive measures by downloading anti-virus applications on their mobile phones to protect themselves from potential threats.
To spread awareness and educate citizens on cyber threats, CSA organized a two-day roadshow at Suntec City. The event featured various games and activities to equip attendees with the knowledge to identify and prevent scams, including installing anti-virus apps.
Minister of Communications and Information Josephine Teo took part in the roadshow and emphasized the importance of regularly updating anti-virus applications to stay ahead of new malware strains. She noted that cyber threats constantly evolve, and new malware can only be detected by updating anti-virus applications.
The roadshow incorporated innovative augmented reality technology, allowing visitors to experience virtual simulations demonstrating how to thwart online fraudsters effectively. This interactive approach aimed to make cybersecurity education more engaging and practical.
Despite the emphasis on anti-virus apps, the authorities acknowledged that these tools cannot provide complete immunity against scams and stressed the importance of continued vigilance among the public.
While anti-virus apps are a valuable tool in the fight against cyber scams, staying alert and informed remains essential in safeguarding against evolving threats in the digital age.
SINGAPORE: Recent statistics released by the Singapore Department of Statistics have unveiled a significant shift in women’s relationship status in their forties in 2022 compared to the previous year. According to the data, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of single women in their forties, with several intriguing trends emerging.
In 2021, the Department reported that approximately 22 percent of Singaporean women aged 40 to 44 and 19 percent of women aged 45 to 49 were single. However, these percentages have declined in 2022, with the figures dropping to 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively, for the same age groups. This decrease suggests that many women in their forties are entering into relationships.
Matchmaking agencies in Singapore have also reported interesting findings and noted that over 70 percent of women participating in blind dates are in their forties. Furthermore, these women seem to exhibit a more positive attitude towards finding a potential partner through blind dates when compared to their male counterparts.
Another intriguing statistic is that 20 to 30 percent more women are signing up for blind dates than men, indicating a proactive approach towards seeking companionship among Singaporean women. In a large blind date event held earlier this month, 75 percent of the female participants were between 35 and 49.
Additionally, one dating site reported a consistent uptrend, revealing that 20 percent more older women have signed up for matchmaking services each year, starting from 2021. This suggests a growing desire among mature women to explore potential relationships through online matchmaking platforms.
Beyond relationship status, the data also highlights an interesting trend in education. The rate of single women with higher education in Singapore has shown a notable increase of 3.5 percent compared to a decade ago. This implies that educated women may be choosing to focus on their careers and personal development before entering into serious relationships.
SINGAPORE: Dining in Singapore has recently sparked discussions, with a Redditor sharing his observations on social media, describing “eating at a restaurant in Singapore is sad”.
Sharing his thoughts on social media, he shared, “You get ticket from the machine and when it gets called the server brings you to your table. You scan a QR code to order & pay. The waiter brings your food to you and that’s the only interaction that you have with the waiter. They clean up your table after you leave and thats it. Its actually crazy how this ‘service’ can be charged for 10% of the total bill.”
Dining in Korea and Japan
Comparing the Singaporean experience with dining in Korea and Japan, he notes the significant differences: “In Korea & Japan when you sit down the waiter immediately brings you a jug of ice water and cups, some restaurants also provide wet wipes for you FOC. Same in some European countries.”
Sharing the norms in Korea and Japan, where small side dishes are brought to the table at no extra cost, he added, “In Korea after you order the waiter brings along small side dishes FOC and refillable as much as you want. In Japan they have it on the table itself in some places.”
European dining etiquette
Pointing out how food is served in Europe, he continued, “Usually in Europe food will always be served together so that nobody has to sit and awkwardly wait while they food gets cold for the others to arrive.” He added, “In some European restaurants they bring out a bread basket.”
Post-meal perks
In some countries, like Korea and parts of Europe, post-meal perks are given to diners. He pointed out, saying, “Some places in Korea something called service where the owner just gives you stuff for free to make the dining experience more enjoyable, same with Europe or they might give digestif FOC too.”
He adds that a proper restaurant in Singapore is “frankly not even comparable” to Japan or Korea’s roadside stall services.
Further explaining, he says, “I just don’t understand how its acceptable for restaurants to not give you even a cup of tap water or unlimited napkins for use / charging you for wet wipes which frankly is a disgusting practice especially after Covid where people are more hygiene conscious. Also a small gripe but its also annoying when I’m alone and I can’t order side dishes since its too much but I feel like eating something else as well.”
Call for improvement
While not advocating for a tipping culture, he suggested that some restaurant staff in Singapore could benefit from a wake-up call, saying, “They put in absolutely 0 effort into the service and sometimes are rude / unpleasant. At this point I’m literally doing 50% of all the work that the staff was doing previously by taking queue numbers & ordering + paying by myself, I don’t see how that justifies me paying 10% of my bill towards such service.”
One Redditor commented, agreeing, “what irks me a lot is the practice of charging for tap water, it’s just penny pinching. I would like the option to wash my meal down with water and not some ridiculously priced sugar drink or alcohol.” Where the comment garnered 1200 upvotes in agreement.
Redditor Varantain added, “I like the law in some countries where if the restaurant has a beer/liquor licence, they must serve tap water for free.”
Reflecting on these stark differences and evolving expectations in Singapore’s dining customs, how will Singapore’s restaurant industry respond to ensure a more satisfying experience for all? How about you, what are your thoughts about dining in Singapore?
SINGAPORE: A Redditor who grew up in Singapore, recently raised a thought-provoking question on social media: “Do Singaporeans generally rely too much on domestic helpers?”
Reflecting on his observations, he shared, “Growing up in Singapore, most families I see need extra help to maintain their homes and care for their kids, the elderly, and even pets like dogs since we normally work long hours and enjoy going out.”
He continued, “But I wonder if we are so dependent that we cannot function without them cooking meals, cleaning the house, and taking our loved ones to wherever they need to go (e.g., tuition, clinic, daycare, school, & etc.)?”
One Redditor shared insights into the difficult demand of full-time jobs, stating, “With “full employment”, it’s vvv difficult to get everything done with your limited hours after work. Nowadays, there are helper alternatives like student care, live-out cleaning services, dogwalking, or home health aides but it can be expensive and limited for various reasons like scheduling or role limitation. If you ask people to go helperless, yes it’s unsustainable. Most of those families that are helperless have 1) parents support 2) car or 3) cut corners in some way or another.”
Another Redditor, yuu16, spoke about the hectic schedules that often lead to the need for extra help. She explained, “Leave office sharp at 6pm, reach home ~ 7. Cook n kids eat at 8? Even if tabao, still means kids eat at 730 cos also need time to go n buy. Not to mention the OT or adhoc projects that may have sudden calls or meetings after 6pm or meetings at 8pm matching overseas office timing or suddenly need to rush a deadline or turnover a piece of work. What if leave work at 8? Kids don’t need to eat liao. Also childcare must pick up by 7. Else fine. Then sometimes childcare close. Kids sick. Annual leave n childcare leave not enough. Then single parents?”
bluskywanderer shared a personal experience about the time-consuming responsibilities with his partner even when they only have a dog. He said, “In my early years of living with my partner on our own away from parents, we rented a small apartment and we had a dog. Our routine required we walk the dog multiple times a day in addition the clearing up whatever toilet mess, in addition to household chores and whatever maintenance needed and prep for the next day. In the end, we had maybe 45 minutes to an hour each day to ourselves. And that was just a dog. I can’t imagine looking after children.”
He emphasised, “Domestic help removes a great deal of that burden and buys you TIME you otherwise COULD NOT AFFORD.” He added, “Are we fortunate to have this option? Yes. But it’s really quite necessary.”
With the comments from Redditors, it becomes evident that the demands of modern life have led many to seek some extra help as Singaporeans manage their daily responsibilities.
SINGAPORE — The Singapore national sailing team displayed an improved performance compared to their previous Asian Games, as they brought home two golds, two silvers, and three bronze medals from Hangzhou, China.
The 2023 Formula Kite world champion Maximilian Maeder put on a stellar display at the Ningbo Xiangshan Sailing Centre to top all 16 races (final results below) as he sailed to the gold medal in the Asian Games Formula Kite race, while fellow Team Singapore sailor Ryan Lo bagged the other gold medal in the Men’s ILCA 7 race.
Photo: website screengrab / hangzhou2022.cn
The silver medals were won by Issac Goh in the Boy’s ILCA 4, and Singapore’s duo Justin Liu and Denise Lim in the Nacra 17 Mixed event. Victoria Chan and Keira Marie Carlyle collected a bronze medal each from the Women’s ILCA 6 and Girl’s ILCA 4 respectively. The pairing of Kimberly Lim and Cecilia Low also won Team Singapore a bronze medal in the 49er FX Women’s race.
Although it was not Maeder’s first experience at an international competition, he was still ecstatic to represent the country at the Asian Games. Prior to his gold medal win at Hangzhou, he had competed and won the youth world championships in Formula Kite competitions in consecutive years from 2021 to 2023.
“I’m so happy to be able to compete here at the Asian Games for the first time. What an experience. I was really supported by the team and I felt the team spirit as well, and I think that played a big part in the results at the Asian Games. Great team spirit, great pride in my nation, and so far so good,” said 17-year-old Maeder to reporters after his gold medal win at the Asian Games.
Both Maeder and Lo’s gold-medal performance at the Asian Games received praise from Edwin Tong, Minister of Culture, Community, and Youth who shared his excitement on Facebook.
“What a remarkable achievement for our Team SG sailing athletes, Ryan Lo and Max Maeder, at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou! Max’s dominance in this event has been absolutely amazing. He won every single one of the 16 races over the last few days, in the run up to the final day. An incredible feat, showcasing his unwavering skill and determination, and maturity beyond his years. It’s an exciting preview for the Paris Olympics 2024, where kite-foiling will make its debut – a thrilling event to look forward to!” posted Minister Tong on social media.
“Ryan’s achievement is equally impressive, as it secures a quota spot for Singapore at next year’s Paris Olympics. His hard work and dedication have paid off, and we can’t wait to see him represent our nation on the world stage!”
Photo credit: Singapore Sailing Federation
The 13-member contingent returned home from China late on Thursday to be greeted with fanfare by their family members and friends at Changi Airport. Speaking to the media upon their return, Lo said that such competitions had boosted his confidence and he looked forward to achieving success in higher- level tournaments..
“The Asian Games and the Olympics are high-pressure events. It sets me up in terms of how I deal with the pressure, the media and the things that are involved in such high-level competition. I think I am more confident in my ability and how I am able to handle my pressure, and I am just looking forward to the next few months on what I need to work on. I look forward to qualifying for the Olympics,” said Lo.
In the previous Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Team Singapore sailors won only one gold and a bronze medal. Kimberly Lim and Cecilia Low bagged gold in the 49er FX race, while Ryan Lo came in third in the Laser event.
While the sport of sailing may not be as popular as other mainstream sports such as football, swimming, or athletics, the Singapore Sailing Federation has consistently been winning medals in the Asian Games since 1994. Their best achievement came in the 2006 Asian Games when they clinched five golds, three silvers, and two bronze medals. Prior to 1994, the last time Singapore won a sailing medal at the Asian Games was in the 70s, securing a bronze medal in 1978 and two silver medals in 1970 competition.
Team Singapore Sailing Medals from the Asian Games
SINGAPORE: The Indian naval ships Ranvijay (a Rajput-class guided-missile destroyer) and Kavaratti (an anti-submarine warfare corvette), the submarine Sindhukesari and a long-range maritime patrol aircraft P8I participated in the 30th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Singapore, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
The Indian ships that took part in the exercise are shown in the picture (above, courtesy Indian Navy).
First held in 1994, the three-decade-old annual exercise kicked off with an opening ceremony on Sept 21, reported ANI.
A joint standard operating procedure on submarine rescue was signed in the presence of the Indian High Commissioner and the Singapore Navy Fleet Commander.
The exercise included a shore phase and a sea phase.
The Republic of Singapore Navy participants in the exercise “include two Formidable-class frigates RSS Stalwart and RSS Tenacious, both embarked with an S-70B naval helicopter, and a Victory-class missile corvette RSS Valour,” said Mindef on Sept 21. “The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is also participating in the exercise with a Fokker-50 maritime patrol aircraft and four F-15SG fighter aircraft,” it added. “For the first time, both navies are also deploying a submarine each for the exercise.”
During the sea phase conducted from Sept 25 to 28, units of the Indian Navy along with RSS Stalwart, Valour, Victory, Tenacious, a submarine, a maritime patrol aircraft Fokker F-50 and fighter aircraft engaged in complex maritime exercises including advanced anti-submarine warfare, surface and air defence exercises as well as tactical manoeuvres and weapons firings, said Mindef./TISG
SINGAPORE: A young Redditor, who happens to be the youngest staff member in his company, has raised some concerns on social media as he shared that his ‘aunty colleague keeps buying stuff’ for him even when he politely says no.
He shared: “i’m 22 n i work in a small company, im the youngest staff there with the next youngest person being 25 years older than me. this colleague of mine, she’s an aunty, she keeps buying me snacks even tho i’ve politely rejected them each time i’ve told her that she shouldn’t buy me anything n she could be using that money for other purposes. whenever i bring that up she gets mad at me, storms out n leaves the items she bought on my table idk what to do to get her to stop, idk if she’s doing this bcuz she has no kids or there’s other factors.”
Seeking opinions from the online community, he added, “would like the opinions of u guys here as i find my situation really strange”
He also clarified, “i should’ve added in the post earlier, said aunty buys me stuff very often, almost daily hence y it’s strange to me. if it’s once in a while i understand cuz i would do that too. n also no i do not think she’s hitting on me that’s crazy.”
Redditor lolololol120 commented, “Chill bro you probably not an aunty rizzer, my aunty staff also buy snacks for me… it probably because they work to kill time not to save for retirement. They just treat u like a small kid Nia.”
Kalitoes, another user, agreed that the ‘aunty’ was simply being kind, stating, “Very simple, Because they would like another auntie to do it unto their own kid. I realise aunties when they reach a certain age are really nice to youths and young adults even if they don’t have kids, could be just personality or natural maternal instincts.”
Redditor Fedeswagverde shared a similar situation, saying, “There was a hawker in my school canteen from when I used to teach, kind old mak cik. Always gave me a teh tarik for free even if I don’t buy anything. Told me her kid was a few years older than me (I was 19 at the time) and studying outside the country. My bet is the same well for your case.”
WFH_Quack jokingly chimed in, saying, “Accept it and give me the snacks. We can meet up on a weekly basis.”
One Redditor simply asked, “why not just take the snacks?”
An ‘aunty’ Redditor shared her perspective, explaining, “Am an aunty. I always buy biscuits for the pantry. I stock instant noodles and let everyone know they can help themselves if they missed lunch cuz of work. I make sure we get at least a slice of cake or small card or gift (like cookies) on birthdays. If there’s a kid around (anyone more than 6 years younger than me is a kid), I’ll watch out for them, offer them snacks, fruit, coffee, make sure they eat.”
She added, “I’ve been like this forever it’s really not about any specific person. It’s about my need to take care of the younger ones. And the older ones. Basically everyone. She’s not hitting on you, she probably has a kid overseas, or has been a big sister or aunty all her life and can’t turn it off.”
Offering practical advice to the young worker’s concern, she suggested, “Tell her you’re on a diet and the snacks make it hard for you, and maybe chat a bit. So she doesn’t get offended. Some aunties can be a bit upset if rejected (not very mature I know) but ask them a bit about there family or whatever and don’t be rude la you’re still new.”
Another aunty shared, “Am an aunty. Was doing the same when wasn’t aunty, but for far more mercenary reasons. People work better when they are happy. When we work better, my work is easier. Then I’m happier. Just common sense to me.”
So why do ‘aunties’ go the extra mile? As one aunty shared, ‘people work better when they are happy,’ and sometimes it can be from something as small as a snack.
Finding a true soulmate to embark on life’s journey with is often easier said than done. It’s simple to point out what we don’t desire in a potential mate, but identifying the qualities that make someone truly desirable for the long haul is a more nuanced endeavor.
Value-Adding Partner Beyond material wealth, a soulmate enriches your life in ways that inspire personal growth. Whether it’s through their intelligence, ambition, or unique qualities, they should be a source of motivation, encouraging you to become the best version of yourself.
Willingness to Compromise A soulmate is open-minded and willing to compromise, recognizing the importance of meeting each other halfway.
Self-Reliance/Independence A true soulmate loves themselves just as deeply as they love you. They are secure in their own identity and can stand alone without relying on your constant company or attention.
Encourages Individuality Your soulmate recognizes that you have a life outside of your shared experiences and actively encourages you to enjoy your pursuits and interests.
No Grudges A soulmate doesn’t hold grudges but instead seeks to learn and grow from difficult times, continuously working to improve your connection and understanding.
Bringing Out the Best Your soulmate is a beacon of positivity in your life, encouraging and nurturing the qualities that make you a better person; inspire your growth, and help you reach your full potential.
Unconditional Love A soulmate loves you unconditionally, recognizing that your personality traits, both strengths and weaknesses, are what make you uniquely you.
Quest for lasting love
While the search for such a profound connection may not always be easy, understanding the qualities that define a soulmate can help guide you on your quest for lasting love.
