Lee Hsien Yang served papers by Shanmugam, Vivian on LKY’s 100th birth anniversary

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September 16, 2023

SINGAPORE: Today (16 Sept) marks 100 years since Singapore’s Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was born and while the nation honours the late elder statesman, his youngest son Lee Hsien Yang has been served legal papers by Cabinet Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan as part of a defamation lawsuit they have filed against him.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang wrote on Facebook, earlier this morning: “Ministers Shanmugam and V Balakrishnan have just served papers for the alleged defamation on me. The Singapore courts gave permission for them to do so via facebook message.”

The Ministers, who are key players in current PM and Lee Hsien Yang’s estranged elder brother Lee Hsien Loong’s cabinet, are suing the younger Mr Lee over a Facebook post he made on 23 July which referenced their rentals of two state-owned bungalows.

Both ministers initially sent legal letters to Mr Lee promising to sue him unless he apologised, retracted his allegations and paid damages. Mr Shanmugam said:

“Lee Hsien Yang has accused us of acting corruptly and for personal gain by having Singapore Land Authority (SLA) give us preferential treatment by illegally felling trees without approval, and also having SLA pay for renovations to 26 and 31 Ridout Road. These allegations are false.”

The Government also issued a correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) to Mr Lee, asserting that his post contained untrue statements.

Mr Lee complied and posted the correction notice but published a new post two days later, saying he stood by what he wrote. Asserting that he was simply stating facts, he invited the ministers to sue him in the UK if they were sure of their case since the post was made within the UK.

The cabinet ministers’ legal teams then filed an application for substituted service to serve court papers on Mr Lee via Facebook Messenger.

Substituted service is a legal term used to describe alternative methods of delivering court papers when conventional in-person service attempts have proven unsuccessful. These alternatives include posting documents on the defendant’s premises, sending them via registered post or email, or even placing an advertisement in newspapers.

In 2016, the High Court ruled that court papers could be served through various online platforms, including Facebook, Skype, or internet message boards, particularly when defendants cannot be reached in person.

Court documents reveal that lawyers from Davinder Singh Chambers, acting on behalf of the two ministers, applied for substituted service on the basis that it is impractical to personally serve papers to Mr Lee in the UK. The lawyers assert that “substituted service by Facebook messenger will probably be effective in bringing the court papers to the notice of the defendant.”

In this case, the ministers seek a court order to consider the papers officially served by sending Portable Document Format (PDF) documents through Facebook Messenger to Mr Lee’s Facebook page.

Mr Lee, meanwhile, has questioned again why the action is being filed in Singapore instead of the country where the post was made.

He said, last week: “I invited ministers Shanmugam and Balakrishnan to sue me in the UK, where I made the statement that upset them. Instead, they have chosen to commence legal action in Singapore”

He added, “It is for the public to judge their reasons.”

Lee Hsien Yang asks the public to judge why Ministers are not suing him in the UK

Netizen sees rat in supermarket, staff says it is normal

By

Aiah Bathan

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September 16, 2023

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SINGAPORE: A Reddit user shared his unexpected experience when he saw a rat at the supermarket. If having a rat inside the supermarket is surprising, the reaction of the staff is more shocking.

u/DoctorKrakens mentioned in r/askSingapore: “Just saw a rat running around inside a supermarket. Told a staff and they said it’s normal. I guess cos it was middle of the night? It just really surprised me cos it’s the first time I’ve seen a wild rat in bright lighting and bro be hugeee. Pretty sure I saw it get into the vegetables too. Must be eating healthy and growing well.”

He added that he is not scared of rats, it’s just that the incident is not sanitary at all.

“..it doesn’t seem sanitary to just let the rats come and shop at night without doing anything about it,” the user said.

He did not name the supermarket.

“Not gonna name the supermarket in case I get sued or something,” the user concluded.

Other users commented on the post and said that it was not normal.

One user declared: “No it’s not normal. Report it to SFA (think it’s SFA? correct me if I’m mistaken) since the supermarket isn’t doing anything about it.”

The comment gained a reply from the original user stating: “Ah they need a picture before can submit through app though. I didn’t think to take photo and honestly it’d probably be near impossible. I can’t even take a picture of my pet mice in a cage without them moving around, I probably can’t chase a rat through a supermarket.”

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is the statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment that is responsible for food safety and security in Singapore.

Domestic helper runs away because she “changed her mind about working”

By

Obbana Rajah

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September 16, 2023

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SINGAPORE: An employer who was disappointed with her domestic helper took to social media, sharing about the entire ordeal when her maid ran away, leaving her wheelchair-bound father without any help.

In an anonymous post to a support group for domestic helpers and employers alike, the woman said that her helper woke up and suddenly said she wanted to leave. She also packed all her bags. Her employer asked for more time to find a new helper because her elderly father is wheelchair-bound. The helper refused to work, so her employer told her to take the day off and resume the next day. The helper suddenly ran off.

“I can’t even express my disappointment. She and her aunt convinced me to hire her without the agency so she gets her full wage from Day 1. She lied about her ability to cook so we taught her slowly, she ate before my mother and left her nothing for dinner yet she was never scolded. Despite explaining things to her, she left Dad at home while we were away at work”, the woman wrote.

She added that because the family had CCTV cameras at home, they would be able to prove that the maid was not abused. The employer said that the helper came, tried out the job and decided she did not want it. “Forget her responsibilities as an employee, we’ve treated her so well yet she couldn’t even be a decent human being. My father’s discharge from hospital was on the condition that he has a helper at home which is the only reason we got one”, the woman wrote.

“I appreciate an NGO’s efforts to help ill-treated helpers, it’s much needed but I would have expected some form of impartiality. So the helper runs to HOME because she has ‘changed her mind about working’ and now I’m forced to take days off work to care for my sick parent? Is there any protection to employers then? Or I’m expected to let her go simply because she wants to? I’m so exhausted”, the woman wrote in her post.

Some netizens commented that she had problems because the maid was a direct hire, but others disagreed with this. Here’s what they wrote:

Earlier this year, a foreign domestic helper ran away with her boyfriend after working for only three months, leaving her employer with the burden of paying the remainder of her loan to the agency. In an anonymous post to a Facebook group about the working conditions of domestic helpers, the maid’s employer asked others for help and advice. The employer wrote that the maid had worked with them for three months and added that her main task on weekdays was to look after their nine-month-old child. She added that she had two other children in the upper primary, but they were sent to childcare after school.

The woman added that her mother or mother-in-law would stay over sometimes, especially if her children were unwell, to assist her helper. She explained that her helper would only clean the house on weekends when she was home so that she would take over the duty of looking after her children. When it came to working conditions, the woman said that she allowed her maid to use her phone at night, but the maid had to return it to her the next morning. Her maid would often nap when her baby slept in the afternoon, but she did not scold her for that, the woman added.

Maid runs away with her boyfriend after working for only 3 months, employer gets angry that they have to repay her balance loan to the agency

Netizens share experience of hiring a confinement nanny

By

Aiah Bathan

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September 15, 2023

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Netizens share experience of hiring a confinement nanny — Photo: Freepik

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean parent asked in Reddit if others have tried to hire a confinement nanny and to share their experience if they have.

u/Outside-Ad9447 stated in r/askSingapore his own encounter: “I got mine thru word of mouth from a colleague. He said the nanny he used was not bad, but I guess I was sloppy and didn’t ask how not bad she was.”

The user then added that his experience did not end in a ‘positive way.’

“She is quite whiny, and will have comments on how things in my place are inadequate (it’s truly not; it’s quite well stocked) etc. and share about how she hated some of her previous clients. She’s also the kind that talks non-stop, which is tough for a new mother (ie my wife),” he said.

Other parents shared their experiences in the comments section. There were both good and bad experiences with confinement nannies.

One user said: “Did not hire because hubby don’t like strangers, unscientific practices, and old people who think they are better than you.”

Another user mentioned: “The first confinement was pretty bad until my easy-going MIL complained about her. The second was really great, her food is tasty, she’s really clean and quiet.”

One more user remarked: “It was great. Ours was very easygoing and adapted quickly to us. Even food, she will take note what my wife don’t like and find alternatives. We extended ours for another month partly because she was good and also because I was traveling a lot and my wife had no one else to help her. We really got lucky because she was a last min replacement because our baby came earlier.”

Confinement nanny investigated for alleged abuse of month-old baby – Singapore News

Coroner: Cause of death of 3-week-old infant who died in nanny’s arms undetermined | The Independent Singapore News

Netizen asks, ‘Do you send your dates home if you don’t have a car?’

By

Aiah Bathan

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September 15, 2023

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SINGAPORE: A Reddit user asked other Singaporeans if they send their dates home even if they don’t have their very own car. u/psychedeliacy posted in r/askSingapore: “Do you send your dates home via MRT/Grab/Bus after meeting up with them for the first/second date?”

The user then added his dilemma in asking such a question.

“Also, if y’all live kinda far – say one on NE line and another on EW – and it’s the last train, would you make the effort to send her/him off via MRT and then grab home yourself?” he mentioned and proceeded to ask the reasons why.

“If yes, why? Is it to make her/him safe? Spend more time? Interested etc.. If no, why not? Is it cus very weird/creepy? or not interested enough?” the user concluded.

Netizens shared their thoughts on the post and admitted that it mostly depends on the situation.

One user advised: “Really depends on the context. First dates? Usually no. I do send my gf back home after dates and we stay 1hr away from each other. Though if I have important work to do/ it is getting late she will tell me not to. In that case, I will just wait for her to board the train/ bus and ask her to text me when she is safely back home. Different people have different expectations so do communicate!!!”

Another user remarked: “Can do it from time to time, not every time. Or else it creates an unrealistic expectation and a ridiculously high bar.”

More users declared: “Depends on the time when I end the date? I’ll send her back if it ends late, like 10+pm when she reaches home after the date,” and “She stays 1hr+ away from my home. At most I wait for her to get on the train/bus then I go back on my own.”

Reddit user who says her boss is ‘so-so’ asks, ‘Employees of Singapore, do you have a good boss?’

By

Anna Maria Romero

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September 15, 2023

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Screenshot 2023-09-14 at 12.34.06 PM — Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only).

SINGAPORE: A Reddit user who acknowledged that what makes a good boss is subjective wanted to hear from others if their boss is a good one.

u/appleciderv wrote on r/askSingapore that her boss is only “so-so,” and explained why.

“Pros: He does not encroach into my evenings, weekends and planned leaves unless urgent. Generally okay to talk to. Considers my opinion during meetings.

Cons: Not technical in my domain, which commonly results in poor understanding of project scope. Yes-man, accept any shit task from anybody. Eager to please everybody. Doesn’t really care about my career growth. We have career conversation twice a year.”

She then wrote that she wanted to hear about other bosses, adding that she’s “never met any bosses in my career that treated me more than a resource”.

A Reddit user who likes his boss described him this way: “We have KPIs to meet is pretty chill as long as the deliverables are met on time. Scolded me (chided) for replying to him on a Sunday morning instead of waiting til Monday in the work chat (cause he was in a different time zone checking emails). Knows everything about the business and is willing to share (at length) information. Is supportive of people going in long holidays as he believes in recharging yourself, as long as Kpis are met and your work is covered.”

Another wrote that he loves his boss. “Has my back that empowers me to really do some serious damage. The knowledge of knowing that he will never throw any one of us under the bus and yet protect us from management allowed us to do nearly 250% of our targets last year. (He of course made bank).

I nearly quit when they transferred me under someone else then transferred me back when I stopped producing results. I started overachieving again.. and now my management leaves me alone.”

One commenter wrote that his boss is “super nice,” which for him is both a pro and a con.“Love my current boss!” another wrote.

/TISG

“What would happen if zombie apocalypse breaks out in Singapore?” — Singaporeans say their boss would still expect them to go to work

Man says guys put in more effort in relationships because when he asked his girlfriend to dress differently for him, she declined and said he was objectifying women

By

Obbana Rajah

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September 15, 2023

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Man says guys put in more effort in relationships because when he asked his girlfriend to dress differently for him, she declined and said he was objectifying women — Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only).

SINGAPORE: A man took to social media with a rather lengthy post asking what he could expect from a girl in a relationship. He prefaced his post by saying, “I am going to generalize a little here based on my friends, what I read and my own personal experience so don’t get offended”.

He said that while he was all for female empowerment and for everything to be 50-50, things did not feel that way. “In general, in the courting stage, personally I feel that guys have to do more work – pay for first date, try to impress the girl, plan for the dates, must tolerate the girls bs (some girls literally put that on their dating profile), have to be more successful in career (yeah, even successful girls seem to want someone who is equally or more successful than them), still do the protecting, etc. Girls don’t need to plan for dates, just come to the date and expect the guy to carry the conversation (not all girls like that but a lot of them are), expect guy to be humorous (when they are not humorous themselves)”, he wrote.

He said that even in a relationship, guys still did more work than the women where they planned and spent money. The man then went on to talk about his own relationship where he said he had to put in a lot of effort to maintain it, where a lot of the effort went unseen.

“I understand that it isn’t going to be even but I don’t feel like my partner is putting much at all. One day, I asked my gf if she can try a more sexier style for me and she said no. I asked maybe just wear for dates (not change your style everyday) and she downright said no and said that I was objectifying woman,” he wrote. He asked her if she could plan some dates as he was busy with work but said that the dates seemed like they were planned with minimal effort and weren’t thoughtful. Additionally, “After a few months, she was complaining to her friends that she didn’t feel like a priority to me, so I started to plan again while juggling my stressful work”, he wrote.

“I have made so much more sacrifices for her than her and I put in way more effort than her. Girls expect guys to be successful in our career but complain that we don’t put in time for our relationship. Now, she can just break up with me and all the years of effort becomes nothing instantly”, the man added.

At the end of his post, he asked netizens: “I just want to know exactly what guys can ask or expect from a girl to contribute in a relationship? What is their role in a relationship?”

Here’s what netizens who commented on the post said:

Most suggested that the man should try dating other women and see if he still felt the same way.

F1 2024 Super Early Bird Tickets for $1188, Redditor says, ‘Have they hiked standard prices too?’

By

Mary Alavanza

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September 15, 2023

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Singapore F1 Pit Grandstand — Photo: SingaporeGP

SINGAPORE: As the excitement builds for the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend, Formula 1 enthusiasts are in for a surprise – the early bird tickets for the 2024 race are already on sale. However, Reddit users are buzzing about unexpected price increases.

A Reddit user shared his concern, saying, “Have they hiked the Super early bird prices? I remember T1/T2 used to be 988 for super early bird, it’s 1088 this time.”

He added, “Have they hiked standard prices too?”

Another chimed in, “I think they did, and usually the super early bird is released AFTER the race.”

In response, one answered jokingly, “What’s not hiked these days?” to which another added, “Salary ):”

To shed light on the price changes, one Reddit user shared information about last year’s early bird ticket prices, saying, “Yup they definitely did. Last year’s Super Early Bird Prices for 3 Day Passes for Zone 4 Grandstands (Connaught and Padang) were $448.”

Another user provided an update, revealing, “Update: they did hike prices. Used to be 1288 and normal is 1388 now”

For those eagerly anticipating ticket prices for the 2024 Formula 1 race, here’s the breakdown of early bird ticket prices, covering three days with access to all zones:

Grandstands

Super Early Bird

Pit Grandstand
- Regular: S$1,188
- Junior (Age 16 and below): S$638
Orange @ Pit Grandstand: S$1,188
Turn 1 Grandstand: S$1,088
Turn 2 Grandstand: S$1,088
Connaught Grandstand: S$488
Orange @Empress Grandstand: S$488
Padang Grandstand: S$488

Early Bird

Pit Grandstand
- Regular: S$1,288
- Junior (Age 16 and below): S$638
Orange @ Pit Grandstand: S$1,288
Turn 1 Grandstand: S$1,188
Turn 2 Grandstand: S$1,188
Connaught Grandstand: S$548
Orange @Empress Grandstand: S$548
Padang Grandstand: S$548

Regular Price

Pit Grandstand
- Regular: S$1,388
- Junior (Age 16 and below): S$638
Orange @ Pit Grandstand: S$1,388
Turn 1 Grandstand: S$1,388
Turn 2 Grandstand: S$1,388
Connaught Grandstand: S$598
Orange @Empress Grandstand: S$598
Padang Grandstand: S$598

Wheelchair Accessible Platforms

For those requiring wheelchair accessible platforms, the prices remain consistent regardless of the date of attendance:

Turn 1 Wheelchair Accessible Platform

3 Days: S$448
Friday: S$128
Saturday: S$228
Sunday: S$308

Empress Wheelchair Accessible Platform

Friday: S$38
Saturday: S$88
Sunday: S$128

If you are interested in purchasing tickets for the wheelchair-accessible platforms, you can call this number: +65 6229 7777.

Inflation: Prices of food, transport & education have risen the most in Singapore in the last 20 years

By

Anna Maria Romero

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September 15, 2023

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SINGAPORE-FINANCE-CURRENCY — A staff counts Singapore dollar currency notes at a money changer booth at Raffles Place financial business district in Singapore on October 6, 2022. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)

SINGAPORE: Inflation is a word that has been frequently mentioned over the past few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have affected the global economy since 2020 and 2022 respectively.

How exactly the prices of different items have changed over the past 20 years, and which ones have seen the greatest leaps?

That was the focus of a recent piece on the finance site dollarsandsense.

It showed that the prices of education (75.7 percent), transportation (67.2 percent), and food (58.9 percent) have gone up the most since 2022.

At the other end of the list, the price of clothes and shoes has gone up by only 1.1 percent in the last 20 years, dollarsandsense says.

The rest of the list is as follows:

Healthcare costs are up 53.6 percent
Utilities and other fuel costs are up 51.3 percent
Accommodation costs up 39.7 per cent
Household durables and services items are up 25.3 percent
Recreation and culture items are up 17.8 percent
“In general, your bowl of $2.50 fishball noodles in 2002 would cost $3.97 today,” the article notes.

Data from the Department of Statistics Singapore (Singstat) shows that the prices of all food items have gone up, with meat, milk, cheese, and eggs costing almost twice as much as they did 20 years ago. In comparison, the prices of confectionary (sugar, ice cream) and non-alcoholic beverages (coffee, tea) rose by around 48 to 50 percent.

As for transportation costs, they have gone up in tandem with the prices of cars and motorcycles and fuel. However, public transport prices have gone up more slowly, at 39.9 percent compared to 20 years ago.

And for education, the article pointed out that tuition fees have gone up by 76.4 percent in the past two decades, including tuition fees for primary and secondary education, and enrichment and supplementary courses.

Meanwhile, the costs of textbooks and study guides also saw a considerable, but not as high, increase of 43 percent.

/TISG

Singapore core inflation dropped to 3.8% in July, lowest in more than a year

Employer sends domestic helper on surprise 15-day holiday, at the end of it they tell her not to come back as they have another helper

By

Obbana Rajah

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September 15, 2023

0

PHILIPPINES-LABOUR-MAIDS-POVERTY,FEATURE — TO GO WITH AFP STORY Philippines-labour-maids-poverty,FEATURE, by Mynardo Macaraig A Filipina maid cleans different kinds of wine glasses during a government-mandated crash course in domestic duties in Manila on September 14, 2011. Nearly 100,000 women in the impoverished Philippines head overseas each year to toil as maids, many of whom come from homes where washing clothes is done by hand and dishes are cleaned in a bucket. AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS (Photo by NOEL CELIS / AFP)

SINGAPORE: A domestic helper took to social media feeling rather cheated after her employer suddenly decided to cancel her Work Permit (WP).

In a post to a support group for domestic helpers and employers alike, a group admin shared the situation. He wrote that the employer sent her maid on a 15-day holiday with a return ticket given to her. She complied and went on vacation fully expecting to come back to her job in Singapore. However, the maid shared that when it was time for her to return, her employer said that they did not need her anymore and added that they had found another helper.

In his post, the group admin wrote: “the employer told the helper few days before her departure to Spore to continue working that her contract is terminated without notice”.

He added that on the maid’s part, she could report her employer to the Manpower Ministry (MOM) for failure to compensate her termination period but this was only if such a clause existed in her contract. He added that there was nothing further she could do as her Work Permit had likely been cancelled so she could not come back to Singapore either.

Here’s what others in the group said:

Earlier this year, a maid who was on her way back after her contract ended asked her employer for a flight ticket to her vacation destination.

Worried that this may cause problems for them, her employer took to a support group on social media asking netizens for advice.

The employer wrote: “Hi All, my helper is going back to her own country as she couldn’t find a new employer in 1 month notice period”. She continued that her maid was asking for a ticket to “some other place which is not her hometown” but explained that the vacation destination was still in the maid’s country of origin. The maid told her employer that her family would be meeting her at the vacation destination.

“My concern is will that create any problem for us? Or we can just cancel her pass the day she leaves Singapore,” the employer asked.

After her contract ends, maid wants a ticket to another location that isn’t her hometown, employer asks if this will cause any problems

Lee Hsien Yang served papers by Shanmugam, Vivian on LKY’s 100th birth anniversary

Netizen sees rat in supermarket, staff says it is normal

Domestic helper runs away because she “changed her mind about working”

Netizens share experience of hiring a confinement nanny

Netizen asks, ‘Do you send your dates home if you don’t have a car?’

Reddit user who says her boss is ‘so-so’ asks, ‘Employees of Singapore, do you have a good boss?’

Man says guys put in more effort in relationships because when he asked his girlfriend to dress differently for him, she declined and said he was objectifying women

F1 2024 Super Early Bird Tickets for $1188, Redditor says, ‘Have they hiked standard prices too?’

Grandstands

Super Early Bird

Early Bird

Regular Price

Wheelchair Accessible Platforms

Turn 1 Wheelchair Accessible Platform

Empress Wheelchair Accessible Platform

Inflation: Prices of food, transport & education have risen the most in Singapore in the last 20 years

Employer sends domestic helper on surprise 15-day holiday, at the end of it they tell her not to come back as they have another helper

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Founder of Little India’s iconic Jothi Store & Flower Shop passes away at age 93

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Woman allegedly lost life savings overnight after joining “hiking group” on Facebook

41-year-old cyclist gets injured and loses consciousness after running red light and crashing into car at Bugis

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WFH fatigue? Why people under 30 are heading back to the ‘real office’

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Where’s Michael Thng? Commenters ask after WP announces CEC update

WP announces changes to CEC; new NCMP Eileen Chong to lead Youth Wing

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