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Longtime actor Tang Hu in poor mental health after undergoing amputation due to diabetes complications

By
Anna Maria Romero
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Singapore—In an interview with Lianhe Wanbao on Tuesday (May 25), veteran Mediacorp actor Tang Hu outlined his physical and mental troubles, which include depression to the point of feeling suicidal, after his right leg was amputated below the knee.

Mr Tang has had a long and successful career, appearing in Painted Faces (1987) and Son Of Pulau Tekong (1985). He was last seen in Folks Jump Over The Wall in 2008.

The reporter from Lianhe Wanbao noted Mr Tang’s low spirits during the interview and noted that his health problems are not yet over.

Because of his recent troubles, the 82-year-old actor could have done something drastic to himself if not for his wife and children, he told the reporter.

The actor, a longtime diabetic, had the little toe of his right leg amputated late last year, because of a blood clot.

After this first operation, he was confined to the hospital for 55 days.

After the surgery, he hoped his health would improve.

However, the condition of his right food continued to worsen and it had to be amputated below the knee.

The actor is quoted in the interview as saying, “My right leg which has accompanied me for more than 80 years has finally left me.

My right foot and I had a very good relationship, but now it is gone.”

He also talked about the amount of pain he suffered after his toe was removed. 

“I thought that the amputation would be the end [of my suffering], but the wound still hurts. It’s an indescribable sort of pain that causes me to get very little sleep at night. The doctor told me that it couldn’t be helped since the wound is huge.”

The suffering has been so severe his mental health has been affected. 

At one point, he even “wanted to jump off the hospital and put an end”.

It was only the love and support of his family that held him back.

His 26-year-old grandson plans to get married by the end of this year, he told Lianhe Wanbao. He added that he is not certain whether he will be alive to witness it.

“I’m not sure if I can hang on for that long,” he said.

/TISG

Read also: Actor on Mediacorp shows finds a maggot in vegetables ordered from a ‘prestigious and well-known restaurant

Actor on Mediacorp shows finds a maggot in vegetables ordered from a ‘prestigious and well known restaurant’

Singapore journalism: Is it time to liberalise the news media?

By
The Independent
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Singapore — Future of Singapore (FOSG) hosted a roundtable conversation on the news media on May 22.

The dialogue was hosted on Zoom and had six speakers present: Prof Cherian George, a professor of Media at the Hong Kong Baptist University; Mr PN Balji, a veteran of the Singapore media landscape; Mr Toh Han Shih from South China Morning Post (SCMP); Ms Kirsten Han, a freelance journalist, and Mr Terry Xu, who is part of an independent media outlet. It was moderated by architect Tay Kheng Soon, an adjunct professor at the National University of Singapore.

Prof Cherian George identified three issues faced by the national newspaper, The Straits Times, and its owner, SPH: Market failure, political control, and poor management.
He noted public-interest journalism by itself is not something that enough people are willing to pay for. He added that “the PAP Government’s chokehold on public discourse prevents Singapore journalism from rising to its potential”. In addition, he commented on how SPH might have been suffering from a “leadership crisis”, with CEOs who have zero media experience.
“I think it is reasonable to demand that SPH not shut out alternative views the way it does now, even if we concede that SPH titles need to gravitate towards the mean, it is reasonable to expect it to allow for more standard deviation,” he said, using a statistical metaphor to describe the political arena. He understood the need for the company to broadly align itself with the Government agenda. However, he suggested that it could still provide a platform for contrarian views.
Mr Toh Han Shih noted the “contrast in press freedom between Singapore and Hong Kong.”
At the SCMP, he had been given the liberty to write about a free-trade agreement between Hong Kong and mainland China, and was even asked by the editor to point out the problems the agreement had. In contrast, when he asked a Singapore lawyer if he would be allowed to write a similar article, the lawyer sarcastically replied, ‘You can, on Talking C*ck’, a satirical Singaporean website that has ceased operation since 2010.
He says that the best way to express the difference in press freedom is through the cities’ leaders.
In October 2019, the Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said, “Freedom of speech is a core value of Hong Kong, and I completely agree that the media has a role as the ‘fourth estate’ in monitoring the government.”
The late Lee Kuan Yew in his address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Washington DC in April 1988, on the other hand, said, “One value which does not fit Singapore is the theory that the press is the Fourth Estate. And in Singapore’s experience, because of our volatile racial and religious mix, the American concept of the “marketplace of ideas”, instead of producing harmonious enlightenment, has from time and time led to riots and bloodshed.”
Mr Toh also noted that in the Press Freedom Index, Hong Kong ranked marginally higher at 80, while Singapore ranked 160 out of 180 countries.
Freelancer Kirsten Han gave her opinion on the media scene in Singapore. She said that “it’s actually very difficult to get information”.
Rounding off the conversation, Prof Cherian George said that “it does not seem that Singaporeans are bothered enough to put their money where the mouth is and support independent online media”.
Mr Tay concluded the session by saying, “The culture of fear has to abate. Otherwise, we are not going to be able to move forward.”
He said that journalist accreditation should be more liberal than selective. He added that the financing of media also needed to be more viable.
“Without opening the Singaporean mind, the creative spirit of Singaporeans will not be flowering, and this is not to the benefit of Singapore,” Mr Tay warned.
Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG

Six reservoirs will be monitored by unmanned drones

By
The Independent
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0

Singapore – The Public Utilities Board (PUB) will soon use unmanned drones to monitor six reservoirs.

MacRitchie and Marina reservoirs will be the first two to have drones watching them from the end of this month.

Serangoon, Kranji, Lower Seletar and Lower Peirce reservoirs will also be surveilled by drones from the third quarter of this year.

PUB released a statement on its Facebook on Thursday (May 27) page saying  the drones are equipped with remote-sensing systems and cameras for near real-time video analytics.

The drones can monitor water quality and water activities like fishing and paddling.

About 7,200 man-hours are spent patrolling the six reservoirs every year to look out for excessive growth of aquatic plants and algal blooms, as well as ensure the safety of water activities.

An estimated 5,000 man-hours will be saved if unmanned drones are used.

“With the drones, we can channel manpower to more critical works such as the inspection and maintenance of reservoir gates, as well as pump and valve operations. The drones also act as an early warning system that enhances our response time to the myriad of issues that our officers grapple with on a daily basis,” said Mr Yeo Keng Soon, director of PUB’s Catchment and Waterways Department.

Video analytics and water quality analysing software will help flag potential concerns such as anglers fishing in non-designated locations.

This will allow the officers to respond in a timely manner and quickly attend to urgent cases that may pose a danger to the public, said PUB.

In an emergency, operators will be able to take over the drones and land them in the water as a last resort, away from human traffic.

Cameras installed on the drones are for operational needs only. Data, including facial recognition, will not be collected.

PUB said the drones will fly on pre-programmed flight paths over the water bodies and stay clear of residential areas.

Phuong Le Ha is an intern at The Independent SG/TISG

The reason why Gong Li couldn’t take a photo with a fan

By
Lydia Koh
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Paris — One of the most exciting things as a fan is bumping into your idol. On May 23, a fan’s dream came true when he came across Gong Li while she was shopping in a luxury store in Paris. The actress, who married 72-year-old French composer Jean-Michel Jarre in 2019, was trying to blend in but she was still spotted by the fan who went up to her to ask the 55-year-old actress for a photo. Unfortunately for him, she refused to have her photo taken with him, saying that her management company does not allow her to take photos with fans, reported 8days.sg.

Gong Li decided to give him her autograph which the fan gladly accepted. The fan then went online to gush about his experience meeting her as well as raving about how gorgeous she is in person. When the news about the meeting went viral, netizens left comments saying that Gong Li is lying.

“Most stars are allowed to take photos with their fans, so why not Gong Li? Her excuse doesn’t really make sense,” one said.

Another added, “She’s such a big star! She doesn’t need to listen to what her company says. It’s clear she just didn’t want to take a photo ‘cos she’s not dolled up.”

Gong Li bumped into a fan while shopping in Paris. Picture: Instagram

Netizens also uploaded photos of the actress that were snapped last August, saying that the actress “would have been scolded by her company for putting on weight” if they are as strict as she claims they are.

Born on December 31, 1965 Gong Li is a Chinese-born Singaporean actress, often regarded as the finest actress in China today. She starred in three of the four Chinese-language nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Gong was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, and grew up in Jinan, Shandong. She enrolled at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijin, graduating in 1989. While a student at the Academy, she was spotted by director Zhang Yimou and debuted in Zhang’s Red Sorghum in 1987. Gong and Zhang’s professional and personal relationship received much media attention in the Chinese-speaking world, as they continued to collaborate on a string of critically acclaimed movies, including the Oscar-nominated features Ju Dou (1990) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991). For her role in the Zhang-directed The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), Gong won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival./TISG

Man says he woke up to find topless Indian man in his room

By
Obbana Rajah
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0

Singapore — In a strange case of criminal trespassing, one Caleb Tay said that he woke up on Thursday (May 27) to find a topless Indian man in his room.

In a Facebook post recounting the incident, Mr Tay wrote that at 8 am, the stranger entered his home.

Mr Tay, a resident at Braddell View apartment complex, a former Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC) estate, added that his parents were sleeping in their room while he was asleep in his own room. Upon hearing a loud sound outside, Mr Tay did not think anything of it and regarded it as something having dropped an item onto the floor, or his parents arguing.

“A few seconds later, the topless Indian guy barged into my room. I WAS SO CONFUSED”, he wrote.

In his post, he described the man as Indian, “fat” and tattooed. He also added that the man looked to be in his 20s.

Mr Tay added that the man looked angry and went to the window to look out, without responding to any of his questions.

“He slowly strolled out of my room while I was still shouting at him and following him. He eventually he (sic) walked out of our house”, Mr Tay wrote.

No one in his house sustained any injuries, but Mr Tay shared photos of food items strewn across his kitchen floor. He also shared that when he went around the block to see if the man was still there, he saw two police officers who said they were there regarding a break-in.

In response to netizens who asked if his front door was locked, Mr Tay wrote that the main door to the flat was not locked. He added that his brother left for work earlier in the morning and that the family usually does not lock the door when “we have people at home and it WAS safe”.

Mr Tay also added that the man was not armed or masked.

In response to media queries, the police said that they received a call for assistance at 10E Braddell Hill at around 8.22 am.

A 32-year-old man was arrested for criminal trespass and suspected drug-related offences.

Investigations are still ongoing. /TISG

Taiwan looking for 300 missing Covid-19 positive people who gave fake or illegible contact information

By
The Independent
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0

Taipei – Amid a worsening outbreak on the island, Taiwanese authorities are looking for more than 300 people who tested positive for Covid-19 but could not be further contacted.

About 146 people in Taipei and another 164 in neighbouring New Taipei were reported missing after testing positive for the virus, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The incident might further widen the outbreak, noted Taiwan’s health minister Chen Shih-chung.

Taipei’s city government confirmed that the individuals had taken the Covid-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests at hospitals and then been sent home to wait for results.

However, the hospitals could not contact them at home as the phone numbers and addresses provided were either fake or illegible, noted SCMP. As a result, the authorities could not account for the individuals.

The New Taipei city government noted the same incident and confirmed that police are looking for the missing Covid-positive people.

It was reported that the individuals need to be found as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading the virus.

According to a police officer, some of the unaccounted for might be worried about their career and source of income if they are sent to an isolation ward for treatment. As an alternative, they choose not to respond to follow-ups from the hospitals.

“Some of these people are from the low-income sector, and they find earning income more important than being treated at a hospital. This is the woe of the layman,” said police officer Shih Ming-chin, referencing why a person would opt not to go to the hospital even though the treatment of epidemic-related diseases is free under the local law.

On Wednesday (May 26), Taiwan reported 11 deaths  — the highest for a day — and 635 new cases, which is the second-highest since Saturday (May 22) when 721 local and two imported cases were reported.

Since the last outbreak in Taiwan about a month ago, more than 3,850 severe cases have been reported. Records show that 38 per cent of those cases are people aged 60 and above.

“Those who have chronic diseases and are above 60 years old are vulnerable to Covid-19 infection, and this explains why the death toll is usually high in this sector,” said Mr Chen.

The Central Epidemic Command Centre noted that some hospitals had reported zero capacity to take in new patients. Taipei and New Taipei’s governments have signed up big hotels to provide rooms for less critical patients to reserve hospital beds for severely infected individuals.

“Only when the number of local infections drops to below 20 daily and more than 30 per cent of the people are inoculated will the outbreak be eased,” said former health minister Yang Chih-liang.

He added that life would return to normal in the first half of 2022 if 60 per cent of the population have been vaccinated./TISG

Read related: Is the slow vaccine roll-out responsible for Covid upticks in SG, Taiwan, Vietnam?

Is the slow vaccine roll-out responsible for Covid upticks in SG, Taiwan, Vietnam?

Man wishes he were a “slightly pretty girl” able to make millions as an escort

By
Obbana Rajah
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0

Singapore — A 23-year-old man wishes he were a girl.

If he were “a slightly pretty girl”, it would have “extremely easy to make millions”, he wrote in an anonymous Facebook post on popular page NUSWhispers.

“In the past, the one (sic) of the easy way (sic) for a girl to make millions is to become a prostitute”, he added.

On some forum websites, local university girls charge an hourly fee of S$700, he wrote.  Younger girls would charge S$1000 an hour, and higher-end escort forums as much as S$5000 an hour.

Even servicing five clients a day, one would make S$5000. Working five days a week, one could earn S$100,000 a month, “possibly out earning some of our ministers and definitely out earning the ‘mediocre people who earn only 500k a year’”.

The man added that with technology, “the possibilities are endless” and the girls do not even need to meet their clients physically.

“Unfortunately as a male, my options are rather limited”, he wrote.

“I don’t look like Brad Pitt, so no girls would pay me for company.”

Even if he worked for a hedge fund, he said, he would only make about S$200,000 to S$500,000 a year by his 30s, which would be rather “mediocre” compared to what those girls made in their 20s.

“Realistically, I would probably work in a regular job, maybe earn my first million by 40 or 30 if I am extremely lucky which is rather sad”, he added.

Netizens who commented on his post suggested that he should not blame his predicament on gender. They also advised him to go for plastic surgery.

/TISG

Lowest number of community cases in 2 weeks recorded on Thursday, but Jem/Westgate cluster now 2nd largest in SG

By
Anna Maria Romero
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0

Singapore—In an update to the Covid-19 situation, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday (May 27) that there are 15 new locally transmitted infections—one is a dormitory case and the other 14 are community cases.

This is the lowest number of community cases Singapore has had since May 12.

MOH added that 12 of these infections are linked to previous cases, and all of them have already been placed on quarantine.

However, the other three local cases are unlinked.

There are also nine imported Covid-19 cases, all of them serving stay-home notices or isolated upon arrival in Singapore. Seven of the cases are returning Singaporeans or permanent residents.

This makes a total of 24 new cases of Covid-19. 

MOH also said it will add more details concerning the cases in further updates.

With the country’s case total at  61,916 on Wednesday, the additional 24 cases means Singapore’s total is now at  61,940.

The lower number of cases recorded on May 27 notwithstanding, other pandemic-related developments bear watching, including the cluster at Jem/Westgate, which reached 60 cases on May 26.

The cluster is now the second-largest in Singapore, second only to the Changi Airport cluster, which has 108 cases.

The possible source of the JEM/Westgate cluster was identified on Monday (May 24)—a 53-year-old Singaporean cleaner who works at an SHN facility. 

Several children are also part of the cluster, including a 6-year-old Singaporean girl and an 11-year-old Singaporean boy, both of them Concord Primary School student.

An 18-year-old Singaporean boy, an ITE College West student, is part of the JEM/Westgate cluster as well.

At present, there are a total of 34 clusters in Singapore, including two new ones: the Hong Ye Group cleaners cluster, with three cases, and the “Case 63708” cluster, also with three cases. This cluster was named after a 15-year-old boy, a Westwood Secondary School confirmed positive on May 24.

Of the current active Covid cases, 282 individuals are experiencing only mild symptoms and are considered clinically well. They are now in isolation in community facilities.

Currently, 242 Covid patients are in hospital, and most have been classified as either stable or improving. Two individuals from this group are in the intensive care unit in critical condition. 

A total of 32 people in Singapore have died of Covid-19 complications since the pandemic began last year.

/TISG

Read also: Paul Tambyah: Cleaner infected at SHN facility likely to have got Covid through a contaminated surface

Paul Tambyah: Cleaner infected at SHN facility likely to have got Covid through a contaminated surface

Indian airline SpiceJet gets flak for in-flight wedding ceremony with 160 guests

By
The Independent
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0

Singapore – Indian airline SpiceJet is getting flak for allowing a couple to have a mid-air wedding ceremony with 160 attendees.

Images and videos from the wedding have gone viral on social media.

The ceremony on Sunday was insensitive given that India was still struggling with a destructive second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic causing more than 200,000 infections daily.

There were more than 1,300 reported cases a day in Madurai, the couple’s hometown, in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Epidemiologist Jayaprakash Muliyil agreed that it was “unsafe” to gather in  large numbers within an enclosed space with no one wearing masks.

“Since there is no clarity over whether the passengers took a test before boarding the flight, it is difficult to say that none of them carried the infection,” Dr Muliyil said. “It was also not fair to expose the crew members to the risk.”, Asiaone reported.

The couple had held their real wedding last week at a venue where only 50 guests were allowed, before the mid-air ceremony with triple the number of guests.

In response to the criticism, SpiceJet shared that all passengers had been instructed to stick to Covid-19 guidelines.

However, the repeated reminders were largely ignored.

Social media users requested the authorities to find the couple.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (GDCA), India’s aviation regulator, added that passengers refusing to follow the rules can be placed on a no-fly list, either permanently or for a limited period.

However, a passenger is added to the no-fly list only when he or she assaults the crew or threatens to hijack the flight, said Mr Natin Sarin, an aviation lawyer.

Photo: FB screengrab/ TRT World

 

“But this event seems to have been permitted by the crew and there is no sign of the crew trying to stop the passengers from performing the ceremony, as per the videos available on social media. So the passengers cannot be put on a no-fly list,” Mr Sarin said.

However, not all Indian citizens feel insecure despite Covid-19.

A Dependant’s Pass holder who formerly worked in DBS bank commented on Facebook that she felt much more secure back home in India and added that she probably contracted Covid-19 at Changi Airport, reported  The Independent SG.

She added that her PCR test was negative both before her departure for and after her arrival in Singapore.

She wrote that she “got infected in SG most probably on (sic) Changi airport”.

Phuong Le Ha is an intern at The Independent SG/TISG

PSP Youth Wing talk on a ‘green and sustainable Singapore’

By
The Independent
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0

 

Singapore — The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Youth Wing shared about the importance of sustainability in Singapore.

A talk on “Building A Green & Sustainable Singapore” was held on April 24 with Mr Ku Swee Yong, CEO of International Property Advisor, and Mr Chan Mun Wei, Founder & Consultant of SustainableSG as panellists. Former PSP Youth Wing head Terence Soon was the moderator. A video of the event was published on Wednesday (May 26).

Mr Chan shared about sustainability, and why it mattered to Singaporeans.

“It’s about making sure the future for our kids and their kids will be just as good as it has been for us.” he elaborated, adding, “I don’t think we want to live in a world where the physical environment is very harsh, in terms of extreme weather and hot days.”

“Sustainability is making sure we are not exploiting resources today, such that there isn’t enough for our poorer friends and relatives. That we don’t over-exploit, so there is also sufficient for our children and grandchildren to live a normal comfortable life.” Mr Ku explained.

He touched on public housing, explaining it is unsustainable if  Singaporeans have to stretch their dollars to buy HDB flats and push the prices up, if policies do not keep prices affordable.

“Sustainability is not just confined to the environment, or making sure we don’t use plastic straws. It can also be social sustainability, making sure that our next generation will be comfortable.” Mr Ku elaborated.

The talk also touched on renewable energy and food sustainability in Singapore. The full dialogue can be found on the PSP YouTube channel.

Mr Soon shared about the efforts of the PSP Youth Wing, which has organised clean-up programmes at parks around Singapore last year and earlier this year, before enhanced Covid measures halted those activities.

“Although I will soon be departing politics; I know with full confidence that the PSP Youth Wing will continue to champion the causes of the youth in Singapore. The mission and goals of the Youth Wing will continue under the excellent leadership of Jess Chua,” Mr Soon said.

He also asked Singaporeans to show support to Ms Chua, the newly appointed head of the Youth Wing.

Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG

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