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S’pore hawker culture officially added to Unesco list of intangible cultural heritage

The Independent
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S’pore hawker culture officially added to Unesco list of intangible cultural heritage

Singapore – After nearly three years since application, Singapore’s hawker culture has officially been added to the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

On Wednesday (Dec 16), a virtual conference comprised of a 24-member international panel unanimously accepted Singapore’s application.

According to a straitstimes.com report, it took about three minutes to approve the three-year application submitted by the National Heritage Board, the National Environment Agency and the Federation of Merchants’ Associations.

The committee deemed it unnecessary to debate the nomination at the 15th session of the intergovernmental board as Singapore’s application had met all the requirements.

Singapore’s hawker culture marks the first item on the intangible cultural heritage list. There are currently 463 entries in the list, including Japan’s washi craft-making (traditional hand-made paper), Spain’s wine horses and Malaysia’s Mak Yong theatre.

In 2015, Singapore’s Botanic Gardens was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site, symbolizing its first entry to any Unesco list.

Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage website defines hawker culture in Singapore as “community dining and culinary practices in a multicultural urban context that is present throughout Singapore.”

The centres serve as “‘community dining rooms’ where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of dining over breakfast, lunch and dinner,” the post added.

“Evolved from street food culture, hawker centres have become markers of Singapore as a multicultural city-state, comprising Chinese, Malay, Indian and other cultures. Hawkers take inspiration from the confluence of these cultures, adapting dishes to local tastes and contexts.”

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Edwin Tong, in a pre-recorded video, provided remarks on the historic occasion shared across representatives from 117 states and non-governmental organizations.

“Singapore’s hawker culture is a source of pride for Singapore and all Singaporeans. It reflects our living heritage and multiculturalism, and is an integral part of the daily lives of everyone in Singapore regardless of age, race or background,” said Mr Tong.

“I thank all our hawkers and Singaporeans for their overwhelming support of this nomination… We pledge to do our part to safeguard our intangible cultural heritage.”

Singapore will be required to submit a report to Unesco every six years highlighting efforts to safeguard and pass on hawker culture to future generations.

In a Facebook post after the decision, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Facebook to thank everyone involved for their efforts. “The biggest thanks must go to the generations of hawkers for nourishing a nation’s stomach and spirits. This recognition would not have come without their sweat, toil and dedication to their profession,” said Mr Lee.

Read related: Jamus Lim not only praises Singapore’s hawker culture, he learns to make popiahs from scratch too

Jamus Lim not only praises Singapore’s hawker culture, he learns to make popiahs from scratch too

Kourtney Kardashian is “best baby maker in town”, according to Scott Disick

Lydia Koh
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Kourtney Kardashian is “best baby maker in town”, according to Scott Disick

Reality star Scott Disick, 37 is grateful for the mother of his children, Kourtney Kardashian, 41. Scott showed appreciation to the Poosh founder on Instagram Monday, December 14.

The Flip It Like Disick star uploaded a photo of the pair sitting on the stairs with their 8-year-old daughter Penelope Disick and 6-year-old son Reign Disick. Both Kourtney and Scott also share 11-year-old son Mason Disick.

“Thank you @kourtneykardash for being the best baby maker in town,” Scott captioned the photo that day, which also happened to mark Mason and Reign’s birthdays. “I couldn’t have asked for a better person in the world to have these amazing children with, I love u and our family more than anything in the world.”

For years, fans have watched Scott and Kourtney co-parent their children. The two put them first in everything they do, from vacationing together to celebrating the holidays with one another.

“Scott and Kourtney have come a long way,” a source told E! News in October. “They definitely have had their ups and downs over the last decade but are now closer than ever. They call each other ‘best friends.’ They have truly figured out a way to co-parent that is best for them and have a good routine going. They are bonded for life and are committed to having a healthy relationship for the sake of their kids.”

Scott Disick maintains a good relationship with Kourtney Kardashian

They enjoy this family time, too. “Since Scott has been in a good place recently, Kourtney has been enjoying spending time with him,” the insider continued. “When he’s in a good place, they have the most fun and she wants to be around him. She thinks he’s the funniest person and will always have a place in her heart for him.”

Granted, getting to this place took time. “I think the hardest part was when we both started new relationships, don’t you?” Kourtney said in a 2019 Poosh vlog. “Because that caused fights between you and I about introducing the kids. I think that caused the most challenges…We had to, like, literally go to therapy to talk to even get through, like, to be able to communicate together.”

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians stars also learned to set boundaries. “I think the biggest challenge was just trying to figure out how we separate our relationship as friends and parents and still be on the same page and what’s I guess appropriate and what’s not and when to be able to talk to each other,” Scott added. “In the beginning, I think you set good ones and then we learned from that and we’ve gotten to a good place.”

Despite the cheeky posts and fun throwbacks, fans still ship the former lovers. “Just get back together already,” one follower said. Added another, “Kourtney and Scott forever!” /TISG

Faye Wong’s daughter says her favourite piece of advice is ‘nothing is permanent’

Lydia Koh
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Faye Wong’s daughter says her favourite piece of advice is ‘nothing is permanent’

Hong Kong idol Faye Wong, 51 is known to be a cold person and it is even evident in her parenting methods. Faye’s elder daughter, Chinese singer-songwriter Leah Dou held an online concert recently where she talked about an anecdote about her mother.

The 23-year-old said that Faye had one piece of advice she often gave her when Leah was recounting something that made her glad. It is not something sweet or heartfelt like “I’m glad you’re sharing this with me” or even a simple “That’s nice”.

Leah Dou’s mother Faye Wong is strict with her. Picture:Instagram

Instead, Faye would usually say, “Ah, about that, don’t be happy for too long, nothing is permanent”. Although this is not exactly something we think a parent would tell their child but this unorthodox parenting method worked out well for Faye, Leah and maybe Li Yan (Faye’s other daughter) too.

Leah said that at that time she used to think Faye’s Debbie Downer response was very annoying because she simply could not understand why her mother was so intent on being such a wet blanket.

As Leah grew up and became more familiar with life, she began to understand that Faye had simply wanted to plant a “seed” in her daughter’s heart with her words, to help protect her from the hurt she might experience in the future.

Born January 3 1997, Dou Jingtong, also known as Leah Dou is a Chinese singer-songwriter who primarily sings in English. She is the daughter of Chinese musicians Dou Wei and Faye Wong.

She first contributed her voice to her mother’s song “童 (Tong)” when she was 1 year old. In 2011, Leah formed her first band and became the lead singer. In 2012, she released her first song “With You”. In 2013, she launched second personal original single “On the Beach”, in the same year, she released the third personal original single “Blue Flamingo”.

She debuted in 2015 in a performance in Tokyo. Later in Clockenflap 2015, she debuted in Hong Kong. She released her first single River Run on December 11, 2015, selling 25,000 copies on QQ Music in three days. Her second single Brother was released in 2016 for a Chinese Shu Uemura campaign. In 2016, she won the QQ New Female Artist Of The Year.

 

Police warn against gatherings in Singapore to support protesting farmers in India

Anna Maria Romero
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Police warn against gatherings in Singapore to support protesting farmers in India

Singapore — The Singapore Police Force (SPF) issued a statement on Tuesday (Dec 15), warning against persons who have gathered “at various locations” around the country to show their support for farmers in India, who have been holding protests because of three laws passed in India’s Parliament a few months ago.

“The police did not grant any permits for these cause-based assemblies. Police investigations are ongoing,” the SPF said.

The SPF added that it wants to send a “strong reminder that organising or participating in a public assembly without a police permit in Singapore is illegal and constitutes an offence under the Public Order Act. Also, the police will not grant any permit for assemblies that advocate political causes of other countries”.

The police further reminded that foreigners who are visiting or residing in Singapore should follow the laws of the land. “Those who break the law will be dealt with firmly, and this may include termination of visa or work passes, where applicable.”

Three farm acts were passed in the Indian Parliament in September, which are largely considered to be anti-farmer by farmers’ union as they would put them under  the “mercy of corporate” agents.

Over half of India’s working population, around 263.1 million people, is in the agricultural sector, with many dependent on farming for their family’s daily food needs.

At first, protests were carried on a local level but quickly grew in scale. A movement called “Dilli Chalo” (Let’s go to Delhi) was formed in November with tens of thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Rajasthan, marching to the Indian capital, despite Delhi being a Covid-19 hot spot.

And on Nov 26, around 250 million people took part in a nationwide general strike to support the farmers.

People have also taken to the streets around the world in the past two weeks in solidarity with the farmers. From California, New York, and Texas in the United States, to Canada, France, Germany, London and the Netherlands, people have gathered in protest over the laws.

Scholar of religion and history Simran Jeet Singh, who teaches in the US, was recently quoted by CNN as saying: “The pandemic has shown us that there are two economies. Essential workers across the world are suffering. The farmers in India represent all of them, and their resistance to unjust legislation that privileges the uber-wealthy corporations is a resistance that speaks to so many of us all over the world.”

India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, the largest milk producer to the global market, the world’s second-largest producer of rice and the world’s leading producer of cotton. /TISG

Read also: Why are Indian farmers protesting, and what can Modi do?

Why are Indian farmers protesting, and what can Modi do?

Pritam Singh replies to question on electoral fraud: “No basis” to make such a case for GE2020

Anna Maria Romero
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Pritam Singh replies to question on electoral fraud: “No basis” to make such a case for GE2020

Singapore — Workers’ Party leader Pritam Singh has said in response to an online query about electoral fraud that there was “no basis” to make such a case for General Election 2020.

On Monday night (Dec 14), Mr Singh had posted on Facebook a photo of Madam Leong, a 71-year-old woman who had volunteered as a polling agent for the WP.

“Polling agents are appointed by the election agents of candidates. Their duty is to ensure that an election is carried out in accordance to the law,” he said, adding that because of the WP’s small size, the party relies heavily on  volunteer polling agents.

Mr Singh added: “Their participation also helps to demystify the political process and the voting secrecy.” He also outlined the requirements for volunteering as a poll watcher, which are relatively simple and straightforward.

Members of the online community commented on Mr Singh’s post and joined him in praising the work of Madam Leong and other polling agents.

One man, Mr Jordan Tan, had specific questions relating to electoral fraud. He asked if the WP head suspected that collusion had occurred to cheat the “East Coast GRC vote count (& West Coast too, for that matter)?”

He added: “I understand the ‘vote-counting’ machine used by ELD in this year’s GE, was procured from the very same Venezuela company which is suspect of fradulent vote-flipping algorithm in the recent US election.

“I remembered there was an uproar against the ELD on the evening of GE polling day, whereby the ELD unilaterally extended the voting hours, which had resulted in the ballot boxes not being co-observed by Opposition representatives for a few hours.”

Mr Tan also asked if this had been pre-planned in order to determine how many votes were needed to win the East Coast and West Coast GRCs.

Mr Singh’s answer was definite and quite final. He said: “No, and I have no basis to make such a case. There were thousands of opposition polling agents. I am not aware of a single case/claim made by any of them.”

He also encouraged Mr Tan to volunteer as a polling agent in the next elections “to disabuse yourself of any concerns about the polling process”.

The WP head was backed by one such volunteer, Nick PT, who said: “I was a polling agent for East Coast GRC and there was not fraud observed on the ground. The public officers who served as election officials were impartial and professional.”

Another commenter, Seah Kim Ping, who had been a volunteer polling agent for another opposition party, also concurred with Mr Singh. This person said: “I have the opportunity to be a polling agent for another opposition party. I swear by the integrity of the system and the people involved. They have sacrificed precious family time to do national service for the nation. They are the embodiment of integrity and I am proud to be Singaporean seeing their dedication!”

Mr Tan thanked Mr Singh for his answer and said that he would indeed volunteer as a polling agent one day “if my schedule allows”. /TISG

Read also: Pritam Singh regrets not being able to hold thank-you lunch for WP volunteers

Pritam Singh regrets not being able to hold thank-you lunch for WP volunteers

 

Govt easing restrictions for work permits and S-pass applications to meet manpower shortage

The Independent
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Govt easing restrictions for work permits and S-pass applications to meet manpower shortage

Singapore — To help address the worker shortage experienced by businesses, the Government is easing restrictions for work permits and S-Pass applications across all sectors.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), in consultation with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Trade and Industry, will be adjusting the processing of new work permits and S-Pass applications of workers across all sectors to better support businesses, reported channelnewsasia.com on Tuesday (Dec 15).

Before the adjustments, MOM highlighted that it was accepting applications for new work passes from countries with lower health risks such as China. The agency is now processing applications from all approved source countries where workers from certain countries or areas specialise in a particular industry sector, noted the report.

According to MOM, it now has more room for an increase in work pass holders to help with the manpower shortage, noting Singapore’s stable control of the Covid-19 pandemic, testing capacity and strong public health measures.

The report mentioned that employers from the construction and food and beverage industries, in particular, have been facing worker shortages.

Consequently, existing work pass holders are now being accepted to return to Singapore, said MOM.

Both employers and applicants are still required to adhere to current borders, including entry approval from the authorities, taking pre-departure tests, and fulfilling their Stay-Home Notices in Singapore.

Based on the MOM website, an S-Pass holder is a mid-skilled technical individual with a fixed monthly salary of at least S$2,500. The duration of the pass is up to two years, although it is renewable. An employer or appointed employment agent applies on behalf of the applicant for the pass.

Meanwhile, a work permit is generally issued to foreign unskilled and semi-skilled workers. The duration of a work permit is usually two years, subject to the validity of the worker’s passport, the security bond and the worker’s employment period, whichever is shorter.

Read related: PSP’s Francis Yuen’s defines ‘foreign talent,’ noting the need for it only if genuine

PSP’s Francis Yuen’s defines ‘foreign talent,’ noting the need for it only if genuine

Goh Chok Tong to undergo radiation therapy

Anna Maria Romero
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Goh Chok Tong to undergo radiation therapy

Singapore—Health-wise, it’s been a challenging time for former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, who has had to undergo not one but two procedures in the past few weeks.

The 79-year-old Mr Goh took to Facebook late on Wednesday evening (Dec 16) to write that after his recent trips to the hospital to remove a kidney stone and to biopsy a suspicious nodule in his larynx, he now has to undergo 20 sessions of radiation therapy over the next four weeks to ensure that no cancer cells remain in his body.

Mr Goh explained that squamous cells had been found in the nodule in his larynx, but, “Fortunately, after excision, the MRI of the neck and the CT scan of the chest showed no trace of these bad cells.”

Despite this, however, he still needs radiation therapy.

“Just like the weather these days, it never rains but pours for me medically….

What a way to celebrate the festive season!”

The former Prime Minister, who stepped down from public duties before the General Election in July, said that he has shared his “medical episodes” for a purpose, to encourage every person to have their regular or yearly health screenings.

And while he wrote that he does not have a subsidised programme for screening for potential illnesses, the Ministry of Health does have a subsidised Screen for Life programme for all Singaporeans.

Mr Goh underlined the importance of early detection and treatment, especially in cases similar to his, as this would exponentially enhance a person’s chances of survival.

“For those who may experience a lump in the throat and a change in the voice, see an ENT doctor. Ignorance, delay and denial may be costly. Spot and treat the cancer early, the 5-year survival rate is over 90 percent. Do it after it has spread, the survival rate drops to below 30 percent.”

And in the meantime, Mr Goh seemed in good spirits and expressed the hopes of a good prognosis before long.

“My thundery showers will pass. I am looking forward to clear blue sky before the Chinese New Year — and more good years thereafter.

Season’s Greetings and good health to all. — gct”

Friends and supporters flooded Mr Goh’s post with good wishes for a speedy recovery and a complete return to health.

 

Others thanked him for being so open about his health issues as this is beneficial to others.

-/TISG

Read also: Goh Chok Tong in hospital again — for procedure on vocal cords this time

Goh Chok Tong in hospital again — for procedure on vocal cords this time

Korean couple fined for visiting Rain’s home and demanding money

Lydia Koh
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Korean couple fined for visiting Rain’s home and demanding money

According to reports, an elderly couple in their seventies were fined after visiting singer Rain’s home and demanding that Rain pay back money that his father owed the couple from over two decades ago. Based on sources from legal circles, on December 16, Yoo Chang Hoo, the senior judge at the Seoul Western District Court fined a man (age 79) and his wife (age 73) with 700,000 KRW (SGD850) each.

According to the elderly couple, Rain’s father who is only known by his surname Mr Jung had bought rice on credit at their rice shop in Yongsan district, Seoul, more than two decades ago but never paid back the money that was owed. The couple then dropped by Rain’s home where his family stays along with his parents but Rain’s father did not want to meet the couple.

Rain’s father was accused of not returning money to an elderly couple. Picture: Instagram

So they yelled out, “Pay back the money for the rice,” and hit the front gate several times, breaking the door lock that was worth 200,000 KRW (SGD243), and forced the door open without permission. They then trespassed into Rain’s house to the front lawn.

In 2018, the elderly couple posted a message on an online community claiming that Rain’s parents owed them money. They alleged that Rain’s parents used to own a rice cake shop and had borrowed 25 million KRW (SGD30,000) worth of rice from them. They added that Rain’s parents promised to pay them back but did not.

Last September, the elderly man filed a civil suit against Mr Jung for 50 million (SGD60,000) but lost the case in January this year. Rain then filed an injunction against the man in February this year and the court cited it in April.

The court stated, “The victim has suffered considerable mental pain, but he does not want to punish the perpetrator.”

Born June 25 1982, Jung Ji-hoon, better known by his stage name Rain is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and music producer.

Rain’s musical career includes seven albums (six Korean, one Japanese), 28 singles and numerous concert tours around the world. He achieved breakthrough success with his third Korean album, It’s Raining (2004), which spawned the number one single of the same name. The album sold a million copies in Asia, and established Rain as an international star.

Underground parties allegedly held at Golden Mile Complex since June

Anna Maria Romero
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Underground parties allegedly held at Golden Mile Complex since June

Singapore — While the rest of the country is still looking forward to being able to gather in groups of eight when Singapore enters Phase 3 of reopening on Dec 28, some people have allegedly been partying away for the past six months at Golden Mile Complex.

In the latest of these parties, which was held on Monday (Dec 14), around 30 people reportedly met in a small bar on the second floor of the complex, according to Shin Min Daily News.

The party was said to have been held by a 50-year-old woman for the birthday of her boyfriend and people were invited by word of mouth.

Those who attended the party did not have their temperature taken, no SafeEntry was implemented and they were allowed go around the bar without putting on face masks.

They were allowed to consume alcoholic drinks and mingle while “scantily-clad women” performed on a makeshift dance floor.

One person told the publication that certain establishments at the complex have allowed such illegal parties since June. This person was anonymously quoted as saying: “If you come on weekends, you’ll see the bars here filled with people completely ignoring the pandemic. When the authorities show up, the operators will just pull down the shutters and continue operating illegally afterwards.”

The birthday celebration was by no means the only event at the complex that evening. At least eight bars were operating on the night of Dec 14, said Shin Min.

The president of the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA), Mr Joseph Ong, is quoted in The New Paper as saying the news that people were illegally holding parties at the complex had reached him but that he had originally thought these were isolated incidents.

“I did not know they were so blatant at Golden Mile. It seems like the place has become something of a hive,” he said.

Mr Ong added: “It took us so long to get to Phase 3, with all the nightlife businesses pulling together. It would be such a waste if this small group of operators destroys the hard work done by the 2,000-plus nightlife outlets for almost a year.”

Should clusters of infection develop because of the illegal parties at the complex, it would be hard to carry out contact tracing, he said. “Operating in an illegal, underground manner is definitely not right and it is risky for the public.”

In August, two men who had been hired to do renovation work at Golden Mile Tower were caught gathering and inviting others to socialise there despite the pandemic. On Aug 28, six Singaporean men and four Thai women were fined thousands of dollars after they pleaded guilty to breaching Covid-19 regulations on safe distancing measures. /TISG

Read also: Golden Mile Complex: preserve or demolish? Netizens have spoken

Golden Mile Complex: preserve or demolish? Netizens have spoken

Jamus Lim helps a resident get a fridge through a lightning storm

Obbana Rajah
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Jamus Lim helps a resident get a fridge through a lightning storm

In the middle of a lightning storm, Jamus Lim managed to help a resident get a refrigerator.

In a Facebook post on Monday (Dec 14), the Associate Professor and Member of Parliament (MP) for Sengkang GRC said that “Sometimes helping residents can involve a scramble, but when things work out, it is extremely satisfying”.

He said that an Anchorvale resident got in touch with him and his team of volunteers on Sunday (Dec 13), urgently requesting a refrigerator, as hers had broken down and she was worried about losing her childrens’ milk, and the family food.

He wrote: “We were able to hustle together a used fridge from a volunteer donor, a truck and driver, and some WP Community Fund #Bluecycle muscle at short notice”.`

Prof Lim added that the volunteers braved the lightning storm and made the delivery to a grateful Madam Nuraidah and her kids.

“As always, the dedication of our volunteers never fails to amaze me”, Prof Lim wrote.

Jamus Lim is known for his presence and relationship with residents of Anchorvale. /TISG

Also read: Anchorvale resident tells Jamus Lim, “Cost of living rises faster than salaries” in construction

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