Stories you might’ve missed, Dec 12

From corporate job to near bankruptcy, all to pursue passion for pet care

As a pet lover, Dan Luo treasures his time with his furkids. But he also suffers from eczema. This made it really tough on him as someone who loved shower time with his pets because the harsh chemicals in most commercially-available pet care products so irritated his skin that showering with his pets had to stop.

Struggling with eczema, he left a comfortable position with a multinational firm, despite knowing he had promising career prospects, to start a brand-new business with his wife, selling all-natural pet care and cleaning products.

Read more here.

Letter to the Editor: Raeesah Khan lied & resigned, it’s not pertinent for Pritam Singh to give evidence — case closed

Dear Editor,

I refer to the article, Workers’ Party statement: Pritam Singh is prepared to give evidence before the Committee of Privileges.

The leader of WP Pritam Singh reiterated on 5 Dec that he was prepared to give evidence before COP. The party added that Pritam Singh had already made it clear on 2 Dec during press conference about his intention.

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The Raeesah lie and the millennial political party

The Raeesah Khan affair has been blowing hot and cold for the last week, with many people groping in the dark trying to hunt down THE truth. My friend was so exasperated with the twists and turns that he told his colleague: Go read Pravda (Truth in Russian).

Raeesah lied, there is no doubt about that. Then she told the Committee of Privileges a few damaging things about the Workers’ Party leadership. I watched the video of her appearance before the committee, and she appeared cool, collected, and composed, answering questions the way an experienced politician would. She was emotionless and judicious with her words. For a 27-year-old, it was a masterly act, I must say.

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There are not too many Tanjong Katong Complexes around anymore. Treasure them.

I hope Tanjong Katong Complex will not become collateral damage, like a number of iconic places in a country so ruthless in its quest to become a modern world hub. The complex is undergoing a revamp in 2023.  I think it will survive its original form because there seems to be a rethinking by the national planners that it is unwise to disrupt what developers recognise as the historical momentum of an area. I will come to that later.

Singapore’s early batch of planners, if they are still alive, should be summoned before a Commission of Inquiry or a live Face The Nation programme. Why did they have to destroy or allow the demolition of the National Theatre, the old National Library building, the Adelphi Hotel, Raffles Institution, Alhambra Theatre, Queen’s Theatre and the wholesale erasure of memories of early Singapore found in the three amusement parks – Happy (Gay) World, Great World and State World? What great architectural wonders or commercial developments have emerged on these sites to replace these irreplaceable parts of Singapore’s lived-in history?

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“Please provide updates on the trial before jabbing our kids.” — Parents wary as S’pore approves Pfizer vaccine for 5-11-year-olds

Singapore — The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has extended authorisation of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for children 5-11 years old, with inoculations scheduled to begin before 2022. However, parents have asked if this would be mandatory, among other concerns.

In a press release on Friday (Dec 10), the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that HSA had approved the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty paediatric dose vaccine for use in children aged 5-11 years.

Read more here.