Blog Posts by Melissa Law

A projector in one of the lecture theatres in National University of Singapore (NUS) caught fire on Monday, prompting the evacuation of about 260 people.

According to a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokeswoman, SCDF received a call at 12:21pm about a fire in one of the NUS lecture theatres.

SCDF sent two fire engines, two Red Rhinos, two fire bikes and three supporting vehicles to the scene. The fire was extinguished with one water jet within 10 minutes and nobody was injured.

About 200 people were evacuated from Lecture Theatre 7A of the NUS Engineering Block after another 60 people were brought out of the building before the arrival of SCDF.

The spokeswoman also said that the fire was “confined to the front of the lecture theatre” where there was a “console of IT equipment”.

According to Ng Wei Lin on Twitter, it was the projector which caused the fire, since it “exploded by itself” and “smoke came out” during the lecture.

SCDF is still investigating the cause of the fire.

This is

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The couple behind the sexually explicit website Sumptuous Erotica released a video update on Wednesday to answer questions from the media and public.

Dressed casually in T-shirts, National University of Singapore law scholar Alvin Tan Jye Yee and his fellow Malaysian girlfriend Vivian Lee reassured the public in the YouTube video that they are both “fine” and “still smiling” despite the attention of both the Singapore and Malaysian media.

Speaking unscripted and in a calm, measured tone, the 23-year-old Tan took the lead in the video, answering readers’ questions such as why they shut down the blog and whether they will continue to put up their “art”. Lee, also 23, who appeared a little more nervous in the 9-minute video, interjected from time to time to include some of her thoughts.

Tan said they are not planning to “run away from the limelight”, instead adding that they “appreciate the media attention” and that it “feels good”. He also added that the couple hopes to get “comfortable

Read More »from M’sian couple in sex blog answer ‘fan mail’ on video

Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) deputy director Marvin Sim Wai Meng explained the procurement process at the agency as he took the stand Tuesday in the sixth day of the sex-for-contracts trial involving ex-CNB chief Ng Boon Gay.

Sim, who was dressed in a pale blue shirt, bright blue tie and grey pants, testified that while Ng was chief of CNB he had the “final quotation approving authority” for procurements below the value of $1 million.

He also stated that the chief “was not obliged” to provide a reason if he were to reject a procurement proposal, but according to his knowledge, Ng did not on any occasion reject a proposal.

Sim later continued to say that Ng also had no say in proposing or initiating any IT-related projects, which was in fact proposed by CNB’s Department Technology Office (DTO). 

At the end of Sim’s testimony, the defence counsel, Tan Chee Meng, requested for the prosecution to submit two new documents – the quotation prepared by Cecilia Sue for an IT project as well as

Read More »from CNB deputy director and Ministry of Finance director take the stand in Ng Boon Gay trial

Singapore added a little over 128,000 people over the year up to June this year.

In the latest annual Population Trends publication by the Singapore Department of Statistics, the country’s total population reached 5.31 million at end-June, 2.5 per cent more than the figure a year ago.

The number of Singapore citizens grew by close to 28,000 to 3.29 million over the one-year period.

That of permanent residents (PRs) was up by a little over 1,000 to 533,100 over the period. This was a minimal increase versus the 1.7 per cent contraction the year before.

Key population statistics from Population Trends 2012. (Screengrab from report)

The non-resident population grew 7.2 per cent to 1.49 million in the reference period, according to the report.

Non-Singaporeans now make up a total of 38.2 per cent of the country’s total population.

Last year, the DOS reported a low total fertility rate of 1.2 live births per female – far below the 2.1 needed for replacement.

The rise in the population of other nationals in Singapore has led to growing resentment against them by Read More »from S'pore's population increases to 5.31 million

The Law Society of Singapore (LSS) has applied for a court order to have lawyer M Ravi checked by a registered medical practitioner to determine if he is fit to practise law in the city-state.

Based on the originating summons filed and served on Ravi on 14 August, the Society wants him to be given 14 days to comply, or else have his practising certificate suspended.

The Society also requests for Ravi’s certificate to be suspended if the medical report declares him unfit to practise law.

According to Ravi’s affidavit dated 24 August, the lawyer is, however, requesting for The High Court to “dismiss the application of the LSS with costs and/or strike out the application” on the grounds that the orders are “unnecessary, redundant and otiose”.

The 43-year-old lawyer explained in the document that he has “always complied” with the Society’s requests with regard to his mental health and he will “continue to do so”.

In addition, the human rights lawyer’s affidavit stated that he has already seen

Read More »from Law Society applies for order to determine M Ravi’s mental health

Kindergarten classes should be made part of Singapore’s public school education system.

That was the opinion of 72 per cent of 1,395 parents who responded to an online survey conducted by the Lien Foundation on Singapore’s preschool education in the second half of July this year.

“This finding correlates with a question parents frequently ask me: Why is preschool education not like primary school education? Isn’t it something that the government provides too?” said Geraldine Teo-Zuzarte, Deputy Head (Academic) of SEED Institute and Centre Director of The Caterpillar’s Cove.

When asked what they thought could be done to improve preschools in Singapore, most of the respondents felt that the government should firstly, increase subsidies to help parents, secondly, raise the qualifications, pay and status of preschool teachers and, lastly, regulate school fees.

Done as a follow-up to the Foundation’s two other studies on preschool education in Singapore called “Starting Well” and “Vital Voices

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A police report has been lodged against a male student from Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) after a video uploaded on YouTube showed him telling crude racist jokes.

20 year-old Justin Wee, a first-year student at SIM, is under fire for spewing vulgarities and making racist remarks in the five-minute video, which was captured by an National University of Singapore (NUS) student and uploaded online.

His friends are shown in the video bursting out in laughter repeatedly at his jokes, even egging him on to tell them more.

Wee, a dancer for NUS' Rag Day celebrations, has since told The New Paper that he was drunk at the time of the incident. He explained that he and some friends had gathered at Kent Ridge Hall in NUS to celebrate the end of an orientation activity.

“I am deeply apologetic and regretful for my behaviour in this incident,” said Wee, in a written statement to TNP on Monday.

“I sincerely apologise to the Malay and Indian communities who are offended by the racist jokes

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Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin led a chorus of local bloggers and even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in reciting the National Pledge on Twitter on Wednesday, the eve of National Day.

Starting at 8.35pm, Tan tweeted the pledge line-by-line on the micro-blogging platform via @chuanjin1.

Tan finally started with the first line, “We, the citizens of Singapore,” before continuing the pledge in short, separate bursts.

He was quickly joined in by established bloggers Mr Brown (@mrbrown), aka Lee Kin Mun, and Mr Miyagi (@miyagi), aka Benjamin Lee, who urged their followers to follow suit using the hashtag #PledgeSG.

PM Lee (@leehsienloong) also joined in the movement when he tweeted, "Fully support @chuanjin1’s recital of our national pledge over Twitter", signing off with his initials LHL.

The tweet pledge movement, which lasted about 30 minutes, was well-received and quickly went viral, making it the second top trending topic in Singapore.

Twitter users even joined in the movement

Read More »from Singapore National Pledge recital on Twitter goes viral