CNA938 Rewind - Sabah quake, 10 years on – Message from a survivor
CNA938 Rewind
10 years have passed since the fatal Mount Kinabalu expedition that took the lives of several pupils and teachers. Hairianto Diman and Susan Ng speak with Prajesh Patel, one of the survivors of the quake who returned to the mountain in May to finish the journey that they embarked on in 2015.
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Independent Singapore
15 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
'Death by a thousand cuts': Bukit Batok forest faces imminent axe despite wildlife warnings and public outcry
SINGAPORE: A young forest tucked behind the HomeTeamNS Adventure Centre in Bukit Batok is set to be mostly cleared for housing development, despite warnings from environmentalists and a recently released Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) urging caution. The forest, which grew naturally on cleared land since the 1960s, has become a key habitat and corridor for endangered species, including the critically endangered straw-headed bulbul—one of the rarest songbirds in the world. Singapore is its last global stronghold, and the Bukit Batok plot is one of its few remaining footholds in the west. A patch too small? Only 0.48 hectares of the forest—less than 10 per cent of the existing vegetation—will be retained as a 'stepping stone' for wildlife movement between the western green spaces and the Central Nature Reserves. The rest of the 5.5-hectare forest will be cleared to make way for a 14.5-hectare housing estate at the junction of Bukit Batok Road and Bukit Batok West Avenue 5. The plot includes the current Bukit Batok Driving Centre and nearby scrubland. See also Why did HDB hire US based lawyers when it is in deficit? To compensate, the report proposes greening the new estate with native flora and creating a forest-like vertical structure to support flying fauna. For ground-based wildlife, NParks is exploring the possibility of dedicated crossings. But the measures haven't gone far enough for conservationists. 'This is a very small patch with decent butterfly diversity, which suggests it's well connected to surrounding forests,' said ecologist Dr Anuj Jain, who has studied the area. 'It's like death by a thousand cuts' Youth nature group, Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity (SYVB), called for more decisive action. Outreach head Jayden Kang raised concerns over the limited forest retention in Bukit Batok. He noted that developments like Tengah had already affected the western ecological network, and suggested that further clearing could worsen the impact. He likened the current pattern of fragmented development to 'death by a thousand cuts.' The ecological implications go beyond Bukit Batok. Experts warn that Singapore's wildlife relies on forest corridors to move, breed, and maintain genetic diversity. If these green links are severed, it could lead to population crashes among already fragile species. See also "Superman" spotted in Singapore! Reports about this development acknowledged that construction will likely cause 'noticeable stress' on flora and flying fauna, even with mitigation in place. Backlash on World Environment Day On June 5—World Environment Day—the Instagram account of Woodlands Botanical Gardens published a scathing response. 'It is incredibly disgusting how they try to cheat the people by saying they will retain a tiny bit of forest,' the post read. 'There is not enough buffer zone to minimise impact. Even when the EIA says it's not a good idea, you still go ahead. So what then is the use of an EIA?' The post also questioned the sincerity of the public consultation process, accusing agencies of offering feedback opportunities only to 'show face'—not to meaningfully engage. 'Stop trying to placate the people with cheap tactics,' the group added. 'Walk the talk you falsely showcase to the world.' In a pointed remark, the group proposed an alternative: demolish underutilised Good Class Bungalows (GCBs) instead of natural forests if the aim is truly to house more people. See also Singapore Catholic churches offer shelter to homeless people 'GCBs house four or five. HDBs house hundreds. If housing is a basic need, then prioritise it where it matters.' What happens next? While there is no official timeline yet, signs point to redevelopment beginning in the next decade. The Bukit Batok Driving Centre's lease has been extended till the end of 2028, and a new clubhouse replacing HomeTeamNS' facilities is expected by 2031. Public feedback on the EIA is open until June 15 at 6 p.m. on the HDB website. But many in the nature community are already sceptical of whether public sentiment will sway planning outcomes. For now, the future of the Bukit Batok forest—and the wildlife that calls it home—remains hanging in the balance. What is clear is that trust in the system has been shaken. And once the trees fall, there may be no going back.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Fine for blogger who claimed in video that Josephine Teo made offensive remarks against Malays
SINGAPORE: A blogger posted a video on TikTok claiming that Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo had made offensive remarks against Malays. Manmeet Singh Bahadar Singh did so after he received a link from an unknown person to a WordPress blog with the alleged offensive content. Singh, 57, then posted a commentary about the content without verifying its authenticity. He removed it once he realised that he had been "led on" by the unknown person, his lawyers S S Dhillon and Jasjeet Singh Harjindar Singh told the court. Singh was fined S$6,000 (US$4,700) on Friday (Jun 6) after he pleaded guilty to one charge of knowingly committing an act which promoted disharmony between different racial groups. Singh is a blogger who posts about socio-political issues on TikTok, among other social media platforms. He has been previously featured in the media as former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian's bodyguard. HOW THE OFFENCE HAPPENED Before he posted the offending content on TikTok on Aug 12, 2024, he received a link to a WordPress blog post via WhatsApp from an unknown person. The blog post alleged that Mrs Teo, when asked about racial progress during an interview with Chinese media on Singapore's 59-year development, had made an offensive remark against Malays. Singh felt angry and offended. On the morning of Aug 12, 2024, he posted a video on his TikTok account with a visible representation bearing the words "Minister Josephine Teo blurted 'Malays are i*****' in a Chinese interview". He then repeated the blog post's allegations. Singh did not verify the authenticity of the claims on the blog post before making his video. In the video, Singh repeats the allegations and tells viewers to "go look it up". He then adds, "I have been voicing out for, you know, against racial discrimination in Singapore. And look what happened now? My prediction's right!" He finishes the video with the phrase "bring them down", according to court documents. At the time of the offences, Singh's TikTok account had around 9,054 followers. The video was available long enough for Mrs Teo's colleagues and a reporter to ask the minister about it. Around four hours after the video was published, Mrs Teo told her press secretary about it. The press secretary then downloaded a copy of the video and lodged a police report. Later that day, Singh suspected the allegations were false and removed the TikTok video by 1.40pm. He then posted another video in which he apologised to Mrs Teo, noting that his previous allegation was probably false. By 3pm, however, TikTok removed this video. Subsequently, Mrs Teo posted on social media platforms to state that the allegations were false. The blog post that sparked the offences was not available as of 6.30pm on Aug 12, 2024. Singh was arrested on Feb 4, 2025 and released on bail the next day. In mitigation, Mr Dhillon told the court the circumstances under which his client had been "led on" by the unknown person who sent him the blog post. Singh was on his way to work as a warehouse assistant when this person texted him and included the link to the offensive blog post. This person then encouraged Singh to do "what you need to do", said Mr Dhillon. "At the time, Manmeet had just alighted from his bus and was walking to his then-workplace, which was about a 10-minute walk from the bus stop. "Manmeet felt angry and offended and elected to take a snapshot of the blog post on his phone and proceeded to record a video of himself commenting on the alleged statement on his phone whilst walking," Mr Dhillon and Mr Singh said. Singh then went about his work. As he was working, he started having second thoughts about his post, as he had a growing suspicion that its contents were fake. However, as Singh's work involved sensitive information, he did not have access to his phone until lunch. "To his surprise and shock, he realised that the unknown person who had sent him the WhatsApp message that morning had deleted his account as well as the said message," the defence lawyers said. "This confirmed Manmeet's suspicions that he had been falsely led on." Singh immediately removed his video and published an apology video on his TikTok account. Unbeknownst to him, TikTok removed this video by 3pm. He subsequently posted a second video to apologise. The defence lawyers said that Singh was "racked with guilt" over his actions. "Manmeet is not in the business of making his videos for profit or clout. His content is akin to an extension of himself and his views, which he shares because he feels responsible to raise awareness," said the lawyers. Singh has since "deliberately steered clear of associating with other politicians to avoid controversy", the lawyers said. He also actively vets his news sources. The defence asked for a S$2,000 fine for Singh.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
South Korean conservatives looking for rebirth after election loss
SEOUL: South Korea's right is looking to remake itself after a massive defeat in this week's snap presidential election that left it with little power to challenge the ruling Democratic Party. New leader Lee Jae-myung and his party now control parliament and the presidency with Tuesday (Jun 3)'s polls exposing the smouldering resentment in South Korea over former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law declaration in December. The attempt at military rule led to Yoon's removal from office and the eventual defeat of the conservative People Power Party, which was unable to overcome divisions within the right and unify around a single candidate. The defeat has left conservative leaders pointing fingers and trading blame as the party searches for a new direction. On Thursday, the PPP's floor leader, lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, stepped down and called for the party to wipe the slate clean and rebuild the conservative movement. "This defeat in the presidential election is not simply a judgment on martial law and the impeachment of the president," he said. "It is a painful reprimand to the divisions of the ruling People Power Party." The party's presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo was unable to convince Lee Jun-seok, the nominee from the minor conservative Reform Party, to drop out, likely splitting at least some of the vote. Former labour minister Kim won 41.15 per cent of the vote and Lee Jun-Seok won 8.34 per cent, to winner Lee Jae-myung's 49.42 per cent. A controversial figure for championing anti-feminist concerns and wielding support among young men, Lee Jun-seok was briefly the leader of the PPP, and had helped Yoon narrowly win the 2022 presidential election. He later clashed with Yoon and was ousted from the PPP. Lee told reporters on Tuesday that the PPP should have focused on reform rather than unifying candidates. "That's the challenge given to pan-conservatives," he said. Kim blamed infighting during the primary process that led to him filing legal challenges against the PPP after then-acting President Han Duck-soo resigned to contest the elections despite the party selecting Kim as its candidate. The two men spent a week clashing over efforts to form a unity ticket. "We picked our candidate in a way that even a small child thinks doesn't make sense ... I think we need deep soul-searching and reform," Kim said on Wednesday as he kneeled in apology to party members and the public. "TEAR DOWN OUR HOUSE" Others pointed to the PPP's failure to fully separate itself from Yoon's unpopular and unconstitutional martial law. "They failed to draw in moderate voters," said political commentator Park Sangbyoung. "Instead, Yoon Suk Yeol sided with far-right ideas, and Kim Moon-soo, who has a history of working with far-right groups, was their candidate." Park said the "complete downfall" of the conservatives could damage Korean politics. "To be a true opposing force against the Lee administration, they need to be reborn, even resorting to blowing up the party and creating a new one," Park said. South Korea's conservatives have staged unlikely comebacks before. Yoon is the second conservative president in a row to be removed from office, after Park Geun-hye was impeached and jailed in a corruption scandal in 2017. Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said "until they clear the mess inside" it will be difficult for the right to stand up to Lee. "Rather than crisis of conservatives, I would call it the falling of People Power Party because of its leadership that runs the party based on self-interests, not fundamental values," he said. In the wake of Yoon's impeachment, then-PPP leader Han Dong-hoon promised that the president would resign and the party would help lead an interim government. When Yoon and his backers rejected that plan and fought his removal, it divided the party and led to Han's resignation. On Wednesday Han, who unsuccessfully ran for the PPP nomination, said the party needs to cooperate with the new liberal administration on economy and security but it must not compromise on challenging any effort by the ruling party to "destroy the judiciary system". The PPP has accused the Democratic Party of trying to pass bills that they say are meant to shield President Lee, who faces a slew of corruption charges, from any further legal troubles. "Please do not give up," Han said. "It is the last chance to end the same old politics and to establish politics that put the people first." Lawmaker Park Jeong-hoon said in a Facebook post that the party must change if it wants to survive.
