Change you can believe in?

Some religious leaders preach it, but psychologists deny it. The word is change, and the subject is homosexuality. While some individuals in the LGBT community seek to change their sexual orientation, are they in fact chasing an illusion?

In this four-part series, the writer explores the idea of conversion therapy and the notion that Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered (LGBT) people can change, if they choose to do so.

Mr Leslie Lung claims that he has changed.

But while the 45-year-old Christian believes he is different from who he once was, he still calls himself a “transsexual”.

“No, I do not reject my identity. In fact, I’m proud of it,” he says. These words would surprise many, especially when the notion of whether Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people can change has been subjected to heated debate.

Mr Lung, who is also a founder of Liberty League, a secular organisation that facilitates discussion groups for individuals dealing with family and sexuality issues, shared with The Online Citizen about his past life of cross-dressing and involvement in the scene, which he was a part of since 14 years old.

Speaking in a sprightly, somewhat feminine voice, he recalled how as a teenager, he would be constantly teased and ridiculed for his mannerisms.

“I felt depressed, to be honest, because of the social expectations of how guys should behave. Also, I had difficulty dealing with my sexuality and the Christian view of it,” he confesses.

But with help from friends, counselors, and church ministers, he soon got over his depression, even though it was a long process. He even dropped the notion of going for a sex-change operation. The key, he says, lies in accepting himself, but living a chaste life as demanded by the Bible.

“If God has made me this way, then it doesn’t make sense to reject my gender identity. Yet at the same time it is quite clear what the Bible says. It’s quite clear what’s right and what’s wrong,” he adds...

Click here to read the full story on TOC.

Men, get your prostate checked

This male organ often becomes enlarged with age, leading to problems such as renal failure. However, if detected early it can be treated with medication alone.

TERENCE LEE reports

For Mind Your Body (Straits Times)

25 July 2008

Unfortunately, quite a number of the men do get it.

By the time they hit 80, one in two men in Singapore will have an enlarged prostate gland.

Only men have this organ.

Senior consultant urologist Associate Professor Chia Sing Joo gave the figure during a Prostate Awareness Month 2008 press conference last week.

This prostate disease - medically called Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) - if left untreated, can lead to complications like bladder stones and even renal failure.

If detected early, it can be treated with medication alone.

Delays will worsen the disease and surgery might then be needed to remove part of the prostate gland, said Prof Chia, who is from Tan Tock Seng Hospital's general surgery department.

Survey results show that 44per cent of men did not visit the doctor despite experiencing symptoms of BPH for at least six months.

The survey was conducted with 480 men above 50 who attended a prostate awareness forum on July 5.

However, Dr Fong Yan Kit, chairman of the Prostate Awareness Month and consultant urologist at Raffles Hospital, said the actual nationwide percentage could be even higher as those at the forum are most likely already aware of the issue.

'This is just the tip of the iceberg,' he said.

A common misconception is that the symptoms - such as a constant urge to urinate - are part of ageing.

Said Associate Professor Kesavan Esuvaranathan, president of the Singapore Urological Association: 'The men think it is normal. All their buddies have it, so it's okay. They think it's just like their hair turning white, nothing to worry about.'

About half of those who went to see a doctor about urinary issues already have their lives disrupted by it, the survey also revealed.

'Elderly men who want to enjoy their retirement and play golf or go on vacation with their spouses will find it tough because they have to constantly visit the loo,' said Prof Kesavan.

Their sex lives may also be affected.

Also, having a family history of BPH and lifestyle habits like lack of exercise, smoking, drinking and a diet with high fat content could increase a man's chances of getting the disease.

There is also another reason men experiencing symptoms associated with the disease should see a doctor early: it may be a sign of prostate cancer, the third most common cancer among men in Singapore, said Prof Chia.

'Symptoms of BPH and prostate cancer are almost indistinguishable - you can't really tell one from the other,' he said.

As part of the Prostate Awareness Month, the Singapore Urological Association is organising a series of subsidised prostate examinations this month. The subsidised rate is $8 for men aged between 50 and 75.

The full cost ranges from $30 to $65, depending on the hospital.

The remaining screening exercises are scheduled as follows:

Tan Tock Seng Hospital, today, 9am to 4pm

Changi General Hospital, tomorrow, 9am to 4pm

Singapore General Hospital, Friday, 9am to 4pm

This is the fifth year the Prostate Awareness Month has been running.

Staff sent out email asking members to vote at Aware EOGM

26 APRIL, 2009 – CHURCH of our Saviour (COOS) staff sent out email calling for church members to vote at AWARE's upcoming EOGM, a spokesman has confirmed yesterday.

For a while, it had been unclear whether the leaked email messages, readable in various forums, were authentic.

Speaking on the sidelines after Sunday's 10.30am service, the church spokesman verified that only Shawn Tay and Linda Seah's email messages are genuine. Both are staff of the church.

Mr Tay sent out an email on 17th April calling for church members to join AWARE and support the new Executive Committee members. He is from Choices Ministry, a department specialising in homosexual counseling.

In the email, Mr Tay called for “all responsible females to sign up for membership with AWARE immediately, and also to attend this all-important EGM so as to vote against changing the Constitution.”

As for Ms Seah, who is a zone pastor, she sent Senior Pastor Derek Hong an email on 16th April stating that “the number of members registered on Tuesday night is 13 out of 40 who turned up.” As of the time of this piece’s publication, the church has not been able to clarify what this means.

Both email messages were sent only after news of Aware's takeover broke on The Straits Times.

It is also unclear if the rest of the leaked email are authentic...

Click here to read the full story on TOC.

David Widjaja’s autopsy report released, results not disclosed

THE file on David Widjaja’s case remains wide open.

While the autopsy report on his death has finally been released, the details of the alleged stabbing incident remains sketchy.

The family received the autopsy report on 4th April (Saturday) from Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

The report has been sent to a team of doctors in Jakarta for analysis, says William Widjaja — who is David’s brother – in a TOC interview on 6th April.

They did so because they could not understand the medical terms used in the document, he claimed. William also declined a request to send a copy of the report to TOC, saying “it’s better to leave it to the professionals.”

Nevertheless, a press conference will be held once the results are known. This was deemed necessary by the family as many Indonesians are clamouring to know what has happened...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

Danger, no sweat

A runner who doesn’t sweat can’t cool down and risks heat exhaustion. TERENCE LEE reports

For Mind Your Body (Straits Times)

11 June 2008

You need to sweat it out if you are a runner. Literally.

Sweating is the main way the body loses heat, therefore it’s crucial for runners to sweat naturally, said Dr Low Wye Mun, a sports medicine doctor at The Clinic @ Cuppage.

Few realise it, but heat exhaustion can occur even when you are not under the searing sun. That means it could happen even you were running a marathon at night. In fact, it happens any time the body is unable lose heat during exercise.

“Wearing light and well-ventilated clothing instead of long-sleeves and long pants helps in the cooling process,” said Dr Low.

If you covered up excessively, heat from our body cannot dissipate because sweat
will remain trapped under the clothing. Keeping the body well-hydrated is also crucial in preventing heat exhaustion.

Dr Low recommends that a runner drink about 250ml of fluids for every 15 to 20 minutes of exercise. Although water is sufficient for hydration, sports drinks boost performance by replacing the salt and glucose lost during such events.

While heat exhaustion is not life-threatening, it can develop into heat stroke. And if left untreated, complications like brain cell damage, organ failure, collapse, and even death may result.

However, heat exhaustion can be difficult to detect during a run.

According to Dr Lim Jit Kheng, a sports orthopaedic surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, detection of heat injury requires the measurement of the body’s core temperature using a rectal thermometer. While available at all endurance events, this is obviously not an option for runners.

“Furthermore, the symptoms for heat exhaustion are also quite similar to normal physical exhaustion, which include lots of sweating and a reduced but still palpable sense of balance, a feeling commonly expressed as ‘hitting the wall’.”

Once the body temperature rises above 41 deg C, heat stroke sets in. The victim stops
sweating and the skin dries up. Other signs also include unresponsiveness, tiredness and loss of balance. By then, serious medical attention is needed.

To prevent heat injury, both doctors suggested adequate physical preparation for the endurance event. That means not jumping straight into a 42km marathon when you have not conquered shorter distances.

Also, if slated to run in scorching temperatures, it helps to first acclimatise your body by training yourself progressively in hot and humid conditions.

In essence, do whatever it takes to prevent it in the first place. But what can you do if you feel the onset of a heat stroke?

Said Dr Low: “Stop the exercise, move to a cooler place and cool down through the use of cool fluids, fans, and cool wet towels. To paraphrase: its either drink or die.”

Painting of the year is, well, not quite a painting

By TERENCE LEE

For The Sunday Times

July 13, 2008

"A painting” that is actually a series of three photos of animal organs has been named the UOB Painting of the Year.

It raised some eyebrows, in more ways than one. Entitled Anatomical Fantasies Of
Meat, the work by 25-year-old undergraduate Joel Yuen beat 1,200 other entries to clinch the prestigious award, now into its 27th year.

One of the photos includes a pig’s tongue, heart and stomach turned inside-out, as well as a chicken’s spinal bones tied together and suspended with nylon strings.

Mr Yuen, who is from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media, yesterday received $30,000 in cash prizes.

Some contestants, who asked not to be named, found it strange that his entry had won.
Firstly, it was not a painting but a work of photography.

Secondly, his subjectmatter was reminiscent of British shock artist Damien Hirst, whose 1995 work featuring a rotting cow and bull was banned by New York City public health officials. They had feared the stench of the carcasses would cause visitors to vomit.

UOB could not be reached for comment on this issue.

But Mr Choo Thiam Siew, chief judge and president of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, said the panel’s five judges unanimously agreed that Mr Yuen’s work was not vulgar at all.

“Even though it’s a photo, it looks a lot like a still-life painting. And it had a
powerful message, showing how humans are indiscriminately slaughtering,” he added.

Mr Yuen himself was surprised to learn that he had won the award.

“As for Damien Hirst, I’m not really a fan, and I noticed the similarities only after I started working on my piece,” he said.

This is the first time an entry from the photographic category has won the Painting of the Year award, after the category was introduced in 2003.

Also, the cash prize this year for the award was increased from $20,000 last
year.

All winning entries, including Mr Yuen’s work, will be on display at the Esplanade Recital Studio until Aug 2.

Secret TURN ONS

Research has been unable to pin down exact causes of sexual fetishes. TERENCE LEE reports

For Mind Your Body (Straits Times)

July 25, 2008

Two weeks ago, a 36-year-old man caught sniffing a housewife’s armpits was sentenced to 14 years jail and 18 strokes of the cane.

He had molested 23 women, from girls of nine to women in their 50s, in a similar fashion over 15 months.

This is not the first such case here or abroad.

Sexual fetishes, when people are sexually aroused by specific materials or objects and are generally unable to achieve sexual satisfaction without them, are real and diverse. They become fixations, and are more than just sexual kinks.

Psychiatrists say that they are far more common in men than in women, and men prefer to keep their fetishes a secret. However, their obsessions do get them into legal trouble sometimes.

“Most men with fetishes don’t consult us. They’re too shy to do so and they find the problem embarrassing,” said Dr Adrian Wang, a consultant psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre.

Dr Brian Yeo, consultant psychiatrist at Mt Elizabeth Medical Centre, agreed. “If their fetish could be easily accommodated by their partners, they would see no need to visit a psychiatrist,” he said.

However, Dr Calvin Fones, a consultant psychiatrist, observed that it is very unusual to have consensual agreement between spouses regarding sexual fetishes.

“If something’s done once, the woman finds it kinky. But if done 10 or 20 times, then she thinks it’s perverted. Such fetishes are seldom mutually enjoyable,” he said.

Men with sexual fetishes often suffer from low self-esteem and are unable to relate to the opposite sex, said Dr Yeo. As a result, some men resort to molestation, underwear theft or even stealthily take photos up women’s skirts to achieve satisfaction.

Research has been unable to pin down exact causes of sexual fetishes, but psychiatrists agreed that they usually develop from young.

According to Dr Fones, a sexual fetish usually develops when a teenager or adolescent associates an object with sexual gratification.

“It sticks in his mind and persists until adulthood, like a bad habit,” he said.

While it may be challenging to undo the past, Dr Wang believes a person can still take control.

“The sexual urge is a very basic, primal instinct, but mature adults can decide to satisfy them only under the right circumstances,” he said.

“If a person has a strong urge to press himself against someone’s buttocks, I would teach him to focus on other things, such as distracting himself by listening to music on his MP3 player.”

He said sex therapy is another solution. By improving a man’s sexual relationship and gearing him towards mainstream sexual practices, it is hoped that he will overcome his fetish.

Said Dr Yeo: “For my patients, I’m more pragmatic. If they have to view pornography, I usually move them towards more mainstream stuff, such as heterosexual porn."

Sidebar: One man's motor fetish

“I have sex with cars.”

That was the confession 38-year-old mechanic Briton Chris Donald made to The Sun in March last year.

He also claimed an affinity to motorboats and a jet ski.

Psychiatrists have deemed his motor fetish harmless, and he has even set up a website devoted to his fetish.

There are many forms of sexual fetishes, from the usual obsession with feet, shoes and panties, to the downright unusual.

There is lipophilia, which is an obsession with fat people, and also Capnolagnia, which is a fetish with smoking.

Transvestism is a male arousal from wearing female clothes, while hypnofetishism denotes a fetish for hypnosis.

Coprophilia is an obsession with faeces and formicophilia is an attraction to smaller animals crawling on parts of the body.

Some fetishes may be downright harmful.

For example, apotemnophilia is a fetish with self-mutilated body parts.

There is also crush fetish – a desire to see a sex partner crush insects or animals under the feet.

Lastly, there is even impregnation fetish – which is arousal from the risk of impregnation through unprotected sex.

Before you go on that exotic holiday...

TERENCE LEE gets advice from some doctors on how to travel safe

For Mind Your Body (Straits Times)

July 2, 2008

Two Singaporeans fell mysteriously ill about three months after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia in December.

The probable cause: drinking brucella-laced camel’s milk, fresh from the camel itself. Brucella is a type of bacteria.

“Just because a food is fresh doesn’t mean it’s safe,” said Dr Lim Poh Lian, senior consultant of the department of infectious diseases at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

This is especially true for those who travel to countries where standards of hygiene may be lower than their home countries. They could risk contracting illnesses from bacteria, parasites and viruses which may be hidden in food there.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, some of the possible illnesses contractable include traveller’s diarrhoea – which can be caused by a wide variety of bacteria and parasites – and hepatitis A. Other less common illnesses include typhoid fever, cholera and stomach flu.

While traveller’s diarrhoea is widespread, it is non-lethal and self-limiting. However, illnesses like cholera and hepatitis A are potentially deadly.

Dr Lim advised travellers to avoid raw and poorly cooked cuisine, especially street food. Unpasteurised dairy products and half-boiled eggs must also be avoided.

Avoid having ice in your drinks too because the water might have come from a standpipe which spouted faecally contaminated water.

However, you could still get diarrhoea even if you ate only well-cooked food. This includes food that has been left standing for a long time, like at a buffet.

“It’s okay to try street food if you’re a 30-something single travelling alone on vacation. But if you have a 71-year-old mother with diabetes and weak health, reconsider,” she added.

Dr Manik Imsiroviv, a general practitioner from Mel & Partners, offered a guideline for eating overseas: “Cook it, boil it, peel it or chuck it.”

That is, trust only yourself or your fellow travellers when it comes to opening a bottle of water or peeling your own fruits. And wash your hands, not with tap water but a sanitiser.

In the event that diarrhoea does occur, the best thing to do is to just let it pass. Also, drink more fluids to avoid dehydration and eat only if you are hungry.

According to Dr Imsiroviv, most traveller’s diarrhoea cases will pass within two to three days without medication. Antibiotics are needed only in more serious cases like bloody diarrhoea caused by the salmonella and shigella bacteria.

Dr Lin Kai Wei, a family physician from International Medical Clinic, advised travellers to take an additional measure: vaccinate themselves before they go on a trip.

He recommended the hepatitis A vaccine as a minimum, but a typhoid shot is also good for added assurance.

However, while these vaccines may prevent the onset of certain illnesses, it is still no substitute for being careful while travelling.

Stabbing incident in NTU — is it really an “attack”?

STREAMS OF protests have arisen on the Internet over the perceived biased coverage by the mainstream media on David Widjaja’s death, and not without good reason.

For the past week, the mainstream media has portrayed – intentionally or not — David as a reclusive loner hell-bent on murder. The motivation? His grades had slipped, and his scholarship was revoked. He became a deranged math genius who lost all sense of rationality. That seemed like a pretty neat explanation.

However, things may not be what they seem.

It has been assumed in many news reports carried by the mainstream media that David was the aggressor. The story goes that the professor was stabbed when his back was facing David. After the alleged assault, David then slashed his wrists, walked out the office, and climbed onto a linkway between two buildings before falling to his death.

But where did the source of this story come from? Apparantly, it originated from Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk’s colleagues.The Straits Times’ report by journalist Sujin Thomas on 3 March 2009, which happened to be one of the earliest reports on the incident, recounted the stabbing incident in vivid detail...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

Fleshing out the NTU stabbing incident

A FINAL year NTU student allegedly stabbed a professor before falling off to his death from the linkway between two blocks on Monday morning.

It is believed that David Hartanto Widjaja, 21, from the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) school, stabbed Associate Professor(A/P) Chan Kap Luk, 45, from the same faculty. The incident happened at Block S1A at about 10.35am in the morning.

David Widjaja was pronounced dead on the spot while Prof Chan is receiving medical attention at the National University Hospital and is said to be recovering well.

According to a Singapore Police Force press release, investigations are still ongoing. It is not known who is the aggressor. A spokesman for the SPF declined to reveal any more information about the alleged assault, at least not until investigations are complete...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

Ex-ISA detainees speak out

28th FEBRUARY, 2009 — THE SCENE seemed surreal — though it was a book launch, the event was more like a reunion of the who’s who in the Singapore activism scene of both past and present.

From grey hair to bright faces, all were there to attest to a rarely-spoken fact of Singapore history — the looming spectre of detention without trial, and of the human rights violations — beatings, torture, and psychological manipulation – that happened behind closed doors.

Kicking off the event at 3.20pm, Ethos Books publisher Fang Hoe Fang apologised for the cramped venue in which the book launch was held.

Originally scheduled to be held at the Geylang East Community Library after an initial agreement, they were later told that the application to use the library had been rejected. No reasons, however, were given for the change, he said.

The alternative location — Muse House — sits in a quiet street next to Katong Shopping Centre, by no means an accessible location. Nevertheless, the usually sparse and quiet art gallery saw quite a sensational buzz as about 130 people crammed into the small space...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

The bigness of God

IT HAS beeen a rather depressing week for NTU this past week -- two deaths in the space of five days, both from Electronic and Electrical Engineering. The first, David Widjaja, alledgedly stabbed his professor and fell to his death. The second, a Chinese National, apparantly hung himself in his apartment.

With the economic crisis hitting the nation hard, it seems that we might expect more of such news in the coming months. Dark days and depression might become more commonplace, people will fret more over their jobs, over money, and over every worry and concern that might come their way.

In the case of David Widjaja, perhaps it was his studies that did him in. That is the theory that the mainstream media seems to be pushing, but whether it is true or not is another matter.

While dramatic, such cases are old hat really. How many times have we heard in Singapore of suicide and attempted suicide cases over studies and poor results. If my memory serves me right, it is quite substantial. And I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg. The media has a policy of not reporting every suicide case for fear of "copycat suicides" -- so what what we are seeing is just a drop in the ocean.

It makes me wonder -- is it all worth it? Is it worth to take one's life because everything has spun out of control? It is easy to say it is not. But depression is not an easy thing to overcome. I know, because I certainly have been through it before. While I've never reached the point of being suicidal before, I know how is it like to have thoughts bombard your head -- thoughts that do you in, thoughts that put you down...

Click here to read the full article.

Do you have "Inner Blindness"?

BEGGARS INVADE our streets, swarm the hawker centres, and crowd the roadsides. Some of them are blind, some disabled, others look like your ordinary auntie or uncle. Well, they aren't exactly beggars in the strictist sense, but in a land where begging is illegal, they sell tissue and play instruments instead.

The blind ones seem especially grotesque, their faces are often quite contorted and twisted, their lips tangled up in an awkward position. Their eyes are dirty white, and one wishes some of them had put on shades. They walk at a snail pace, a stand-out in fast-moving Singapore, waving their stick about in front of them. The walking cane seem to take on a life of its own, feeling about, shifting left-right left-right at a rapid pace.

Despicable, detestable, disgusting -- certainly not a sight STB would want tourists to see. But yes, they exist in large numbers -- these impoverished folks -- sleeping under HDB apartments and outside MRT stations

While the blindness of some of these people are pretty obvious, are we -- able-bodied, relatively well-off Singaporeans -- the truly blind ones? Are we so caught up with the rat race and the chasing of grades that we forget those who do not have the same opportunities as us? Do material concerns so engulf us that instead of being the consumer, we become consumed by the pursuit of wealth...

Click here to read the full article.

Big ambitions for anti-cyberbullying website

HE NEVER thought that a six-month trip to Australia with his family last year could turn out to be the catalyst that led to the founding of Dontcyberbully.com.

While he was there to settle his wife and daughter down into the new environment, Gilbert Goh, 47, was alarmed when he read news of how a girl committed suicide because of cyber bullying.
That was when his thoughts turned towards Singapore.

While anti-cyber bullying websites are common in Australia, he was shocked to find out that no Singapore equivalent exists, despite cyber bullying being on an uptrend.

“In the past, we would get bullied in school, but we had a home to run to; it is our safe haven. But nowadays, even the home is not safe for the child anymore. As long as you switch on the computer, you open yourself up for harassment,” said the English teacher, who also writes for TOC.

According to a survey conducted in 2006, 25 per cent of 3,488 students surveyed have experienced online harassment before. On a per-capita basis, this is the most compared to all other countries except the United States, said a Channel News Asia article.

Deciding to take action, Mr Goh then started the website...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

Litter at the Istana — on Chinese New Year

27 JANUARY — NO PRIZE for guessing where this is — nope, this is not your typical hawker centre or HDB block, but THE Istana.

Imagine: people littering indiscriminately at the White House. I wonder what would the White House staffers say to that?

It seems like the presidential palace has attracted more than just people during its open house on the second day of Chinese New Year.

For the foreigners out there, the Istana is where the President lives and works in Singapore. And no, the president here mainly serves a ceremonial role with very limited executive powers, quite unlike the American president.

Anyway, I didn’t manage to take a picture of the whole stretch as the queue entering the Istana was moving quite quickly. Trust me, the scene was much worse than it looks...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

Religious harmony in Singapore – a façade?

THE WORLD watched intently when Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America.

But being a Singaporean, it came to me as a surprise that God was invoked so many times during the ceremony. And I understood that this was cause for controversy among some critics who took issue with how the presidential oath would end with a “so help me God.”

Such a phrase will never be uttered by a Singaporean politician, in any ceremony or tradition.

You often hear a minister talk about religion and religious harmony, but never about his own religious experiences. While Obama spoke of the “grace of God” and “may God bless America” in his inauguration speech, Singapore political rhetoric is too often infused with hard facts and GDP figures.

Frankly speaking, when was the last time you heard a Singaporean minister speak about his religious journey? It remains something hidden behind closed doors...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

“Don’t save face, go to C-class wards,” says Tan Kin Lian

13th DECEMBER — HEALTHCARE in Singapore is affordable as long as one is willing to accept the B2 and C-class wards without fear of losing face, said Mr Tan Kin Lian at a forum on economic rights.

He asked the audience: “Why complain about the bill when you go the the A-class ward?”

According to him, B2 and C-class wards are highly subsidised and of good quality, and a “cap on bill” exists to ensure medical fees in these wards do not escalate too much.

Held at the URA Centre on Saturday by the Society of Financial Service Professionals in conjunction with U60, the forum also saw financial consultants Leong Sze Hian and Lyndon Chew speak on different topics.

Singapore’s healthcare system enjoys a high world ranking, said Mr Tan, and this is due to the fact that responsibility for healthcare is placed on the individual. The state does not pay for everything, preventing overconsumption and keeping costs down.He also advised that Singaporeans stick with Medishield as it is adequate enough to cover medical costs in subsidised wards...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

PAP makes no apologies for defamation suits, says Vivian Balakrishnan

Even though Singapore is set to become a more open society in the future, the government is making no apologies when it comes to suing politicians for defamatory remarks, said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Speaking to the The Online Citizen (TOC) after the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum held yesterday at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Dr Balakrishnan added that the government takes attacks on accuracy and integrity very seriously, because “establishing a high trust environment” is an advantage that gives Singapore an edge in a competitive global economy.

He said: “We don’t mind political openness, but we don’t want too much of the excitement. To the outsider, when they look at Singapore, they know that politics here is serious, it’s accurate, it’s real and accountable. It’s not a situation you get in other countries. We’re an outlier, but we are outlying because we want to keep our politics honest.”

The minister also said that both sides must play the same game, even for the PAP. “If I say something unethical or unfair against any of my opposition colleagues, they can sue as well,” he added...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

NTU students protest at Speakers’ Corner

IT STARTED as a Facebook group protesting the censorship of campus media.

But feeling that more could be done, three Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students and an alumnus of the school went one step further — they brought the protest to the Speaker’s Corner.

About 80 people attended the “Stand Up for Media Freedom” protest held yesterday, which consisted mainly of students.

According to a press release for the event, the protest served as an “outreach” that aimed to raise awareness on media freedom for both the public and university population. A petition addressed to NTU president Su Guaning was also announced – calling for the original article about Dr Chee Soon Juan to be uncensored.

An earlier TOC report last month chronicled how some students were indignant because of NTU’s decision to censor the campus media coverage of Dr Chee’s visit to the university...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.

NTU censors campus news coverage of Chee Soon Juan visit

Dr Chee Soon Juan created a whirlwind when he paid a surprise visit to NTU, but left behind only a whimper as the university censored all campus news coverage of his arrival.

The latest issue of NTU’s campus newspaper, The Nanyang Chronicle , was published on Monday (15th September), and was slated to feature an article about Dr Chee’s visit. In the end, it featured only a visit of a different sort – that of the former President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who is a stranger among Singaporean students.

On 26th August, the controversial opposition figure, together with several other Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leaders, visited NTU to distribute flyers and interact with the students. The NTU visit was part of a tour by the SDP to “raise political awareness,” and it included NIE, SMU and NUS as well. The NUS visit, which happened on 11th September, was covered by the university’s student-run online newspaper, The Campus Observer.

Student journalists from the Chronicle and NTU’s student-run news magazine programme, Nanyang Spectrum , were quick to converge on Dr Chee and the SDP members to conduct interviews...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.