Forces of nature - heavy rain and high tide

Heavy rain falls for days and days, building up too much water for groundwater systems to handle. Slowly, the water level begins to rise, creeping higher and flood the surface. Sadly this has become a common sight in Singapore, Flooding! Although our flood haven't reach a critical stage of life threatening but majority felt that it is unacceptable in a highly efficient Singapore.

Major drainage works in pipeline - Give Him Time!!!

Heavy rain on Thursday morning pelted the island and caused flooding in parts of Singapore.



Flash floods were reported at the junction of Commonwealth Drive and Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandra Road at the junction of Delta Road, Lorong Kismis, the junction of South Bridge Road and Maxwell Road, the junction of Cuscaden Road and Tomlinson Road, and along the Ayer Rajah Expressway towards Clementi.

The National Parks Board reported four cases of fallen trees at Bukit Timah, Outram and Bukit Batok. No injuries were reported.

One fallen tree at Dunearn Road damaged three cars and obstructed three lanes. The obstructions were subsequently cleared.

One of the places worst hit by floods was the Ayer Rajah Expressway which was closed to traffic as drains overflowed due to intense rainfall and rising tide.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on his Facebook page that plans are in place to expand the Sungai Pandan Kechil canal along the expressway and added that these plans have to be expedited.

In the longer term, a barrage may even be built to control water levels.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "We're bringing new technology to bear on getting accurate topographic maps. We can also then use that to model future events under greater climate or weather stress and that will also help us plan, in a more refined way, our future infrastructure that will be necessary to deal with these events.

"We will need some time but I'm confident that we can make an improvement to the situation. I think it's not acceptable to have a major expressway shut down because of a flood."

National water agency PUB said construction work to upgrade a section of the Sungai Pandan Kechil canal will commence in the first half of 2015.

And to increase flood protection for the area, PUB will expand the culvert openings that drain into Sungei Pandan Kechil to improve the flow. The work will be completed by end of this year.

The PUB said in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon that the downpour over the central and western parts of Singapore began at 8.15am and ended around 9.30am.

The heaviest rainfall was recorded at Kent Ridge with a rainfall of 102.8mm from 8.10am to 9.40am. It peaked between 8.15am to 8.50am, with a rainfall of 82.2mm.

At Kent Ridge, a mini-waterfall was spotted as undergraduates reported ankle-deep waters within and around the National University of Singapore (NUS).

At the university’s science faculty bookshop, damage control was underway.

Staff said while this is not the first time a flood has occurred, it was definitely the worst, with an estimated S$20,000 worth of books damaged.

Patricia Foo, assistant manager at NUS' Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society Limited, said: "The water level rose to above the drain level and we tried our best to put in a lot of cardboards to actually stem the water from flowing into the shop but it was too late. The water just came in, rush in and we couldn't even salvage any books."

The shop is looking at investing in sandbags to prevent similar occurrences.

NUS said classes and daily operations on campus were not affected by the flash floods.

The university has enhanced the drainage system to mitigate flooding due to heavy downpours and will continue to look for solutions to reduce the incidence of flash flooding.

Over at Fairfield Methodist School in Dover, students had to clamber around fences to avoid wet ground.

The National Environment Agency said a convergence of winds over the region led to heavy rainfall on Thursday.

It added that for the next few days, thundery showers are expected mainly in the morning and early afternoon.

However, we can draw comfort from God's covenant with Noah
Genesis 9:11; "I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

For now its back to the drawing board - to build deeper, wider drainage systems and more underground water detention tanks.

Singaporeans need Anger Management

Recent fights, stabbing and quarrels in the streets of Singapore is a major concern. We have an old aunt being beaten up by her neighbor, we have uncles quarreling in the MRT trains over priority seat, we have Kung Fu display in Bus interchange...

Maybe its time MOE introduce Anger Management module. Start young, allow them to have better self-control.


In the Ten commandments; "Thou shalt do no murder" but many a times anger gets the better of us and wishes someone is dead! We have committed murder in our minds.

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

There is nothing wrong being angry, even Lord Jesus Christ got angry when they turn his Temple, a place of worship, into a Market place. The point is if you get angry - exercise Self-control and do not Sin!

Ephesians 4:26-27 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."

Broken family, broken hearts - We have family (father and mother) screaming at one another, causing unmeasurable amount of hurt to their children.

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/family-justice-system-poised-paradigm-shift

Family justice system poised for paradigm shift
Growing strains on family life, as evidenced by a spiking divorce rate, mean that a re-tooling of the justice system to deal with such disputes will be needed soon.

This could include Family Court judges who are empowered to stop hearings from descending into acrimonious barb-trading by estranged lovers, and boosting the skills of police officers, teachers and others so they can help prevent family disputes from escalating into bitter splits.

These are among the broad shifts in the shake-up in store for the family justice system, said Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon yesterday, as he noted the “need” for a fresh look at the Family Court’s “mandate, purview and approach” as it approaches its 20th anniversary.

Speaking at the inaugural Family Justice Practice Forum yesterday, he said the rethink is directed at better protecting the best interests of children ensnared by their parents’ fall-out, and focusing court processes and outcomes for sparring couples on appropriate resolutions. The changes can also help families better handle the “trauma of familial dysfunction” by shifting the focus from acrimony and recrimination towards resolution and closure, he added.

The specific recommendations to achieve these broad goals will be presented for consultation “soon” by the committee tasked with the rethink.

Co-chaired by Senior Minister of State (Law and Education) Indranee Rajah and Judge of Appeal V K Rajah, the committee was mooted by CJ Menon when he opened the legal year in January.

The committee is also looking into ways to strengthen support for couples who opt not to divorce despite domestic violence or maintenance issues — from child access and counselling to advice on housing, education and financial needs.

Noting that longer working hours and shifting perceptions of marriage and the community have led to “signs of growing strains on family life” in the last 20 years, CJ Menon said the “erosion of the family as we know it” has made the Family Court’s role more important than ever.

“Where the Court was once a last resort, now, within the family and juvenile justice system, we face more disputes, more crimes, have more families to assist and more children to protect,” he said.

For example, he pointed out that divorce rates — one in four marriages — are probably at their highest level here and there are also more reported incidents of family violence, going by the near doubling of applications for Personal Protection and Domestic Exclusion orders since 1996.

Thus, there must be a fundamental change in the role of Family Court judges, CJ Menon said. Instead of being just “passive umpires”, judges will take an inquisitorial approach and help address key issues in cases. They can also direct that only the relevant evidence and witnesses be produced.

In tandem, lawyers could be prodded to acquire a new Family Law Practitioner accreditation, where prerequisites would likely include training in aspects of social work, counselling and mediation, as well as a deeper knowledge of family law.

The rationale for the paradigm shift stems from the ill consequences of the current adversarial approach in familial litigations, explained CJ Menon.

Because of the protracted and complex process, litigants are constantly left “bewildered and vexed”, he said. “Instead of being equipped for all that lies ahead, parties often leave the courtroom feeling that they have been victimised and adjudged failures and morally unsuitable as parents or spouses.”

And with husband and wife engaged in a “morass of hurtful attacks” against each other, the child’s welfare risks getting buried.

“What we must ultimately aim for is an eco-system in which we will hear clearly the voice of the child so that the child’s best interests are appropriately addressed; and where disputes and differences are resolved in a sensible and non-technical manner with a measure of heart, compassion and sympathy.”

The “point of entry” into the family justice system is also important, he noted.

Those manning the various “touch-points” will be armed with the right skills and information so that they can provide “real and meaningful help to distressed families”. They will also channel cases to “specialist family care agencies” who will have social workers with “deep expertise” in dealing with family disputes.

Sometimes, Delay is Good
James 1:19-20 "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires."

Proverbs 16:32 "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city." Head on when both sides are angry, is like holding shotgun firing at each other... consequences is everyone around gets hurt!


Anger management issues among Singapore children on the rise

Getting calls from teachers complaining about her 10-year-old son's behaviour is something that Madam Toh is used to.

The 48-year-old factory worker, who declined to give her full name, said her son has had problems relating to his classmates.

But the calls stopped after he attended an anger management programme run by the Singapore Children's Society in March.

The society aims to promote the well-being of children, mainly those from abusive and dysfunctional families.

It said there is a rising number of youngsters needing help to manage anger problems and in 2010, it set up a programme called Storm Riders to combat this.

Offering interactive activities and counselling, it has since helped 94 kids aged eight to 12 - mostly boys. "Because of the pace of our society and exposure to instant messaging, we expect more children to face such issues. The younger generation expects instant gratification," executive director Alfred Tan said.

"Many families are small now, so there will be higher expectations on the child in terms of performance. Children who don't meet expectations - that's where the stress levels go up and one outcome will be the issue of anger."

Ms Jenny Giam, a senior counsellor at the society, said that other reasons include family background, parenting style and exposure to violence from TV and computer games. A child may also express anger to seek attention.

Mr Tan noted: "Social workers have seen younger children exhibit such behaviour so we came up with the programme to address the issue early. We will need more early intervention programmes."

The Institute of Mental Health said it treated 74 children aged eight to 13 for anger management issues from 2007 to 2011. Dr Bernardine Woo, senior consultant at its Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, said common signs of anger in children include physical violence, verbal abuse and being sullen or withdrawn.

Professionals said it is important to seek help early and parents should not dismiss the behaviour as a "growing-up phase".

Dr Adrian Wang, a consultant psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, said: "Childhood is an important phase of life where future values, behaviours and mindsets are being moulded."

Said Madam Toh, whose son was referred to the society by his school: "I was very frustrated, but now I see a change and it works."

Allah is God

How can an Arabic word for God becomes an exclusive word only for the few (Muslims)? If Muslims acknowledge that there is only one God, then all the more they should allow 'Others' to use the word as other believers will be honoring the same God as theirs. Yahweh or Jehovah?!

Genesis 1; 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Malaysian court rules use of 'Allah' exclusive to Muslims

The unanimous decision by three Muslim judges in Malaysia's appeals court overturned a 2009 ruling by a lower court that allowed the

Malay-language version of the newspaper, The Herald, to use the word Allah - as many Christians in Malaysia say has been the case for centuries.

"The usage of the word Allah is not an integral part of the faith in Christianity," chief judge Mohamed Apandi Ali said in the ruling.

"The usage of the word will cause confusion in the community."

The decision coincides with heightened ethnic and religious tension in Malaysia after a polarizing May election, in which the long-ruling coalition was deserted by urban voters that included a large section of minority ethnic Chinese.

In recent months, Prime Minister Najib Razak has sought to consolidate his support among majority ethnic Malays, who are Muslim by law, and secure the backing of traditionalists ahead of a crucial ruling party assembly this month.

His new government - dominated by his Malay-based United Malays National Organization - has toughened security laws and introduced steps

to boost a decades-old affirmative action policy for ethnic Malays, reversing liberal reforms aimed at appealing to a broader section of the multi-ethnic country.

In its case, the government argued that the word Allah is specific to Muslims and that the then-home minister's decision in 2008 to deny the newspaper permission to print it was justified on the basis of public order.

About 200 Muslims outside the court in the administrative capital Putrajaya, greeted the decision with shouts of "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest).

"As a Muslim, defending the usage of the term Allah qualifies as jihad. It is my duty to defend it," said Jefrizal Ahmad Jaafar, 39.

Jihad is Islamic holy war or struggle.

RIGHTS OF THE MINORITY

Lawyers for the Catholic paper had argued that the word Allah predated Islam and had been used extensively by Malay-speaking Christians in Malaysia's part of Borneo island for centuries.

They say they will appeal against Monday's decision to Malaysia's highest court.

"The nation must protect and support the rights of the minority," said Father Lawrence Andrew, the founding editor of the Herald. "God is an integral part of every religion."

Christians in Indonesia and much of the Arab world continue to use the word without opposition from Islamic authorities. Churches in the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak have said they will continue to use the word regardless of the ruling.

The paper won a judicial review of the home minister's decision in 2009, triggering an appeal from the federal government. The court ruled on Monday that the constitutional rights of the publisher had not been infringed.

Ethnic Malays make up 60 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people, with Chinese accounting for more than a quarter and ethnic Indians also forming a substantial minority. Christians account for about 9 percent.

Inclusive not Exclusive

MM Lee Stand Corrected
Lee Kuan Yew urges Muslims to 'be less strict'
Jan 23, 2011

Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew has urged local Muslims to "be less strict on Islamic observances" to aid integration and the city-state's nation-building process.

Singapore has a predominantly Chinese population, with minority races including Muslim Malays and Indians, and Lee has always stressed the importance of racial harmony.

"I would say today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam," he said in "Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going," a new book containing his typically frank views on the city-state and its future.

"I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came and if you asked me for my observations, the other communities have easier integration -- friends, intermarriages and so on..." he stated.

"I think the Muslims socially do not cause any trouble, but they are distinct and separate," Lee added, calling on the community to "be less strict on Islamic observances."

During the book's launch on Friday, the self-described "pragmatist" warned Singaporeans against complacency, saying the largely ethnic Chinese republic was still a nation in the making.

Describing Singapore in the book as an "80-storey building on marshy land," Lee said it must contend with hostility from larger Muslim neighbours.

"We've got friendly neighbours? Grow up... There is this drive to put us down because we are interlopers," he said, citing alleged Malaysian and Indonesian efforts to undermine Singapore's crucial port business.

Assistant pastor sentenced to jail for sex with underage girl

An assistant pastor who had oral sex with a 15-year-old church-goer has been sentenced to 16 months jail.

The 46-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the girl's identity, admitted to having the girl -- who was 15-years old at the time of the acts -- perform oral sex on him on two occasions.

The first was at a park along Bartley Road between end-September and early-October 2011. Then again in mid-October 2011 at the fourth level of the church, located in central Singapore. A third charge was taken into consideration.

At the time of the offences, the father-of-three was planning programmes for church members, among other administrative duties.

He met the girl in 2010 in the course of organising activities for the church's youth members. They got closer after an overseas mission to Myanmar.

The pastor started contacting the girl via calls, explicit emails and mobile texts -- where he would ask her for sex and said he loved her.

The court heard how he initiated the oral sex at the park and the victim pushed him away after a few seconds.

Court documents showed that the accused asked the girl to help him out at the church with some chores. He brought the girl to the fourth level to have oral sex, while the other pastors were on the ground floor.

The victim only made a report after realising what he had done was wrong.

In its submissions, the prosecution said the accused was 29 years older than the girl.

Prosecutor Ng Yiwen said the pastor not only abused his authority and the trust placed in him, but his actions also undermined the public's trust in the church. Mr Ng pointed out that the girl was "nothing more than a sexual plaything" to the accused, and that there was a certain degree of "moral corruption" involved.

The fact that the act was performed within the church is also an aggravating factor. Thus, Mr Ng urged for a range of 12 to 20 months jail per charge.

However, the Defence argued that the pastor's judgement was impaired because of his work and personal environment. Lawyer Wee Pan Lee said circumstances led to him being in a depressed mood and addicted to sex. These conditions, he said, were untreated.

Mr Wee asked for a jail term of between 10 and 15 months per charge, since his client was a first offender.

The accused, who last worked as a hourly-paid dishwasher, could have been jailed up to 10 years, fined, and caned on each count.

FCBC Judicial Review: Losing the basic building blocks of our society

Reading the news that FCBC pastor Lawrence Khong is seeking a High Court judicial review of MOM's decision to penalise the Church for its unfair dismissal of a pregnant employee, it once again brought to my mind the tumultuous relationship between the Church and the State.

As a Christian in Singapore, I belong to both the civil and ecclesiastical polity. Being a citizen of both polities not only means that I am accorded legal and spiritual protection, but more importantly, that I have the civic and moral responsibility to discuss, negotiate and maintain what is good for all human beings. Unfortunately, there are times when the political identity of being a Christian and the political expectations of the secular state collide.

For this case, I thought it should be settled privately between the 2 parties. Both the government and the pastor need to set aside their differences and egos! Like the wise Chinese saying, 大事化小，小事化无!

While I appreciate that the Church would want to uphold the moral integrity of its staff, it could have just compensated the employee and asked her to leave. From what I know, the clerical staff was sacked because she refused to repent and break off her extra-marital relationship. Just as love cannot be forced, one cannot simply forced someone to stop loving another. Similarly, we cannot forcibly convert a homosexual to heterosexual, these processes need time, understanding and reconciliation.

Most importantly, the ugly and drawn-out confrontation with MOM is unnecessary and puts the Christian faith in a bad light. First, non-Christians might have the wrong impression of Christianity as one that is intolerant, confrontational and dogmatic. Second, pursuing a judicial review is a waste of money and it might breed politics of mistrust and sour State-Church relations.

It would seem as if Lawrence Khong is leveraging on this issue to create publicity for himself and his LoveSingapore community, opting to bask in the limelight of the media instead of working towards an agreeable middle ground with the MOM.

Furthermore, this is not the first time he has attracted public attention. Early in January this year, on behalf of the FCBC and LoveSingapore, Khong caught Minister Goh Chok Tong off-guard with an appeal against the "looming threat" of LGBT activists to the family unit and for Section 377A to be retained. A month later, LoveSingapore decided that they should also be given the opportunity to meet with Minister K Shanmugam after the latter met up with LGBT activist group Sayoni.

Would it be too far-fetched to think that Khong is orchestrating these events as he wants to be seen as the spiritual leader of Christian activism through LoveSingapore?

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom

This is also not the first time that Khong has turned to courts to exercise his right to legal protection. Just a couple of months ago, Khong filed a suit against the Singapore Polo Club after he was suspended from the club. This penchant for hostile confrontation goes against the Christian doctrine of peacemaking and harmony.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit

Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord

Perhaps Khong's confrontational approach stems from the often misguided view that the Church has to pit itself as a rival state with a rival government and a rival system of law, against the secular State. Yet, according to St Augustine in his work on the City of God, he says that it is not about systems of institutions but about the way humans visibly live together.

We can choose to bear one another's cross and burdens, or to live at each other's expense. If we choose the former, we will gradually move in the direction of the City of God. But if we choose the latter, we will eventually slide into chaos and the best we can hope for is controlled selfishness.

Here, it is important to recognise the ideal of the human citizenship, where everyone works towards a common good, a good that belongs to everyone, and not confined to just an individual or group. To quote the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, he said that human citizenship is "a way of living out your human dignity in which the capacity to make decisions is real and central and the responsibility for sustaining your human environment is real but is never going to be reduced to one system of management or government".

It will not be an easy task to manage our moral and religious decisions in a secular and multi-religious State like Singapore. Maybe God is challenging us to find our own light as we constantly juggle between the demands of Church and State. I'm not sure what good we can gain the judicial review will do for Singapore and Christians, but if we go down this path, I am sure we will lose some of the basic building blocks of our society, i.e. peace and mutual trust.