After 377A, what will it take for LGBT persons to reconcile their sexuality with their family, faith?

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SINGAPORE: Since fitness and lifestyle content creator Cheryl Tay went public with her relationship with a woman two years ago, she has felt accepted on most fronts.

The 36-year-old, who has 50,000 followers on Instagram, works with international brands, and no one has told her things like, “I don’t want to work with you” or “I want to drop you”, she said.

Rather the opposite in fact. “I’ve had so many strangers sending me direct messages … about what an inspiration we are,” she shared. “I’m like, ‘Me?’”

But that is only one part of her life.

Crucially, when it comes to her family, “they can’t get their head … around this concept” that she “genuinely developed feelings for someone (who) happens to be a woman,” she said. “They didn’t speak to me for months.

“I’m very sad about it because I’m very close to my family … I wish I had the same kind of support and love from my family that I have from the public.”

As seen in the documentary Regardless of Sexuality, which premiered on Wednesday, some lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and their parents have struggled to make peace even after years.

It has also been a struggle for some to be religious and LGBT. And these struggles are not any easier even now when Section 377A, which criminalised gay sex, has been repealed.

WATCH: Can Singapore reconcile sexuality, family and faith? (47:37)

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Taiwan says Chinese combat drone circled island

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One of those aircraft was a TB-001 drone, which flew around Taiwan, first crossing the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, then up the east of Taiwan before crossing back toward the Chinese coast, according to a map provided by the ministry. Chinese state media has referred toContinue Reading

Nearly 3.2kg of heroin seized in drug busts, 10 people arrested

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SINGAPORE: Authorities arrested 10 people and seized drugs worth S$239,300 (US$179,250) in two recent operations. 

The haul comprised 3,172g of heroin, 81g of Ice, 30g of ketamine and four Erimin-5 tablets, said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in a news release on Friday (Apr 28).

Three male suspects aged between 45 and 57 were nabbed for alleged drug offences in the Jalan Bukit Merah area on Wednesday afternoon. A total of 477g of heroin, S$36,550 in cash and various drug paraphernalia were seized.

The 45-year-old man was later escorted to a residential unit in the vicinity where more drugs were found – 74g of heroin and 26g of Ice.

In a follow-up operation a day later, CNB officers arrested another three men and a woman, aged between 43 and 60, for suspected drug offences.

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First batch of evacuees scheduled to come home

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Ready to fly home: A Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) officer greets Thais evacuated from war-torn Sudan during transit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before being flown back to Thailand on RTAF repatriation flights. (Photo: RTAF)
Ready to fly home: A Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) officer greets Thais evacuated from war-torn Sudan during transit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before being flown back to Thailand on RTAF repatriation flights. (Photo: RTAF)

A flight transporting 78 Thais from Sudan was scheduled to arrive in Bangkok at 10pm last night, the air force said, making them the first group of evacuees to arrive home since the conflict in the North African country began.

Spokesman AVM Prapas Sonjaidee yesterday said an Airbus A340-500 plane and two air force C-130s had already transported a total of 82 Thai nationals from Sudan to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

He said 78 of them were to board the Airbus A340-500 plane back to Thailand, while four planned to stay in Saudi Arabia with their relatives.

Many of the evacuees were tired from the travelling but everyone was in good spirits, he said.

The flight to Thailand would leave at 2pm Thailand time and arrive at Wing 6 at Bangkok’s Don Muang at about 10pm, he added.

The two military aircraft would remain in Jeddah for other Thai evacuees, he said.

Atthapol Sangkavasee, permanent secretary for education, said there were about 220 Thais, including 150 students, in Sudan and all of them were evacuated.

Two more evacuation flights will leave Jeddah for Thailand today, he said.

The Education Ministry is willing to help the students finish their studies at home if they wish, he said.

Most of the students were studying medicine, Islamic law and religion in Sudan, the permanent secretary noted.

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Commentary: Could Thai voters put a third Shinawatra in power after Thaksin and Yingluck?

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Not many of the senators would vote for Paetongtarn or Pheu Thai’s two other candidates, real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin, and veteran lawyer Chaikasem Nitisiri, in the premiership selection in parliament after the general election. A majority of the senators is expected to support either Prayut, who switched to the new United Thai Nation party, or Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, leader of Palang Pracharath.

Even if Pheu Thai can form the majority alone, senators may abstain from the vote. Pheu Thai would need the support of other opposition parties or major government parties to cross over to vote for Paetongtarn to win the premiership with 376 votes. This may not happen.

THAKSIN’S FINAL BET

But Thaksin is probably still pinning his hopes on Pheu Thai’s landslide victory in May that could make his dream of returning home from exile come true. A resounding mandate to form the next government could give it more leverage to overcome the senate vote.

Thaksin had been instrumental in fielding Yingluck as a surprise candidate of Pheu Thai in the 2011 general election. It swept 265 House seats with the slogan “Thaksin thinks, Yingluck acts!”

This time, he has sent in yet another surprise candidate, Paetongtarn. But for now, he has avoided being seen to do anything for his daughter or Pheu Thai.

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Commentary: There’s no missing the political signal behind the sunken warship drill by US, Philippines

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MILITARY MIGHT

In 2016, Duterte scaled back on his original plan to impose a blanket moratorium on military exercises with the Americans, instead approving the continuation of Balikatan and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

He mandated that joint military training exercises with the US had to focus on civic action and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as “less assault exercises”. Some key exercises were dropped in accordance with Duterte’s desire to do away with “showy war games”. Duterte also ordered the transfer of Philippine-US exercises customarily conducted in regions facing the South China Sea to be relocated to Mindanao in order to “not offend our neighbours”.

As a result, the annual exercise in 2017 was scaled down to just 5,400 troops from both sides, a sharp drop from about 11,000 the previous year, and the war game component was dropped. True to Duterte’s directives, there were no activities held in Palawan facing the South China Sea, and no live-firing in Zambales which is close to Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing maintained de facto control over.

The exercises in the following year saw a rebound in participation at 8,000 troops, including also amphibious landing drills in Zambales – at a time when China reportedly deployed missile systems to the Spratly Islands.

In 2019, more than 7,500 troops participated in exercises in Luzon, again facing the South China Sea, at a time when a Chinese boat swarm loitered off Philippine-held Thitu Island in the Spratlys.

Despite Duterte’s 2016 directives de-emphasising a “showy wargame” approach, the nature and scale of the 2019 exercises were anything but. It featured the US Navy’s amphibious assault ship Wasp which embarked the US Marine Corps F-35B joint strike fighters – the first time these jets were deployed for Balikatan.

Again, an amphibious assault landing exercise was conducted in Zambales and despite being couched under the official “counterterrorism” cover, those forces and manoeuvres involved made the drills appear closer to simulating a warfighting scenario instead. An airfield assault drill was also arranged at the Philippine military’s request – which is interesting given Manila’s sole airfield in the Spratlys is located on Thitu Island.

Balikatan was not held in 2020 due to COVID-19, whereas the 2021 iteration was a heavily down-scaled one with fewer than 700 troops participating not due to geopolitical considerations – given the Philippine-Chinese flareup over Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea early that year – but pandemic restrictions.

In 2022, however, the exercise rebounded in scale, involving 8,900 troops. The US deployed for the first time an amphibious insertion of a Patriot anti-missile system, while the Philippines showcased its newly acquired weapon systems and platforms.

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High claim limits of Integrated Shield Plan riders may undermine efforts to reduce cancer costs: Experts

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ENSURING GOOD OUTCOMES

While placing limits on IPs may prompt providers and patients to think twice about using unnecessary treatments and help to reduce spending, experts said it is important that treatment outcomes are not compromised.

“The increase in cancer drug spending through MediShield Life and the IPs will almost certainly be moderated through the Cancer Drug List (CDL) and the claim limits,” said Assoc Prof Lim.

“However, we have to ensure that this spend reduction is not accompanied by poorer outcomes and I hope the government is actively tracking cancer survival rates – for example, the quality of life – especially in lower income groups that may not have the means to afford riders.”

Oncologists who CNA spoke to said patients who do not have a rider would be most affected by the changes.

According to them, the maximum IP claim limit for cancer treatment – five times that of MediShield Life – is “too low” to cover the cost of most treatments in the private sector.

This is because the MediShield Life claim limit for cancer drug treatments is based on subsidised prices at public hospitals.

“The reimbursement rate is pegged at an unrealistically low level and the acquisition cost for drugs in the private sector remains as high as before,” said one private oncologist.

Speaking to CNA on the condition of anonymity, he said most of his patients who are currently taking non-CDL drugs have either advanced or incurable cancer.

“It’s not a matter of being kiasu (the fear of losing out). Many of them will run out of options eventually because their disease can’t be cured, which is why those with incurable and advanced diseases are often the ones who are using all these very expensive drugs that could not get on the CDL.”

He added: “We must also remember that advanced cancer patients cannot be treated and so there is no end date to their treatment. All we can do is to try to retain control of the cancer and extend their life as much as possible until the disease becomes resistant, gets worse and the patient dies.”

Mr Ong said that all insurers will maintain the current IP coverage of policyholders at least until Sep 30.

Beyond Sep 30, cancer patients whose treatments are not on the MOH list may still be covered by IP riders or other insurance plans they have. If not, they would have to shift to treatments that are on the list. 

Those who require drug treatments not on the list and are unable to pay can opt for subsidised care at public healthcare institutions, where they may apply for financial assistance.

For some private healthcare providers, matching their cancer drug prices to public hospitals is simply “not possible”, they said.

“We have no leverage with the pharmaceutical companies in the private sector because we are not united,” said another oncologist.

“Even a group practice with 10 doctors – which is already considered quite big – won’t be able to get it at the same price as public hospitals because there’s no bargaining power.”

WAIT AND SEE

With Singapore’s spending on cancer drugs projected to reach S$2.7 billion (US$2 billion) by the end of this decade, experts said the country has to rein in healthcare spending as the current trajectory is unsustainable.

However, they stressed that efforts need to be based on data and guided by patient outcomes.

“There is a ‘price to life’ and we need to know as citizens the price we are paying as we trade off managing costs with restricting access to medicines outside the Cancer Drug List,” said Assoc Prof Lim.

He added that a wait-and-see approach might be needed so that the government can see how the situation evolves and make policy adjustments as needed.

Assoc Prof Wee said IP riders remain relevant as it is important that such coverage options are available.

“This will allow those with the means to seek care in the private sector to do so and relieve the patient load in the public sector,” she said.

“My greater concern is one of equity. It will be most unfortunate if only a small proportion of the population can afford higher coverage.”

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