Singaporean designer makes her mark on international stage at Paris Fashion Week

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PARIS: At the younger age of 18, Malaysian designer Kavita Thulasidas unveiled her album set directly on October 2, 1993. & nbsp,

On Monday, October 2, at Paris Fashion Week, the owner of the native Indian clothing company Stylemart unveiled her selection” Heritage Reinterpreted” on a global stage.

There were 10 looks on display that featured hand-embroidered vibrant and complex motifs that were influenced by nature and a reflection of Malay, Chinese, and Indian heritage.

This series is a gift to Singapore’s social collage and its diversity. However, Ms. Thulasidas told CNA at the function,” And yet the oneness that we stand as a pleasant area of various cultures.” & nbsp,

The outfits on the airport were a continuation of Ms. Thulasidas’ Singapore Stories Award-winning selection. She was given the honor last year by the Singapore Fashion Council in association with the Asian Civilisations Museum( ACM ). & nbsp,

She told CNA938’s Culture Club that she had created 15 new layouts for the Paris show and had narrowed down 10 of them.

” I’m incredibly proud of myself for making it this far. She said,” I believe Paris is like an endorsement for every artist … that you have arrived, where you are showcasing to the world.

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Women and pregnancy: What to know if you opt for an epidural as pain relief when giving birth

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According to Dr. Chong, some alleged side consequences of epidurals are only myths. & nbsp,

The second myth is that an epidural prevents a woman from pushing properly while she is in labor, necessitating an unforeseen or emergency cesarean section.

Dr. Chong clarified that altered aid in reducing contraction-related problems. While the drugs relieves pain, the mother continues to exert the majority of the pushing energy, and the anesthesia dosage can be changed. & nbsp,

He continued,” An unforeseen or emergency C-section may only occur when it is required for the wellbeing of both the mother and her child.” & nbsp,

If the child is in an awkward position, the mother’s contractions are poor, or her cervix hasn’t opened enough, this might be required.

The next myth is that written cause long-term, chronic headache after giving birth. & nbsp,

Cramps brought on by an spinal are typically transient, according to Dr. Chong. There has been no evidence to suggest that( an epidural ) causes long-term pain in people.” They are also common for women during and after childbirth, with or without an epidemic.”

Epidurals have an impact on a woman’s potential births, according to the next misconception. According to Dr. Chong, an spinal at one baby has no bearing on subsequent births because a woman’s experience with childbirth depends on her power, passage, and passenger. & nbsp,

He continued,” During the particular birth in which the epidural was given, it only affects the” power,” or mother’s pushing ability.”

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Five things to know about Singapore's sprint queen Shanti Pereira

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“I was just excited to be there, competing in front of a home crowd,” Pereira told CNA previously.

But her 200m win in 2015 came with expectations.

“It created a lot of pressure and I feel like I didn’t have the experience to cope with it yet,” Pereira said.

3. She battled self-doubt, pressure and critics

The next edition of the Games in 2017 ended in tears for Pereira, as she finished with a pair of bronze medals in the 100m and 200m.

Then came two injuries in 2018, the year she was omitted from the Sport Excellence Scholarship programme. Within a week of that blow, she also lost a scholarship from her university after failing to maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA).

Some people began to write her off, said Pereira.

“Slowly, people just kind of lost faith in me. People have their opinions about my journey, and whatnot. I think, for a while there, I really did let it get to me, which is not ideal. I want to be in a state mentally strong and things like that don’t affect me, but for a while it really did.”

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Woman who lost lawsuit against psychiatrist ex-lover faces bankruptcy after failing to pay S$250,000 claim

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SINGAPORE: A woman who lost her lawsuit against her ex-lover for medical negligence is now facing bankruptcy after failing to pay more than S$250,000 (US$182,600) in costs and other fees to him. 

Ms Serene Tiong Sze Yin took Dr Chan Herng Nieng, a psychiatrist, to court in 2020, accusing him of making her addicted to Xanax, a medication to treat anxiety, during their relationship from 2017 to 2018.

Dr Chan, a medical professional with around 20 years of experience, previously ran his own practice at Capital Mindhealth Clinic.

Ms Tiong, who was married, began an affair with Dr Chan in January 2017, according to previous media reports. Dr Chan, then single, gave Ms Tiong Xanax tablets for her anxiety. 

The duo broke up around May 2018, after Ms Tiong found explicit WhatsApp messages between Dr Chan and his then-close friend, colorectal surgeon Julian Ong about their sexual exploits with other women. Ms Tiong filed a complaint with the Singapore Medical Council, which launched an investigation and disciplinary proceedings. 

In turn, Dr Ong sued Ms Tiong for defamation for claiming that he and Dr Chan had colluded to take sexual advantage of their patients. Dr Ong won the lawsuit on appeal. 

However both Dr Ong and Dr Chan were found guilty of improper conduct and suspended from practice. On appeal by the Singapore Medical Council, both doctors had their suspensions extended in December last year. 

Ms Tiong also sued Dr Chan, claiming that he prescribed her Xanax, which she suffered a side effect from, and later became addicted to. 

She also alleged that Dr Chan had told her that he was committed to a long-term and exclusive sexual relationship with her. Subsequently, Ms Tiong suffered a mental and emotional breakdown when she discovered that Dr Chan was having sexual relations with other married women during their relationship. 

In July last year, the High Court rejected Ms Tiong’s claims. The judge found Ms Tiong’s testimony to be unreliable and her claims to be an “abuse of the court process”.

The judge ruled that the lawsuit was, at its core, a lover’s spat, and described it as “the latest episode in Ms Tiong’s plot for revenge against the one who spurned her”.

The court ordered Ms Tiong to pay costs to Dr Chan, but Ms Tiong has not been able to pay her debt, amounting to S$250,475.40 in court documents seen by CNA.

The sum includes costs arising from the lawsuit, and from related applications, such as Dr Chan’s application to revoke a subpoena issued by Ms Tiong. 

Dr Chan filed a bankruptcy application against his former lover on Sep 22 this year. In an affidavit supporting the application, he said that his solicitors served a statutory demand setting out the debt to Ms Tiong on Jun 13 this year. 

The statutory demand stated that Ms Tiong should apply to set it aside within 14 days, or settle her debts within 21 days – or by Jul 4 this year – failing which she could be made bankrupt, and her property and goods seized. 

However Ms Tiong did not comply, or apply to set aside the statutory demand. 

“I therefore believe that Ms Tiong is presumed to be unable to pay her debts,” Dr Chan stated. Dr Chan then filed the bankruptcy application to recover the debt. 

The hearing for the application is fixed on Oct 26, during which the court may decide to grant the bankruptcy order. If Ms Tiong is unable to repay the debt, she will be declared a bankrupt and her assets taken.  

In response to queries about the application, Ms Tiong said she was a single mother raising a teenage boy, while her father was unemployed. 

She also said she is servicing a Housing Board (HDB) mortgage. 

Asked if she intends to challenge the application, Ms Tiong said: “I have no choice. (I) can’t pay up.

“(I am) shocked, sad. I can’t travel with my son. I wanted to bring him overseas. (The bankruptcy application is an) embarrassment to my family. I tried so hard, worked so hard, yet I lost,” she said. 

CNA has contacted Dr Chan for comments through his lawyer. 

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Building a business that also helps underprivileged women 'an uphill task' but these Singaporeans have done it

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The hole-in-the-wall bookstore quickly became a viral sensation. 

And as a result, not only was Books Beyond Borders able to fund a school bag distribution programme, it also helped raise money for supplies to support school libraries, art classes and even STEM labs in Nepal. 

To date, the social enterprise has raised more than S$37,000 towards these efforts, which required Chong to work closely with nonprofit organisation Teach for Nepal, whose fellows are employed in some of the most underfunded schools across the country.

It was this partnership that drew his attention to a “critical gap” in Nepal’s education system: The absence of a scholarship programme for girls completing 10th grade. 

“Most girls in Nepal, after completing their 10th grade schooling, lack the means to pursue higher secondary education and are often expected to start raising a family,” said Chong.

“This perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

“By bridging this gap and enabling more girls to attend school, the likelihood of their future generation receiving an education increases,” he added.

Chong announced this year that Books Beyond Borders was narrowing its philanthropic focus to helping young Nepalese women achieve higher education, specifically by donating 5 per cent of its monthly profits to the scholarship programme.

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Crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital co-founder arrested at Singapore's Changi Airport

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SINGAPORE: One of the co-founders of collapsed cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital has been apprehended in Singapore and jailed for four months, according to the company’s liquidator.

The Singapore-based company filed for bankruptcy last year when its fortunes suffered a sharp decline after a massive sell-off of assets it had bet on as prices nosedived in crypto markets.

Su Zhu was detained at Changi Airport while trying to leave the country, Three Arrows’ liquidator Teneo said in a statement late Friday (Sep 29). 

His arrest came after Teneo said it obtained a committal order this week against Zhu for failing to comply with its investigation into the company’s failure.

“The committal order granted by the Singapore Courts sentenced Mr Zhu to 4 months’ imprisonment,” Teneo said.

His co-founder Kyle Davies was also committed to four months in prison but “his whereabouts remain unknown at this point in time”, it said.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) had banned the pair “from conducting regulated investment activity for nine years each”, Teneo said.

The liquidator, ordered to preside over the bankruptcy by a court in the British Virgin Islands, is attempting to recover the assets of Three Arrows and bring returns to its creditors after the company failed.

However, it has accused Zhu and Davies of not cooperating with the effort to return funds and failing to voluntarily provide information.

In a profile in The New York Times in June, the pair said they had been travelling since the hedge fund’s collapse, including to the Indonesian resort island of Bali where they had been surfing and meditating.

CNA has contacted the Singapore Police Force and Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority for comment.

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MMA fighter Angela Lee retires from the sport

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Lee fought under the Singapore and US flags and ONE’s youngest world champion at 19 when she claimed the inaugural women’s Atomweight World Championship in May 2016.

Her brother Christian Lee and her have been in hiatus since their sister’s death.

With her retirement, Lee’s focus will turn to her budding non-profit organisation Fightstory, which she set up in March this year.

Last week, she revealed a car crash in 2017 was not an accident but a suicide attempt.

In an interview with CNA during her first trip back to Singapore since Victoria’s death, she spoke openly about her own mental health struggles and paid tribute to her sister.

“Whether you’re a fighter in the cage, or you’re a teacher or a doctor or a stay-at-home mum, we’re all fighters in our own way,” she said.

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Commentary: Expectations around hongbao make wedding banquets unpleasant

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A MINEFIELD OF EXPECTATIONS

The minefield of expectations around wedding hongbao was part of the reason why my fiance and I wanted a simpler celebration, so that guests wouldn’t feel pressured to give a large hongbao.

We also created a bridal registry, to give guests the option of buying a gift if they prefer. It hasn’t taken off with our Singaporean friends and family, but many of our guests from abroad have sent us gifts.

Weddings, I have come to learn, are full of contradictions. Couples are often told the day is all about them, but parents also have executive power, especially if they’re financing it.

Likewise when it comes to wedding gifts, we repeat aphorisms that it’s the thought that counts, and what’s most important is that everyone has a good time. But this isn’t the case when there are unspoken rules about exactly what guests should give.

Because the stakes are high for weddings to be a joyous, perfect occasion, most people would stick to tried-and-tested traditions, suppressing their discontent when certain practices are expensive or incongruent. The wedding hongbao is one such tradition.

Erin Low is Deputy Editor, Commentary at CNA Digital.

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You don’t have to be in your 40s or 50s to make a career switch

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There was however one problem: She had no skills or training in this area of work, but she needed an employer who would take a chance, not only to hire her but to provide her with the training she needed. 

When she was job hunting, she noticed that the digital marketing jobs she was looking at asked for at least a degree in marketing or experience in a similar field. Which made her think she should pause and get some certification first before applying again. 

“But I was lucky to come across OOm who was hiring and willing to train me at the same time,’ said Ms Ng. 

This is where Mr Melvin Fam, head of SEO at digital agency OOm, comes into the picture. The 34-year-old said the timing was right – the team was expanding and Ms Ng was referred to him.  

“Our interview took about 30 to 40 minutes, but it was like a conversation. (I was looking for) how adaptable the person is and whether they are comfortable facing clients,’ said Mr Fam. 

Despite not having the required technical skills, Mr Fam felt confident enough to offer her the job.  

She displayed “soft skills” and a good learning attitude, said Mr Fam, which he felt was very important for the customer facing role he had in mind. 

But she lacked the specific digital marketing skills needed for her to do well. 

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Mothership’s press accreditation suspended again for breaking embargo on increase in water prices

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SINGAPORE: The press accreditation of local media outlet Mothership has been suspended for the second time in less than two years, after it broke an embargo earlier this week on the rise in water prices in Singapore.

In its reply on Friday (Sep 29) to CNA’s queries, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) did not indicate the length of the suspension. CNA has asked MCI for its response on this matter.

On Tuesday, Mothership broke the embargo – which had been set for Wednesday – by publishing an article on its website and via a post on its Facebook page, detailing how water prices will rise over the next two years.

MCI then suspended Mothership’s press accreditation.

This means that Mothership will not be able to attend briefings and press conferences held by government agencies while the suspension is in effect.

None of its employees were present at a press conference helmed by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday morning about the government’s latest support measures to help Singaporeans cope with rising prices.

Mothership has until Oct 11 to make any representations on the matter and the suspension, said MCI.

PREVIOUS SUSPENSION

Mothership’s press accreditation was first suspended for six months in March last year, after it broke an embargo on the details of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) increases during Budget 2022.

It had published an infographic on its Facebook page with information on the staggered GST increases prior to the government’s announcement.

At the time, managing editor Martino Tan said they would “use this period before the reinstatement to strengthen our internal processes and implement the necessary remedial actions”.

MOTHERSHIP’S RESPONSE TO LATEST SUSPENSION

On Friday, Mothership issued a statement “unreservedly” apologising to “Singaporeans, our stakeholders — especially PUB and MCI — and our industry colleagues” and for “causing such unnecessary trouble at a time when there are more pressing priorities to focus on”.

“This is our second breach of embargo in 2 years, in spite of our commitment and efforts to prevent such a situation from occurring again. While this may have been an error on the part of an individual colleague, as Managing Editor I assume personal responsibility for not adequately ensuring and enforcing the standards that we had set for ourselves,” said Mr Tan. 

“We are particularly devastated by this and are deeply disappointed with ourselves. Our spirits have hit rock bottom, but my colleagues and I vow to get to the core of these lapses and resolve these operating issues once and for all.”

The media outlet said that its investigation found that it was a member of Mothership’s editorial team who had prematurely published the article, an act it said was “a serious breach as the information impacts every person in Singapore”.

This employee had “failed to observe our editorial protocols, also breaching the additional safeguards that were put in place last year”.

Mothership said the person in question has been suspended from duty while it concludes its probe and responds to regulators.

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