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SINGAPORE - Several people were hurt in a slashing incident at a mall in Pasir Ris Street 72, with shoppers and business owners running for cover amid the chaos. The Straits Times understands five people were hurt in the incident, which happened on Dec 20 at around 4pm at the Pasir Ris West Plaza. Several witnesses said the attacker was armed with a knife. A Pasir Ris resident, who was at the mall just after the attack, said he saw five people injured near the Royal Regent, a provision shop inside the mall selling a variety of items like phone products, sandals and bags. Four of the victims were seated on chairs outside the shop, while one was sprawled on the ground. “They were covered in blood, and there were over 30 police officers at the scene, including several armed with rifles,” said the resident, who declined to be named. The Singapore Police Force’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) officers are trained to respond to cases involving firearms and dangerous weapons. ERT officers are equipped with submachine guns, pistols, bullet-resistant vests and ballistic helmets. Another resident, who gave his name as Mr Lee, said the owner of Royal Regent was hurt in the attack. “I saw five people wheeled into ambulances. They were very heavily bandaged, and the injuries look very bad,” added the taxi driver. When ST visited the mall at 6.30pm, police were still at the scene interviewing witnesses. A cordon had been set up around Royal Regent, where socks and shoes were strewn on the floor, with some items covered in blood. An employee working in a drugstore two shops away said she heard a woman scream at around 4pm. The employee, who declined to be named, said she recognised the voice behind the scream as the woman who works in the sundry shop tucked between the drugstore and the provision shop. The employee said she ran, fearing for her safety, and did not see the attacker. According to passers-by, the Royal Regent also provides mobile phone services, including sales and repairs. A plainclothes police officer was seen speaking to a man that other business owners identified as an employee of the shop. His hands were smeared with what appeared to be dried blood. The incident happened at around 4pm at Pasir Ris West Plaza on Dec 20.

https://mothership.sg/2020/05/jurong-west-hawker-centre-close-down/ Jurong West Hawker Centre (JWHC) is closing down and will remain shut for at least 10 months. This shock announcement was made by the National Environment Agency on May 5, 2020. NEA said the hawker centre will only be reopen sometime in the second half of 2021 after the exit of the current operator, Hawker Management. Hawker Management, an enterprise under Koufu described as "socially-conscious", will not renew its three-year contract with NEA when it expires on Aug. 6. NEA is seeking a new operator and will carry out potential renovation work in the interim. Not ideal performance standards Hawker Management said its "ideal performance standards" were not met. The company said results did not meet our ideal performance standards despite Hawker Management's efforts. "Following HM's (Hawker Management) appointment as the operator of JWHC in 2017, HM had seen to be putting in the necessary resources to bring vibrancy to Jurong West Hawker Centre and support the local hawker trade," the company said in a media release. "Koufu, as a public listed company, has an obligation to safeguard our shareholders’ interests, therefore we have made the difficult decision to exit upon expiry of the contract in August 2020 to focus efforts on other aspects of our business." Hawker Management said it remains committed to managing the hawker centre until the end of the contract term. Rental waivers It added that it will provide rental waivers for stallholders from June until Aug. 6, the end of stallholders' tenancy. It will also offer a S$1,000 relocation fee to eligible stallholders. NEA and Hawker Management said they will help stallholders relocate to available stalls at existing hawker centres and markets managed by NEA, or to coffee shops and food courts run by Koufu. Existing stallholders will be offered to return to Jurong West Hawker Centre when it is ready, said NEA. This is on top of the government's three-month rental waiver as part of the Resilience Budget. NEA said it will conduct a request for proposal to seek new ideas from operators to improve the two-storey hawker centre and market. The agency said it will conduct conduct public consultations to gather ideas and suggestions from the community. The hawker centre has been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. There are about 10 stalls in operation now.

How often have we heard about the adventures of a man born about two thousand years ago? And now at Christmas, we celebrate His birth, and so what better way to know Him than to see His life and journey for ourselves? That was one of the main reason I set out to make this journey, to a place where strife and conflict mix with history, politics and adventure. It was also a bucket list item to see the place where they filmed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade... Petra, who can forget the two Joneses riding out... So to see it for yourself is a really big deal:

Why China is losing the war of words with the West. https://www.rt.com/op-ed/540636-peng-shuai-china-media/ An unconvincing attempt to explain the disappearance of tennis player Peng Shuai highlights how poor China is at communications. This failing explains why the West is constantly able to set a damaging narrative about Beijing. Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared from public view following allegations of sexual assault she directed at a Chinese government official, prompting a concerned response from many in the game, including former world number one Naomi Osaka. While it’s not uncommon for celebrities in China to ‘disappear’ if they have created a political controversy – a prominent recent example was businessmen Jack Ma – it is unlikely, given the circumstances, that Peng has been arrested or won’t be seen again. However, what is undeniable is that China isn’t helping its own case with its response to the story. On Wednesday evening, broadcaster CGTN published on its social media platforms in the West an email purportedly sent to the Women’s Tennis Association from the player, in which she said she was OK and merely “resting”. The problem was that the email was not convincing at all, and appeared as if it were a screenshot because a hovering cursor was visible. Predictably, the Western media piled on this botched public-relations effort, which lacked credibility, and used it to advance their narrative against China. Significantly, even supporters of that nation across the social media platforms refused to defend the email. But this blunder isn’t a one-off. It reveals a wider and much more obvious fact: China is bad, if not abysmal, at public relations and communications – or “propaganda” as its critics like to call it. During a period in which the United States is actively waging a war of words against the country that has had, objectively speaking, significant success, Beijing is failing across the board in the battle for hearts and minds. Not only has it failed to establish a narrative to fight back, but it struggles to foreground the most basic talking points. China is clearly more competent than many countries in the West in a host of areas, including how to organize a state bureaucracy, competently run an economic system, trade, and manage a pandemic. But this area is not one of them. Having worked with the Chinese media myself and seen how it operates behind the scenes, I am honest enough to say it is rigid and therefore ineffective. It is very frustrating to see the advantage the US has over China in this sector – in particular, the inability of state media itself to confront the scale of propaganda and misinformation launched at Beijing every day. A huge overhaul is needed, with even Taiwan getting the better of it when it comes to setting the narrative – despite the fact it is clearly in a far weaker position. So, what exactly is wrong with Chinese state media? With the exception of the Global Times, which is slightly more effective in getting a message out due to its aggressive posture, it is generally uninspiring, unadventurous, lacking in creativity and does not grasp the fundamental principles of how journalism works, which requires some artistry, as opposed to being about simply reporting things. It is fair to say that this problem is somewhat rooted in the structural realities of China’s political system itself. In the West, “news” functions as a commercial capitalist commodity by being able to entertain, appeal, shock and scare its audiences, irrespective of the political agendas that might be behind it or of editorial independence or associations. A biased or disingenuous source of news is not necessarily an ineffective source of news. In understanding this, journalists realise the fundamental need for their product to be competitive in the market. In China, however, news exists within the model of a hierarchical party system, and while critics will obviously dismiss it as “state messaging,” with limited independence, the structural problems run deeper than that. The Chinese media simply does not have the institutionalized experience that forces outlets to be competitive in a market setting. For example, as much as many people hate the UK tabloid The Sun, it knows its audience very well – what’s never in doubt for me is its ability to know what stories will sell. And if it should ever fail at that, it would go out of business. Contrast it with the China Daily, a state-funded newspaper, which doesn’t have to rely on an audience to make money and so operates inefficiently. Chinese media outlets all have enormous budgets, but spend them wastefully. This leads me on to my next point: no Chinese outlet understands what it means to establish an audience. People consume news because it’s something they need – we want to learn about the world, the weather, the markets, sport, etc. We’re aware that many sources are biased or have a particular agenda, but we choose the outlets that best fit our needs. I’m staunchly critical of the BBC – I can observe its bias and identify when it’s pushing an agenda. But maybe I should ask myself why I keep looking at it so regularly? On that note, we might ask, why do people need the Chinese media at all? These outlets offer very strict China-centric messaging, yet try to target overseas audiences. The BBC is popular precisely because it’s not UK-centric, but covers global affairs in depth and detail, and its own agenda is then carefully filtered in. But, in contrast, the Chinese media has little allure for people who don’t closely monitor politics or are interested in other topics. There’s no attempt to make the outlets a go-to source for anything beyond China itself (and even then, the content is often poorly executed). Any prominent people outside China who read the Chinese media do so because they’re seeking to study the country or analyse its messaging, or because they strongly oppose it. You tend to get more hatred for writing for CGTN than you do for RT – and there’s rarely a receptive readership to counterbalance that. China doesn’t have a normal, everyday, news-reading audience because it doesn’t try to cultivate one. It lacks purpose, which is also partly due to the structural limitations imposed on it. And this is why, when it’s sharing its messages and worldview with a global audience, it’s falling on deaf ears and can’t break through the influence of the mostly Western mainstream media, which continues to dominate and define the perception of China presented to the world. It should surprise no one that its social media strategy is equally poor. The CGTN Twitter account, for example, professes to have 13.4 million followers, yet the lack of interaction is notable. This is due to the unspoken belief that Chinese media accounts should not try to build organic audiences. Indeed, many outlets have exaggerated their follower counts by bulk-buying fake followers (although Twitter’s “state-affiliated media” labels have not helped them improve their reach, either). The greatest number of interactions CGTN got this week was in response to the appallingly executed email concerning Peng Shuai, which Western journalists attacked with unconcealed relish. So, when people say China is waging a propaganda war against the West, it should always be remembered how poor and ineffective that actually is. CGTN has a budget of $1 billion, and this was its product. The US is indisputably waging a vitriolic public-opinion war against China, however. This has included weaponizing an army of think tanks, throwing around allegations of genocide, and coordinating negative news stories to tarnish China’s image in multiple areas, manufacture consent and turn Western public opinion against it. Despite China being a highly organised state that has far greater resources and population, the methods it employs to fight back against the US are of a very poor quality, and this has been exposed through the saga of a missing tennis player and an unconvincing attempt to cover up her public absence. Peng will eventually reappear, closing down this controversy. It’s the reality of contemporary China that celebrities who don’t toe the line politically are reeled in. However, the handling of this story reveals probably the weakest aspect of the country’s entire system: communications. It’s been too easy for the West to set a narrative against Beijing. China has to understand that journalism is not about simple top-down messaging, but about creativity, enterprise and fulfilling the needs of an audience. Until it does, it will continue to struggle to find its voice against US attacks.

Any decent carwash in the west? I saw there was thread for East but not for West

Now that is one close shave. As seen on SG Road Vigilante's facebook page, an Audi TT failed to stop at the give way line, nearly crashing into a Mitsubishi Lancer Ex which had the right of way on 29th of April Eagle-eyed readers would have definitely spotted the P-plate sign on the Audi, signaling to us that this might just be a rookie's honest mistake. In our opinion, we thought the camera car would have gotten a larger shock, seeing the Lancer swerve into his lane along Sengkang West Road. On another note, should the Lancer have slowed down instead of (recklessly)accelerating into the camera car's lane? Let us know in the comments below! 94921823_310296959954310_3878032568351719424_n.mp4

Just read today New Paper and it read : West Coast Park: No more free parking next year. Visitors to West Coast Park will soon be paying a price for the inconsideration of others, in the form of parking charges. From early next year, they will no lomger be able to park their car for free there. This is a result of some motorists abusing the free parking lots there. Citing difficulties in differentiating genuine park visitors from non-park users, the National Parks Board (NParks) has decided to act. At times, park there to enjoy a break at Macdonald's but it seem like have to place a coupon leow .....

Anyone got any reliable workshops in the west to recommend? I used to go Autobay for serving, but it's a little far from where I stay. I used to go Motec too, but too bad they closed down. Thanks!

Hey guys, any recommendation for reliable car workshops in the west that carries amaron car battery? Looking to change mine tomorrow..

Hi, is there any car pool services from Western of Singapore say Boon Lay, Lakeside to town like Raffles Place during weekdays daily. Hoping if there is, can commute to work via this. Thks

Any bros using West Lake Tyres? Care to share any exp with regards to them?

hi guys is there any good tie da sinseh to recommend? preferably in the west? my wife sprained her ankle quite badly, and the last one we brought her to seem to make it worse. thanks in advance

as shown above , thanks!

I see this I think of @chowyunfatt Keep bird summore...... And it is at his area too...could it be??? @chowyunfatt whr u Father dies in 'scuffle' with son Feb 12, 2015 6:00am 546 31 1 605 HAPPIER TIMES: Mr Tan Kok Keng (left) with his son, Mr Mark Tan Peng Liat, who has been arrested. Photo: Facebook screengrab PreviousNext By: ELIZABETH LAW One was an avid golfer who kept a number of birds as pets. The other had a passion for cars. For nearly three decades, Mr Tan Kok Keng, 67, and his son, Mr Mark Tan Peng Liat, 29, lived together in their West Coast Rise home, seemingly without incident. But on Tuesday afternoon, something went terribly wrong. Neighbours reported hearing a woman's screams, and the police was called at 5.25pm. They arrived at the semi-detatched house at 58 West Coast Rise and Mr Tan Kok Keng was taken to National University Hospital (NUH) unconscious. He was pronounced dead at about 6.48pm. A police spokesman said that a 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident. The New Paper understands he is Mr Mark Tan. He will be charged in the State Courts today with murder. A neighbour who lives a few houses down, called the elder Mr Tan a "generous man" who gave all the maids on the street red packets every Chinese New Year. Read the full report in our print edition on Feb 12. - See more at: http://www.tnp.sg/news/father-dies-scuffle-son#sthash.tOYobyju.dpuf

Hi Guys, My CO wants to get her driving license too. Got any good private driving instructors to recommend in the west/central part of Singapore? Thanks in advance!!

Indian home buyers are usually against buying properties with the main door facing west, anyone encountered such buyers?

I witnessed this accident right in front of my eyes while standing at my office window. The Trailer rammed into the back of the dark blue Mitsubishi Lancer and pushed it for a good 10m into the first lane. Can't tell if it was a lane-switch mistake. See pics.

Hi, I would like to seek your opinions on the choice of these 3 detailers that have shops in the West part of Singapore: 1. Ceramic Pro by 5dSolutions, ~$1100+ 2. Revol, ~$800+ 3. Blacknano, ~$400-$500+ 4. Supremo, ~$500+ I am prefer packages with 3 years warranty (for apple to apple comparison), covers interior coating and provides post sales car wash services. All packages expect you to go back for annual checks or maintenance which usual is around $100 - $150 range. Which packages would you recommend? It seems that Ceramic Pro and Revol have a lot of good recommendations. As a side note, Ceramic Pro and Supremo have 5 years warranty packages but I am not sure if it is good to for those? Thanks in advance!

Hi to all, anyone can suggest good Workshop in the west to install all the car accessories? Use to visit soon lee at geylang area, cheap & good, but nowadays my work schedule really don't allow me to visit workshop that far, therefore hope that someone can introduce any good & reasonably priced car workshop. Thanks in advance.

I'm helping a friend to ask since he doesn't have a forum account. Is there any reliable (and cheaper) workshops in the west side that deals with Mitsubishi? He is driving a Mitsubishi Lancer EX 09 model. I wouldn't say a workshop specializing in Mitsubishi since they seem rather rare now-a-days, but he is looking for one after getting chopped by C&C and hearing horror stories from another friend whose workshop did not detect an oil leak for him. Thanks.

The new road to CTE via Seletar West Link opened a few days ago. Seems like the black Odyssey and City Cab got confused. But hey it was dangerous and I almost got into an accident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyBUm0oPvkA

Dear all, I am posting this on behalf of a friend. We are appealing for witnesses for an accident involving a BMW and an Altis at the junction of Sengkang West Avenue and Sengkang West Road that happened on 02 Oct 2015 at around 0830am. Could anyone who had witnessed the accident or have footage of the accident please contact me by dropping me a message? We are looking for the truth. An image of the junction is as follows: Your help wil be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

At Jurong West Ave 1

dear All, May need some forumers infor. on the above subject....Thank You in Advance

This thread is for people working in Jurong Industrial area including Gul, Pioneer and even Tuas. Lunch is a constant headache of finding interesting food in the myriad of underwhelming canteens that dots the industrial estate. Most canteens are packed and parking a nightmare during lunch time. Jurong Point is the only shopping center within the area and it is too packed during lunch. Not to say rather expensive. JEM and Jcube are too far because lunch is an 1-hr affair for most of us. So bring in the recommendations for food in this miserable part of the country where finding a good lunch is one of the highlights of another boring work day.