The Hantu Blogger speaks!
from Compressed air junkie
Pulau Semakau (26 Nov 2011)
from teamseagrass
Pulau Semakau – holds more than our incinerated trash!
from Nature rambles and encounters with nature and wild shores of singapore
The need to document plants associated with birds
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Straits Times 27 Nov 11;
Last Sunday's article, 'Bukit Brown road project 'can't wait'', reported that 'strangely, the URA said, no one raised a ruckus when plans highlighting the area's intended future use were displayed for feedback' in 1991 and 2001, when the Concept Plans were released.
This argument is being used to refute current public opinion against the transport and housing developments in Bukit Brown cemetery.
In 1991 and 2001, there were no concrete announcements on the intrusion of physical infrastructure like the road. If there had been a public outcry then, the Government would have replied, understandably, that such an outcry was premature as nothing concrete had yet been planned.
More importantly, we were a different country two decades ago. Thanks to nation-building efforts by the Government, Singaporeans today are more conscious of their national identity and are thus sensitive to any loss of heritage.
With a bigger population now, Singaporeans are hungry for more open spaces and recreational areas, of which Bukit Brown is one.
We also now have new know-ledge of just how rich a historical and ecological resource Bukit Brown is.
Arguments for the conservation of the area were put forth by the Nature Society (Singapore) in its Feedback for the Inter-Ministerial Committee Project on Sustainable Singapore: Lively and Liveable City in 2009, and by the Singapore Heritage Society in the book, Spaces Of The Dead: A Case For The Living, published in May this year.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority Concept Plan is intended for long-term planning and its zones are broad and flexible.
For example, Pulau Ubin was also zoned for residential use in 1991 but it was later re-zoned as 'open space and reserve land' in the 2001 Concept Plan.
To imply that present-day concerns are invalidated by not having been raised 10 or 20 years ago is a flawed premise that leads to sub-optimal decision-making based on outdated information and analysis.
It also denies the possibility for any generation to determine its own immediate future and those of its children.
Chua Ai Lin
Terence Chong
Executive Committee Members
Singapore Heritage Society
NParks team surveyed Bukit Timah Nature Reserve for 3 months to help it win accolade
Kezia Toh Straits Times 27 Nov 11;
Years spent in marathon training came in handy, fitness-wise, for Mr James Gan when he had to navigate the hilly terrain of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
He spent three months - at least thrice a week - carefully surveying the reserve, home to Singapore's highest hill.
That experience proved to be more than just a walk in the park for Mr Gan, 41, the National Parks Board's (NParks) assistant director of its Central Nature Reserve division, but it was fulfilling.
He was in the five-member team that helped cement the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve's status as an Asean Heritage Park, announced last month.
As a result, Singapore is now home to two Asean Heritage Parks, the other being the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which earned the accolade in 2003.
Mr Gan was also part of the 2003 survey team.
But clinching this recognition for the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve was more challenging, at least physically.
Mr Gan explained: 'All of us have become fitter on this job. Bukit Timah has higher terrain and the hill itself is the highest in Singapore - at 163m - so it is more challenging when going up and down while surveying the entire place.'
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve spans 163ha.
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, known for its extensive mangroves, is a smaller 130ha.
Being able to deal with the hilly terrain helps Mr Gan focus on his surroundings.
'It takes an eye for detail to spot wildlife, such as a pangolin on the forest floor keeping very still and quiet,' he said.
'If I were not fit, I'd be huffing and puffing, and will not notice such things.'
The team also adapted well to navigating the forest at night, and observing and monitoring the nocturnal animals.
Their tasks included setting up mist nets to catch about 20 birds daily, and harp traps to catch about 30 bats in the night.
'Animals don't just keep to a nine-to-five schedule, but come out in the evening, which is the best time to be there,' explained Mr Gan.
The team's night forest jaunts usually took place between 7pm and 11pm.
The captured animals would be ringed, after noting details like sex, wing length and whether they were breeding. They would then be released and caught again later to observe any changes over time.
Clearly, traipsing around a pitch-black forest, albeit with a powerful torchlight, takes some skill.
For example, the team practised 'light discipline' - not waving the torch too much, to avoid scaring away wildlife.
And as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve hosts about 40 per cent of the nation's native flora and fauna, the sheer volume of flora and fauna to observe and record became overwhelming at times.
Mr Gan said: 'While we knew what we had, we also knew there was so much more we did not know.'
The team had to keep their eyes peeled for native species such as the plantain squirrel and the Asian fairy bluebird - a first-time sighting for the team, as the bright blue-crested bird normally dwells in the upper levels of the canopy.
Help from the National Biodiversity Centre and Central Nature Reserve division, both under NParks, also came in handy.
The collated data, said NParks, may be used in future publications and educational material for schools and the public.
To win listing as an Asean Heritage Park, criteria such as ecological completeness and high conservation importance had to be met.
There are now 30 heritage parks across Asean, including the Lorentz National Park in Indonesia and the Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia.
A country with such a heritage site accepts the responsibility to ensure that the best possible level of protection is accorded to the site.
But successfully clinching the accolade is just icing on the cake, Mr Gan said.
'We don't work for it per se, but it is about raising awareness of biodiversity and nature reserves, and highlighting them to our fellow citizens to go discover all these by themselves,' he explained.
Of course, such an honour means immediate publicity for the reserve, which helps draw more people to visit it.
'So getting the accolade is just one aspect that will help us achieve that,' Mr Gan said.
WHAT'S AT BUKIT TIMAH NATURE RESERVE
Seraya
This flagship species is a valuable timber tree, stretching high overhead with its leaves and branches forming a canopy for shade.
Its bark forms boat-shape cracks on the tree trunk, with a greyish tinge to the leaves in the tree canopy.
Kerinting
This is a nationally endangered palm, with only scattered tiny populations in the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment nature reserves.
Its small size and neatly arranged leaflets make it an attractive plant, with potential as an indoor palm.
Plantain squirrel
This native species has a dark brown back, a pale brown belly and a very fluffy dark brown tail.
It lives in gardens and forests, and eats fruit, seeds, flowers and plant shoots, with the occasional centipede and spider too.
Striped Tit Babbler
This species has a distinctive yellowish brow and a tawny reddish crown. Its throat is yellowish with brown streaks. This bird forages in small flocks, breeds in the pre-monsoon season from February to July, and builds a loose ball-shaped nest made from grass and leaves.
Asian Fairy Bluebird
This brilliant blue-crested bird has a clear bell-like call. It has velvety black wings and inhabits only rainforests, and is commonly found only on the canopy's upper levels.
It feeds on the fruit of forest trees, and insects such as termites.
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
This native black bird is found deep in forested areas. In 2002, it was on the shortlist of a poll carried out by the Nature Society of Singapore's bird group to crown Singapore's national bird.
It then lost out to the crimson sunbird - a handsome bird with a high-pitched trill which flits from flower to flower.
Hetty Musfirah Channel NewsAsia 26 Nov 11;
"One of the challenges of building the Botanic Gardens station is the need to take care of the environmental impact."
SINGAPORE: Construction of the Downtown Line (DTL) will go full swing when work on the third phase kicks off on Monday.
The 42-kilometre Downtown Line is being constructed in three phases - DTL 1, DTL 2 and DTL 3.
The first two stages are progressing well.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) told Channel NewsAsia that DTL 1 is now 85 percent complete while DTL 2 is 40 percent done.
The DTL, Singapore's fifth MRT line, will boost connectivity from the northwest to the central-eastern areas.
Work on 12 stations on DTL 2, which runs along the Bukit Timah corridor towards the city, is on track for completion in 2015.
It will provide commuters living in Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah better access to the rest of the island.
Excavation work has begun at Cashew, Beauty World, Botanic Gardens, Stevens, Newton and Little India stations.
At the Botanic Gardens station, three of the seven levels have been excavated.
LTA's senior project manager for Botanic Gardens station, Lim Bock Ho, said: "Below the fourth level, that's when we will encounter rock and that's when we have to do blasting."
He said one of the challenges of building the Botanic Gardens station is the need to take care of the environmental impact.
Behind the station is an eco-lake, so "we don't want to spoil the biodiversity of this area. Our aim is to not to have contaminated the water going into the eco-lake, otherwise the flora and fauna will be dead," said Mr Lim.
"The other challenge is because we are located beside the existing Circle Line station, our job is to make sure that we don't disrupt the operation of the existing station," added Mr Lim.
A 100-metre linkway will provide commuters easy access between the Botanic Gardens Downtown Line station and the Circle Line station.
Work on DTL 1, which runs through some busy corridors like Bugis and Chinatown, is almost complete.
The basic structure of all six stations is up while electrical and mechanical works are underway.
DTL 1, which is due for completion in 2013, is a loop connected to DTL 3, which runs to eastern towns like Bedok and Tampines.
So travelling from Chinatown to Bedok Reservoir will take 35 minutes instead of 50 minutes currently.
All 34 DTL stations will be fully operational in 2017. They will serve about half-a-million commuters daily.
- CNA/ir
Antara 26 Nov 11;
Some parts of the forest area have been converted into coffee plantation.
Bengkulu, Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Two Rafflesia arnoldi flowers are in bloom at the Taba Penanjung natural sanctuary in Central Bengkulu District, Bengkulu Province.
The two flowers, located only 15 meters from each other, bloomed at the same time , Anggi, a local resident, said here.
"We found three flowers within a radius of 20 meters, but one has withered, and two are now in full bloom," he said.
The giant flowers were found in an area located around 100 meters from a road connecting Bengkulu city and Kepahiang district.
Last week, a Rafflesia flower was in bloom in the Bukit Daun protected forest, Kepahiang District.
Coordinator of Tebat Monok Rare Flower Lovers Holidin said 13 Rafflesia arnoldii flowers had been found this year.
Six flower buds are currently waiting to bloom.
"We predict one flower bud will bloom this week," he said.
Holidin said the Bukit Daun protected forest and the Taba Penanjung I and Taba Penanjung II natural sanctuaries were the habitats of Rafflesia arnoldii.
However, some parts of the forest area have been converted into coffee plantation.
He urged the government to protect the forest area in order to preserve the habitat of Rafflesia arnoldii.
Rafflesia is the largest, heaviest, rarest and one of the most smelly flowers in the world. In full bloom , its crown can reach a diameter of 1 meter and weigh about 10 kgs.
Interestingly, Rafflesia is a parasitic plant without any leaves, stems and roots.
(Uu.F001/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Sales are rising thanks to the discovery of a kinder – and sustainable – method of harvesting the fish roe
Genevieve Roberts The Independent 27 Nov 11;
Once the preserve of Russian tsars and British royalty, caviar was described by the great Renaissance writer François Rabelais as the finest titbit in the world. But recently it has been disappearing from dinner menus, amid concerns that traditional methods of harvesting the roe involve killing the majestic sturgeon that produce it.
Now, however, ethical caviar, produced without harm to the fish, has made the luxury permissible once more. Mottra Caviar, based near Riga in Latvia, has 50,000 sturgeon on its farm. Its director, Sergei Reviakin, said he has seen a 40 per cent increase in sales this year.
"After sturgeon became endangered, many chefs stopped using caviar," he said. "We are now teaching people about it."
He said the UK is one of his firm's biggest markets, along with Sweden, France, Poland, the Netherlands and Germany.
Unlike traditional caviar production, which kills the fish, the sturgeon are "milked" by human massage along their body to produce eggs. The fish are moved from warm to cold water for the three months before being milked, so the sturgeon feel by instinct that it is time to hatch, as the move to colder water mimics nature. In the 1980s, more than 1,000 tons of caviar were processed worldwide each year. Now, that figure is estimated to be about 120 tons for farmed caviar, Mr Reviakin said.
Selfridges has seen a double-digit growth increase in sales this year, while Ocado has extended deliveries from Christmas to include Valentine's Day to cope with increased demand. La Fromagerie on Marylebone High Street in central London and Harvey Nichols now offer the delicacy. L'Anima restaurant offers Mottra caviar with roe fish butter, while chef Mark Hix serves it with hot buttered toast and duck eggs. The Wright Brothers introduced ethical caviar at the Raw Bar in London early this month, and Gidleigh Park in Dorset has featured it on its menu.
Hix, who also serves the delicacy at his champagne and caviar bar in Selfridges, said: "The luxurious pastime of eating caviar has almost disappeared, partly because of the threat of extinction to the sturgeon but also because in hard times it's not exactly the most cost-effective thing to eat. We use Mottra, the only truly sustainable caviar in the world – it being sustainable means we can eat as much as our wallets can afford, without a guilty conscience."
A spokesman for Ocado said shoppers' caviar appetite is increasing. "We have ordered more this Christmas than ever before. Shoppers are more aware than ever about the provenance and sustainability of what they're eating."
Delicacy ethics: Guilty, and not-so-guilty, pleasures
Foie gras
An ethical version avoids the process known as la gavage, whereby geese are force-fed with a metal tube. The Spanish company Pateria de Sousa produces the ethical version called Ganso Iberico.
Veal
Ethical leaps have been made in the UK, with better diet, space and bedding for calves replacing the tiny veal crates.
Shark-fin soup
The fin is used to provide texture, rather than taste. But as producers have failed to find an ethical compromise, it is falling off menus.
Bluefin tuna
The Marine Conservation Society recommends we avoid eating bluefin tuna and choose line-caught yellowfin, skipjack or albacore tuna
Chickens, pigs, cattle
The RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme has grown rapidly in recent years, but still has only 4 per cent of the market.
Post-exam activities for undergraduate students
from Otterman speaks
Breezy day for tracking through to Lost Coast
from Psychedelic Nature and wild shores of singapore
Slug-filled Weekend
from Pulau Hantu
'Weather can't decide to be sunny or rainy' day on Cyrene
from Psychedelic Nature
An introduction to raptors of Southeast Asia
from Habitatnews
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo – calls
from Bird Ecology Study Group
1,000 engaged with biodiversity in Singapore @ Yishun Pond Rejuvenated
from Toddycats!
Lynn Margulis - an appreciation
from The Biology Refugia
Philippine Daily Inquirer 25 Nov 11;
This is in response to the letter of Lim Soon Hua, director for communications of Resorts World Singapore or RWS. (Inquirer, 11/22/11)
We beg to disagree that the method RWS used to obtain the dolphins conforms to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) requirements. In fact, the export of dolphins from the Solomon Islands was put under the Review of Significant Trade in the Animals Committee of CITES in 2008 due to the issue of sustainability.
In that meeting in 2008, the Solomon Islands government committed to stopping the export of dolphins if it was proven to be unsustainable. This September 2011, the government of the Solomon Islands announced that all dolphin exports will be banned starting January 2012, an admission that the past dolphin hunts have been largely unregulated and unsustainable.
It is also doubtful that the facility where the dolphins are being kept is truly a “well-established facility.” The Ocean Adventure Park which houses the dolphins has had four out of its five false killer whales die in just a few years of operation. All four false killer whales were all juveniles and died before they were sexually mature.
Moreover, Ocean Adventure Park has been sued for violating the Environmental Impact Statement System of the Philippines (Presidential Decree 1586) as well as the Animal Welfare Act (Republic Act 8485)—a well-established facility, indeed!
As for the 25 dolphins from the Solomon Islands, none of the government officials from the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Bureau of Animal Industry-Animal Welfare Division (BAI-AWD) can verify their current condition based on our meetings with these two agencies. In fact, both the BFAR and BAI-AWD have not inspected the dolphins in their facility and could not even tell us if all 25 dolphins are alive.
If the animals are really being given the best care, then why are their enclosures off-limits to the public? Why were members of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society of Singapore (ACRES), Earth Island Institute (EII) and the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) not allowed to see the animals as they were being trained last Nov. 14? It is clear that Ocean Adventure and Resorts World Singapore have something to hide, and it is spelled C-R-U-E-L-T-Y.
—TRIXIE CONCEPCION,
regional director,
Earth Island Institute,
eiiphils@earthislandph.org;
ANNA CABRERA, director,
Philippine Animal Welfare Society,
philpaws@yahoo.com
Dolphins bound for Singapore park not endangered
Philippine Daily Inquirer 22 Nov 11;
We are disappointed that you did not seek our comment before publishing the story, “Set dolphins free, group urges gov’t.” (Inquirer, 11/13/11) Please allow us to provide the background about our dolphins and address some assumptions made.
The species of dolphins that will be housed at our Marine Life Park (MLP) in Singapore is not classified as endangered. Neither are they threatened with extinction. While dolphins in the wild face daily survival tests, there are well established international regulations pertaining to controlled wildlife collections of particular species intended for well-run zoological facilities. We strongly abide by such regulations.
We reiterate that the acquisition of our Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins followed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) requirements. CITES regulates the trade of animals to protect wildlife species from extinction. The movement of marine animals, including dolphins, is governed by the United Nations Environment Programme which upholds the policies of CITES.
Our animals are in good health and given the best care in a well-established facility in the Philippines.
Allow me to correct another misrepresentation in the article: there is no known instance of a dolphin committing suicide verified by any scientific study or necropsy. Suicide is a human act. Projecting human-like intention onto another species is anthropomorphism and has no factual basis.
Dolphins in zoological parks and aquariums live almost twice as long as their counterparts in the wild. They thrive and reproduce well in state-of-the-art facilities that are equipped with medical technologies adapted to give the best care available for their health and welfare.
There will always be divergent views about animals in zoological environments. We respect that. We believe that well-run zoological facilities provide strong and inspiring messages to visitors and can make a tangible difference to animal conservation. Caring for living animals comes with great responsibility. If done correctly, animals can thrive in human care and provide vital conservation and research opportunities.
We were deeply saddened by our loss of two dolphins that succumbed to a water-borne bacterial infection called melioidosis. No expense or effort was spared to save them. Today, the MLP team is involved in melioidosis research to curb this infection which afflicts animals in the wild as well as humans.
MLP has begun to contribute to marine conservation even before its opening. We are a participant in the third veterinary training workshop specializing in treatment techniques for stranded marine mammals. We have also contributed a portable inflation pool to the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network which works directly with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation.
—LIM SOON HUA, director for communications, Resorts World Sentosa, 8 Sentosa Gateway, Singapore 098269
Demand for dish remains high here despite growing global opposition, say businesses
Straits Times 26 Nov 11;
MOST Singaporeans are still saying yes to shark's fin soup, despite a growing movement worldwide to stop the hunting of sharks for their fins.
Businesses say the demand for shark's fin, usually cooked in a thick broth, remains high - especially for special occasions like wedding banquets.
On Monday, upmarket Hong Kong hotel chain Peninsula Hotel Group joined a growing movement to halt shark hunting by announcing that it will stop serving shark's fin from Jan 1.
A check with 10 hotels here, including the Marina Mandarin and The Fullerton Hotel, found that all serve shark's fin soup during banquets, but also provide other soups when requested.
The reason they gave was that drinking shark's fin soup is a tradition in Chinese culture.
A spokesman for the Amara Singapore said: 'Our hotel serves shark's fin as we cater to a large proportion of local guests as well as wedding couples who follow tradition. The demand for shark's fin is still very high as the population in Singapore is mainly Chinese.'
Only about one in 10 newlywed couples asked for alternatives to shark's fin soup, he said.
However, the hotels noted that compared with five years ago, more customers were saying no to shark's fin.
Restaurants also cited the continuing demand as the reason they continue to serve shark's fin.
'We are famous for our shark's fin,' said Mr Andrew Tjioe, chief executive of the Tung Lok Group of restaurants. 'We will lose business if we stop selling it. As long as it remains legal, we will continue to serve it.'
At least one hotel here, the Fairmont Singapore, has stopped serving shark's fin completely. It has also removed Chilean sea bass and bluefin tuna - which are also overfished - from its menu.
Since last year, the Singapore Marriott has reduced the number of shark's fin dishes it serves from 12 to seven. It has also stopped running promotions on those items.
Resorts World Sentosa has also taken shark's fin off its menu, but will still serve the dish if requested.
So far, these three hotels said, customers have responded positively to their moves.
Ms Jennifer Lee, founder of Project: Fin, which aims to reduce the consumption of shark's fin through the education of both consumers and businesses, said more Singaporeans now know about the plight of the sharks.
'Awareness has definitely grown, but it is slower than in places like Hong Kong and China,' added Ms Lee.
She noted that a survey published in April found that 80 per cent of respondents in Hong Kong no longer minded not having shark's fin soup at wedding banquets. In China, retired basketballer Yao Ming's support has given the movement a boost.
But in Singapore, imports of shark's fin have nearly doubled since 2003 to about 2,500 tonnes this year, up from 1,300 tonnes eight years ago.
Hong Kong imports about 9,000 tonnes of shark's fin every year.
Ms Candice Huang, who had a shark's fin-free wedding banquet in March last year, convinced her mother that her family would not appear 'cheap' if they did not serve the soup.
'She was worried that the elders would not like it, but after tasting the abalone broth, they were impressed,' said the 28-year-old marketing communications manager.
'And it was just as expensive as the shark's fin soup,' she added.
POSSIBLE SUBSTITUTES FOR SHARK'S FIN
Mock fins, such as those made from seaweed gelatin or jelly
Fish maw in broth
Double-boiled ginseng and herbs in chicken stock
Abalone broth
Buddha Jumps Over The Wall
Braised lobster soup
Double-boiled soup with black truffle
Removing shark's fin from the menu
Straits Times Forum 9 Dec 11;
I COMMEND The Straits Times for highlighting an issue that has become one of the most critical threats to the sustainability of our oceans' fishes ('Shark's fin still on menu for many'; Nov 26).
Through our awareness campaign, Save Our Sharks, more than 15,000 consumers have pledged not to consume shark's fin.
The demand for shark's fin in Asia is driving sharks to the brink of extinction. In 1996, only 15 species were considered threatened. By last year, the number had soared 12 times, with more than 180 species listed on the endangered list. The real cost goes beyond the survival of sharks. Sharks play a pivotal role in securing the marine eco-balance, tying our fate closely to theirs.
When sharks become extinct, this irreversible change will cause populations of other fishes to go unchecked, exhausting the supply at the start of the food chain. Soon, other fish stocks that are essential to our survival will be depleted.
Both the supply and demand ends of the chain are vital links in preventing the bankruptcy of our oceans. We applaud businesses like Cold Storage and the Peninsula Hotel Group, which have taken the lead to ban shark's fin.
The change in mindset remains the biggest challenge, especially among the Chinese who perceive shark's fin soup as deeply rooted in tradition.
Keeping this tradition has come at the expense of our planet. If we continue to ignore the signs, even the very tradition we are trying to upkeep will meet its end. Let us consider the long- and not short-term cost.
After all, is it worth giving up the ocean for a single fish?
Elaine Tan (Ms)
Chief Executive Officer
WWF Singapore
Hoe Yeen Nie Channel NewsAsia 25 Nov 11;
SINGAPORE: President Tony Tan Keng Yam on Friday visited the Chek Jawa Wetlands for a first-hand look at its unique biodiversity.
Accompanied by his family and members of several nature groups, Dr Tan had a mini lesson on the area's marine life.
They explored the sandy beaches, the mangrove swamps as well as the seagrass lagoon.
There was even time for a brief stopover at Pulau Ubin, on their way back, for some coconuts with his grandson.
Chek Jawa is famed for its natural heritage, and several ecosystems can be found in the same place.
- CNA/al
Exploring nature with the family
Straits Times 26 Nov 11;
ST PHOTO: TED CHEN
President Tony Tan Keng Yam, his wife Mary Tan and their grandson being given a tour of Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin by 14-year-old Choo Yi Feng yesterday.
The President was visiting the wetlands with National Parks officials like Pulau Ubin assistant director Robert Teo, tour groups and volunteers.
Move to promote volunteerism as a way of life through video and exhibition in *Scape park
Cheryl Ong Straits Times 26 Nov 11;
BY HER own admission, Rohayah Abdul Rahman, 41, has the spirit of volunteering in her blood.
She was just 12 when her father signed her up to help in the neighbourhood civil defence branch.
Four years later, when Hotel New World in Serangoon Road collapsed suddenly, trapping 50 people in the rubble, she was already an avid volunteer in a Bedok civil defence group.
She was at the disaster site for days, carrying chunks of rubble so that civil defence officers could focus on looking for survivors.
She said: 'It made me see that what I was doing as a volunteer wasn't for nothing, that even my simple act could make someone's life better.'
Seventeen people were rescued, 33 died.
Now a mother of two teenage boys, the soft-spoken service quality officer with transport operator SMRT is still giving her time and energy to grassroots activities; at work, she helps to organise SMRT's blood donation drive, which is held five times a year at MRT stations.
Her dedication to volunteerism, along with that of other volunteers, is captured in a video produced by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) to mark International Volunteers' Day (IVD) today.
NVPC chairman Stanley Tan said he hopes the event will help people see that volunteering can be part of one's lifestyle in the way the spirit has taken hold in Madam Rohayah's life.
'IVD aims to raise the message of volunteerism as a way of life. But we don't want it to be a campaign; we want it to be a natural movement, a part of your belief system.'
Besides the video, now on YouTube, the NVPC has set up an exhibition in *Scape in Orchard Link to introduce members of the public to ways they can help.
A booth stationed there will collect pledges of interest in volunteering in any one of 40 organisations, including Lions Befrienders and the Singapore Association for Mental Health.
Visitors will also get a taste of what it is like to live in a one-room flat that comes with bed, clutter and bed bugs - the living conditions of people whose lives could be touched by the work of volunteers who, for example, clean up these homes.
Another exhibit is a replica of a house cloaked in complete darkness, to give visitors a feel of what it is like to be blind. Those entering this exhibit are, in a reversal of roles, led by visually handicapped guides.
The National Parks Board (NParks) and Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) also have exhibits to show the work they do and how their volunteers contribute to their cause.
Volunteerism here reached an all-time high last year. Figures from the NVPC indicated that nearly a quarter of the people here volunteer their time in one cause or another.
At the official opening of IVD today, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing will tour the exhibits at *Scape.
A 'Fire Pitch' session will be held, at which non-profit organisations will promote their causes to representatives from companies looking for charities to adopt.
Established in 1999, NVPC is a first-stop centre and networking agency that promotes volunteerism here. It matches non-profit organisations with companies and public-sector bodies which can help them financially or with manpower, and raises awareness of charities through events and research on volunteerism and the charity sector.
The centre also administers seed money for start-ups or existing organisations which need funds to get community programmes off the ground.
Rope in 2 volunteers each, S'poreans urged
Acting MCYS Minister Chan Chun Sing shares hope of fostering greater numbers of volunteers
Straits Times 27 Nov 11;
For the spirit of volunteerism to grow here, all every volunteer has to do is to rope in two people each.
Those are the sums of Mr Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, who shared his hope of fostering more do-gooders yesterday.
'Everybody just go and reach out to two more volunteers, and we will be in good state,' he told The Sunday Times at an International Volunteer Day event organised by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre at *Scape in Orchard Road.
Still, he added that it is not just about increasing the pool of volunteers, but about the quality of the experience, as volunteering has a positive impact on a giver's life.
Lower-income families are in greater need of support from volunteers. And not just in the way of financial help, but to have role models and mentors to guide them, he said.
'Like they say, there's no point in giving the fellow a fish. It's better to teach the fellow how to fish.'
He said that it was a good sign that many who go overseas to volunteer also contribute locally. He added that for those who are not able to do such work overseas, there are plenty of opportunities to help others here as well.
The event, Walk With Me, which was held for the first time last year, also had several booths allowing visitors to learn about the lives of wheelchair- bound, visually impaired and schizophrenic people.
Mr Chan, who tried navigating obstacles in a wheelchair, also thanked volunteers from non-profit organisations by handing out ice cream to them.
At a separate event in line with International Volunteer Day, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, chairman of the Home Team Volunteers Network, expressed hope that the number of Singaporeans involved in volunteerism would grow from the current 25 per cent of the Republic's population.
'Who knows? Forty, 50 per cent is not an unrealistic target, so I want to be proud of that,' he said at the inaugural Home Team Volunteers Day held at HomeTeamNS@Bukit Batok.
There are more than 16,000 volunteers who augment the manpower of Home Team agencies such as the Singapore Police Force and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. They come from 60 volunteer schemes, and include voluntary special constables and prisons volunteers.
International Volunteer Day will be celebrated on Dec 5.
Nurdin Hasan Jakarta Globe 25 Nov 11;
Banda Aceh. A leading environmental group is suing Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf for allegedly approving a permit for an palm oil plantation inside a protected peat forest.
T.M. Zulfikar, executive director of the Aceh chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said on Thursday that his organization filed suit at the Banda Aceh State Administrative Court a day earlier.
He said the suit arose from Irwandi’s decision on Aug. 25 to issue a permit to palm oil company Kallista Alam for a concession inside the Tripa peat swamp in Nagan Raya district.
“The permit signed by Irwandi is for the conversion of 1,605 hectares of protected forests in the Tripa peat swamp into a palm oil plantation, destroying forests and peatlands protected by prevailing laws that forbid any new permits on primary forests and peatlands,” Zulfikar said. “By issuing the permit and violating these laws, the governor could face up to five years in prison.”
Zulfikar said he believed that Irwandi had been pressured by interest groups to approve the plantation permit.
“Sources in the provincial administration have stated that this ‘uncharacteristic’ signing of the permit suggests Irwandi was under heavy pressure to sign it,” he said. “That it was issued shows the governor didn’t really understand what he was signing.”
Zulfikar said that Walhi and other nongovernmental organizations filed the lawsuit to have the permit revoked. He added that they went to the court only after earlier pleas to the governor were ignored.
Kamaruddin, the lead lawyer for the NGOs, said that in addition to the lawsuit, they had also filed a criminal complaint against Irwandi with the National Police on Wednesday.
He added that because the permit was for a concession in a peat forest, it clearly went against a two-year moratorium adopted in May on new permits for primary and peat forests.
The moratorium, formalized under a presidential decree, is part of an agreement between Indonesia and Norway in which the Scandinavian country has committed $1 billion to help Indonesia meet its carbon emissions reduction target.
Kamaruddin said the governor had also breached the 2008 National Spatial Planning Law, which designates the entire Leuser Ecosystem Area a protected zone. “For that reason, issuing a plantation permit within the area is a criminal offense,” he said, adding that Irwandi could be charged with abuse of power.
He said the affair brought into question Indonesia’s commitment to honoring the terms of its agreement with Norway.
Irwandi and the provincial administration’s legal affairs head, Makmur Ibrahim, did not respond to a request for comment from the Jakarta Globe.
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