SINGAPORE: Emergency responses at sea will soon become faster and more effective, with remotely-operated drones now used to keep watch over ships and port activities.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has rolled out the use of such drones for surveillance since September – becoming the first organisation to deploy them across the country’s busy port waters. 

Beyond routine monitoring, the drones can also be quickly redeployed to support incident response operations when needed. 

BOOSTING MARITIME RESPONSE

These drones can be launched up to 80 per cent faster than before. Previously, drone operators had to be physically present outdoors to get the drones airborne.

“Traditionally when we operate drones, we have to be physically on site or on board our vessels to operate them,” said Mr Chua Chun Kang, deputy director at MPA’s maritime space and drone capability department.

MPA said these unmanned aerial solutions make it possible to inspect high-traffic areas more frequently without needing additional patrol crafts – a crucial advantage in Singapore, home to one of the world’s busiest ports.

“They provide regular surveillance, and it extends and complements the response capabilities of our patrol craft,” said Mr Chua, adding that this enables MPA to detect irregularities more effectively and respond when necessary.

“(Equipped) with high-resolution cameras and video analytics, these drones provide real-time insights to our patrol craft and partner agencies. This allows us to do targeted checks and inspections and allows us to better optimise the use of our resources.”

The authorities said they are working to expand the system to cover most of Singapore’s port waters in the coming years.

They are also looking into wider uses for drones at sea, including delivering items directly to ships.

FLYING FURTHER OUT

With the new system, operators can now remotely launch and control these drones across multiple locations from a single centralised operations centre.

The drones are also capable of autonomous take-off and landing at their designated docking stations.

Currently, authorities have installed these drones at Marina South Pier, West Coast Pier and Pasir Panjang Power Station.

From the control centre in One-North, operators are able to launch and manage multiple drones simultaneously.

Service provider Skyports Drone Services told CNA that remote operations allow the drones to fly much farther out to sea, enabling quicker and more efficient detection of incidents or suspicious activities.

“Traditional drone operations will require a drone pilot to be on site, and their operating limit is currently limited to 400m, and it requires the pilot to be moving from site to site,” said Mr Darryl Woon, a flight operations manager at the firm.

“With this current set-up, the drone operations can be extended to up to 5km. This will allow the pilot to also see critical areas of interest and to spot oil spills as and when they happen.”

SINGAPORE: Madam Sereena Joy Osman never expected she would one day be living alone – but that became her reality 14 years ago when her mother passed away.

Now 68 and retired, Mdm Sereena lives on her own in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Clementi.

Far from feeling lonely, she says her days are filled with activity, purpose and connection. She spends much of her time outdoors socialising before returning to her sanctuary for some peace and quiet.

“Planning is very important, and prioritising. Because after retiring, there are so many activities. You want to do everything, but you just don't have time,” she told CNA.

“So, what's important to you? Number one is family. Number two is your friends.”

In the event of a medical emergency, she counts on her neighbours to be there for her – a reminder that living alone does not necessarily mean being isolated.

Mdm Sereena is part of a growing group in Singapore who live on their own.

According to the latest sample household survey released by HDB last month, the share of one-person households rose to 15.6 per cent in 2023/2024, more than doubling since 2003.

Those aged 55 and above made up almost three quarters of these households.

Nevertheless, social service agencies CNA spoke to said the trend is not a cause for concern, noting that many seniors are choosing to live alone and that support systems are already in place to care for them.

Agencies are now looking at how to better match them with suitable programmes to keep both current and future seniors engaged.

HEALTH NOT AN ISSUE

For some, independence remains a priority even after major health setbacks.

Retiree Henry Tan, a beneficiary of Lions Befrienders, continues to live alone despite having suffered a stroke.

“Last time, I stayed with my mother, my sister. After that, I feel that I want to stay alone, independently,” said the 78-year-old, who has lived on his own for more than 30 years.

“When (I’m bored), I will (go downstairs) and see my friend. I travel with my wheelchair everywhere,” he added.

Seniors like Mr Tan make up about 14 per cent of Lions Befrienders’ beneficiaries. The organisation supports seniors living alone through activities, social groups and regular check-ins.

Ms Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders, said agencies like hers are adapting to seniors’ growing preference for independence and freedom.

“Ageing in a network means those who are healthy and active will continue to form interest groups or find their own things to (do),” she pointed out.

“For those who are not so proactive, the active ageing centres like Lions Befrienders will curate (activities), send them on (buses) all self-run by the volunteer seniors themselves, and they have a good quality of life.”

The agency has also started using phone calls powered by artificial intelligence to check in on seniors and match them with activities based on their interests, with the aim of keeping them engaged and connected.

REDESIGNING SPACES

With the number of seniors living alone set to rise, other social service organisations are also rethinking how best to engage future generations of retirees.

For example, Presbyterian Community Social Services (PCS) is exploring ways to redesign its spaces to make them more welcoming and inclusive.

Its chief executive officer Andrew Lim said many existing senior spaces may unintentionally deter participation.

“Most of the spaces that we are seeing that are supposed to be the third place for seniors are age-specific in design. It's not encouraging them to enter unless they feel that they need to,” he noted.

“But (in) the case of PCS, what we hope to be able to deliver is a space that they want to come to as a third place within the community, so that they can walk out from their home and be part of this space and be able to, therefore, at a fundamental level, address the issue of isolation.”

This means taking time to understand seniors’ aspirations as they approach and enter retirement, he added.

For Mdm Sereena, being intentional with how she spends her time has allowed her to embrace life on her own terms.

“There are exercises, hobbies, workshops – they’re free, and you need to step up to find what suits you. And when you take part in its activities, you end up making friends,” she said.

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) was among several Asian carriers that cancelled flights to and from New York as the US state braced for a snowstorm on Friday (Dec 26).

The United States National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for New York early on Friday, cautioning that heavy snow was expected between 4pm local time on Friday (5am Saturday, Singapore time) to 1pm on Saturday. 

According to an SIA travel advisory, these six flights have been cancelled. All times are local:

• SQ23 departing New York (John F Kennedy) for Singapore on Friday at 10.05pm
• SQ24 departing Singapore for New York (John F Kennedy) on Friday at 12.10pm
• SQ25 departing New York (John F Kennedy) for Frankfurt on Friday at 8.15pm
• SQ26 departing Frankfurt for New York (John F Kennedy) on Friday at 8.35am
• SQ21 departing New York (Newark) for Singapore on Saturday at 5.45pm
• SQ22 departing Singapore for New York (Newark) on Saturday at 5.30am

SIA said it will be contacting all affected customers to inform them about the cancellations, adding that other flights might be affected as the situation remains fluid.

“Customers affected by the flight cancellations will be reaccommodated on alternative flights or can seek a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket,” it added.

SIA customers who booked directly with the airline can seek a refund online. Those who made bookings through travel agents or partner airlines were advised to contact them directly for assistance.

New York City's John F Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, as well as the Newark Liberty International Airport, were among the top four airports with the most cancellations on Friday, according to flight tracking platform FlightAware. 

Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific announced on Friday that it was waiving rebooking and rerouting charges for flights to and from New York in light of the snowstorm. This applied to the travel period between Thursday and Sunday.

Tickets must be changed before Sunday and travel must be completed on or before Jan 31, said the airline, adding that the new dates were subject to seat availability.

The airline has also cancelled one flight - CX840 from Hong Kong to John F Kennedy Airport. 

Taiwan airline EVA Air said it cancelled two flights between Taipei and New York's John F Kennedy Airport due to the weather. 

South Korean carrier Korean Air has also cancelled its Friday evening flight from Incheon Airport to John F Kennedy. 

Have you ever looked at an iPad kid and thought back to a time when handheld gaming consoles with buttons were the hottest thing? If you still remember owning Nintendo’s first Game Boy, launched in 1989, well, you're about to be hit with a wave of nostalgia.

A netizen recently took to Reddit to share an old photo of consoles and games displayed in cabinets of a store, writing: "Those who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s should remember this, heartland shops selling console games."

The user, who chanced upon the photo online, also wrote: "[This] reminds me a lot of the good old days. It was also quite popular for people to pay a couple of dollars per hour and play console games at these heartland shops, titles such as Street Fighter 2, Super Mario etc. and often a small crowd will gather outside to watch. No aircon, no malls."

The post immediately triggered a wave of excitement amongst Singaporeans, most of whom are likely in their 30s and 40s now.

Many recalled playing titles such as Capcom's Mega Man, Pokemon, and the various Super Mario games, and how accessible they used to be.

Some recalled buying cartridges at neighbourhood spots like Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre, Tampines Bus Interchange, and even wet market stalls.

One netizen penned: "That moment of joy when you finally saved enough of your pocket money to buy that one Game Boy cartridge of either Pokemon Red or Blue version. Then that moment of uneasiness when the shop [owner] starts hard-selling you the Game Boy connector cable. Those were the days."

Those who couldn't afford the handheld consoles remember "renting" them from friends, with some even buying the "pirated versions" from their neighbourhood shops.

Another shared: "The internet was not as advanced. I remember calling the game shop or going down there to see new games almost daily. Nothing to do also just walk pass and see see look look at all the console and games on display. It really made us go out and interact more compared to kids these days."

Some recalled being unable to "save" their points in old school games, and having to start from scratch again after "losing all [their] lives" – a tragic, but core memory for sure.

For those longing to take a trip down memory lane, according to several netizens, these "retro games" are still available for purchase on second-hand sites, though the price has risen throughout the years.

A pre-owned classic Game Boy console goes for S$100 and up, excluding games, on eBay now.

The demand remains, and the kids who wanted them back now can afford them.

As one netizen puts it: "[When I was young], l had all the time in the world, but no money to buy all the games. Now, I have all the money to buy any game I want, but no time or energy to play them."

This story was originally published in 8Days.

For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/

Come January next year, Singapore's Fort Canning Green will host two concerts where attendees can listen to reimagined versions of popular and familiar tunes as interpreted by Singapore's Metropolitan Festival Orchestra (MFO).

First up is Ministry Of Sound Classical on Jan 23, where iconic electronic hits get interpreted with some powerful orchestral arrangements by the MFO alongside vocalists and DJs. Delight your inner clubber with new versions of popular dance anthems, including Darude's Sandstorm, Faithless' Insomnia and Fatboy Slim's Right Here, Right Now.

Tickets for the show are now available for sale via Ticketek, with prices starting at S$130.

Meanwhile, fans of acclaimed composers Hans Zimmer and John Williams will want to keep Jan 25 free for The Music of Zimmer Vs Williams, a concert that pits the former's epic soundscapes against Williams' timeless melodies.

Once again, the MFO will be the one delighting attendees – this time with a 70-piece ensemble playing tunes from the some of their hit movie franchises, including Zimmer's Pirates Of The Caribbean and Williams' Star Wars and Harry Potter.

Tickets for the show are now available for sale via Ticketek, with prices starting at S$120.

SINGAPORE: A former lawyer was charged on Friday (Dec 26) with acting as an advocate and solicitor for multiple clients while unauthorised.

Paul Yong Wei Kuen, 58, was handed eight charges under the Legal Profession Act, relating to four individuals he allegedly acted for between April and July 2018.

He is accused of filing court applications and signing documents that were later submitted to court. These included applications to leave jurisdiction and requests for pre-trial conference dates, as well as documents such as letters of representation and cases for the defence.

For one individual, named Zu Kuimu in charge sheets, Yong allegedly acted as a lawyer on five occasions.

Documents did not state why Yong was unauthorised at the time. 

Yong was unrepresented in court. The prosecution sought an adjournment pending investigations into additional charges and instructions. 

Yong was the managing partner of Thames Law before he was struck off the rolls on Apr 1, 2020. It is unclear whether he has since been reinstated. However, his name does not appear in the Ministry of Law’s directory of lawyers and law firms.

The Court of Three Judges, the legal profession’s highest disciplinary body, disbarred Yong on Apr 1, 2020 following a hearing arising from charges brought against him by a disciplinary tribunal. The judges set out their decision in a judgment issued that day. 

The charges stemmed from two separate complaints.

One involved an illegal moneylending scheme in which Yong approached a former client to make a cash advance to his friend for a purported investment opportunity. The friend was later found to be an undischarged bankrupt, and some funds became unaccounted for, with the “inescapable inference” that Yong had siphoned nearly S$20,000 for himself, the judges found. 

“Given the blatant and pervasive dishonesty practised, the unmistakable picture that emerges is that the respondent is unfit to continue as a member of the legal profession,” the judges said.

The second complaint concerned a client firm depositing funds improperly into an office account instead of a client account. Yong also failed to provide a draft affidavit despite being asked multiple times, and later failed to return the funds paid.

Yong did not appear before the disciplinary tribunal but told the Court of Three Judges that he was “ignorant of all that had transpired before the disciplinary tribunal”, according to the judgment.

He sought an adjournment to seek legal advice and representation, but the request was dismissed by the Court of Three Judges as “made in bad faith”.

Yong’s case in the State Courts will be heard again on Jan 23.

If convicted of acting as an advocate or solicitor without authority, a first-time offender faces a fine of up to S$25,000 (US$19,500), imprisonment of up to six months, or both.

SINGAPORE: PUB will be carrying out a feasibility study for a potential sixth desalination plant in Singapore, with a tender for the study to be called on Friday (Dec 26), the national water agency said in a release.

Currently, Singapore has five desalination plants in operation.

"PUB will continue to invest in expanding our water infrastructure to safeguard our water supply and security,” PUB said.

The feasibility study is expected to take around 10 months and will involve developing various plant design options and assessing their technical feasibility and economic viability.

PUB will also assess the viability of constructing a dual-mode plant similar to the existing Marina East Desalination Plant as part of the study. Such a facility can treat either seawater or freshwater and can switch between modes, enhancing the weather-resilience of Singapore’s water supply.

“PUB will also explore innovative and multi-functional designs to maximise landuse and lower the new plant’s footprint,” the agency said.

“This considers lessons learnt from existing desalination plants, such as incorporating higher multi-storey buildings and deeper basements to house treatment facilities. 

“PUB will balance the benefits of these alternative designs with considerations of technical feasibility and potentially higher costs.”

Desalinated water, a weather-resilient water source, was introduced as Singapore’s fourth national tap in 2005. 

Singaporean digital marketer and content creator Aidan James Loo recently took it into his hands, quite literally, to spread festive joy to the residents living on Haig Road.

In a TikTok posted on Dec 24, Loo shared a minute-long video of himself giving out free haircuts for Christmas at a HDB void deck. He wrote: "Thankful for the gift of being able to give. Merry Christmas y'all!"

Armed with nothing more than his barbering tools, a plastic chair, and a sheet of tarp, Loo got to work while the sun was still up. He trimmed the hair of nine residents in total, wrapping up only at 9.30pm.

Throughout the day, he greeted his “customers” – many of whom were elderly – with a warm smile. He even thoughtfully switched from an electric clipper to scissors when one elderly man was “afraid of the sound”. In return, he was met with grateful smiles and well-wishes from those he helped.

There was a small hiccup along the way: Loo was questioned by authorities after completing his third haircut. However, the matter appeared to be resolved quickly, and he soon resumed offering his services.

Unsurprisingly, Loo’s comment section quickly filled with praise. Many applauded his kindness, with some calling it “kampung spirit”, while others said the world “needs more people like him”.

"Now this is charity," one commenter wrote.

Another netizen also praised Loo for being considerate and responsible, noting that he had covered the floor with a tarp to avoid making a mess.

Loo is the founder of Francesco’s Barber Club, a social initiative named after Pope Francis. Inspired by the late Pope’s teachings, he has been offering free haircuts to people he meets on the streets.

According to the initiative’s Instagram page, Loo has provided haircuts not only to random passers-by, but also to migrant workers.

In an earlier interview with local online media platform Wakeup.sg, he revealed that he had completed an apprenticeship at a barber shop owned by a friend. Although he was unable to commit to running a shop of his own, he shared that he wanted to use his barbering skills for good.

This story was originally published in 8Days.

For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/

SINGAPORE: Car dealers in Singapore say second-hand electric vehicles (EVs) are significantly harder to resell than petrol cars, often taking months longer to find buyers and suffering steeper depreciation. 

This comes even as EVs continue to gain ground in the new car market, making up 53 per cent of all new vehicle registrations in October.

“EXTREMELY HARD TO SELL”

At Euro Performance Asia’s showroom in Ang Mo Kio, fewer than 10 per cent of its 90 second-hand vehicles are electric cars.

The dealership said it is deliberately selective about taking in used EVs, citing weak demand in the resale market.

While petrol cars are typically sold within three weeks, an EV can take up to six months to move off the lot. One EV at the showroom has remained unsold for more than a year, despite repeated attempts to sell it. 

“I usually don’t take in used EVs because they’re extremely hard to sell. There’s no demand. Most dealers don’t take them,” said the company’s managing director Anson Lee.

He added that the only EV brand performing relatively well in the resale market is Chinese manufacturer BYD, driven by its comparatively lower price point.

Dealers say depreciation is another major concern. 

Used EVs can lose up to 40 per cent of their value, compared with about 10 per cent for conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Mr Lee said many people tend to treat EVs like consumer electronics, eager to upgrade as soon as newer models emerge as they offer better range, performance and features.

“People will want to upgrade to the newest model. When they upgrade, older models flood the market,” he added. 

IMMATURE RESALE MARKET

Second-hand marketplace Sgcarmart reports a similar trend, noting that EVs take about one-third longer to resell compared with conventional vehicles. 

Out of about 15,000 car listings on the platform, only around 900 are electric cars – roughly 6 per cent of the total. 

Its editorial manager Desmond Chan said many consumers remain unsure about EV maintenance and long-term reliability, including whether there are enough workshops equipped to handle repairs when problems arise. 

“There’re (still) some question marks around maintenance, whether there are enough workshops that are able to work on your electric vehicle when something potentially goes wrong,” he told CNA. 

He added that the resale market remains relatively immature. Most EVs currently on the used market are only two to three years old, reflecting when large numbers of new electric cars first entered Singapore. 

“Understandably, there's a lot of question marks around that – what is the residue value on these cars? How well would they hold up over time? No one really knows,” he said.

“But if we fast forward four to five years from now, when all these cars get older, (there will) be more data points, more factors that (buyers) can explore.”

Mr Chan believes demand for used EVs will pick up over time as the overall vehicle landscape shifts.

Singapore plans to stop registering new petrol cars by 2030 and have a 100 per cent cleaner-energy vehicle fleet by 2040. 

LOOKING AHEAD

Analyst Walter Theseira said the resale market remains important for buyers with tighter budgets, especially amid high Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums.

At the same time, new EVs are becoming cheaper over time due to falling supply chain costs, particularly for Chinese-manufactured models, he added. 

“When you are considering buying a new EV instead of a used one, you may find that the new EV is better priced and has more capabilities than the (second hand) EV (that first came on the market) three or four years ago,” said the associate professor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences’ School of Business.

He added that resale prices for EVs could rise in the near term, as government rebates for EV adoption begin to taper from Jan 1, potentially boosting demand for second-hand vehicles. 

Looking ahead, he noted that the pace of technological advancement of EVs is slowing, which could lead to more stable resale values.

“Any EV you buy today (will) completely outclass an EV (from) 10 years ago, but it is not so clear that it would outclass one (from) five years ago,” he told CNA. 

“So, the rate of change has slowed dramatically. That would be good news for EV buyers today who are wondering about resale values in the future.” 

SINGAPORE: Train services on the North-South Line were delayed due to a train fault on Friday morning (Dec 26), affecting eight stations.

In an announcement on Facebook at 7.38am, rail operator SMRT said the delay affected train services between Ang Mo Kio and Woodlands, in the direction of Jurong East.

“Commuters can continue to use the train service or consider free bus services at affected stations,” said SMRT, adding that free regular bus services were available between Ang Mo Kio and Woodlands.

Train services were progressively restored about 20 minutes later, it later updated. 

At 8.13am, the rail operator reported that train services from Ang Mo Kio to Woodlands had resumed and free regular bus services had ended.

The incident was initially described as a major delay, but was later downgraded to a minor one.

Earlier this month, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that train service delays will be classified into two broad categories - minor and major delays - when it came to advising commuters.

Social media announcements would not be made for minor delays - incidents expected to be resolved within 30 minutes - and commuters will be advised to continue using train services.

Major delays, which refer to incidents requiring more than 30 minutes to resolve, will trigger communication across multiple channels - in stations and on trains, LTA’s new real-time webpage and social media posts.

When determining whether an incident is minor or major, LTA will consider factors such as the length of the track affected and whether the disruption occurred during peak or off-peak hours.

SINGAPORE: A man who said he consumed drugs with former lawyer M Ravi hours before his death was charged on Friday (Dec 26) for arranging a gathering where controlled drugs were consumed.

Shawn Loo Zhi Jian, 40, was handed one charge under the Misuse of Drugs Act by the State Courts. 

His charge states that on Wednesday, between 1am and 5am, at an apartment along Upper Boon Keng Road, Loo arranged a gathering with Mr Ravi knowing that methamphetamine - a "Class A" controlled drug - would be consumed there. 

The offence carries a jail term between three and 20 years, and 10 strokes of the cane. 

Loo, dressed in a white shirt, appeared via videolink from remand. A lawyer representing him said that he had yet to take instructions from Loo and sought an adjournment. 

The prosecution told the court that Loo may be given additional charges, pending the results from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the retrieval of closed-circuit camera television footage.

In a joint news release on Friday, the Singapore Police Force and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that the two men knew each other since 2023 and had first met through a social networking app. 

Loo said that they had met at the man’s apartment on Dec 24 to consume drugs that allegedly came from both of them, and engage in other activities.

According to him, Mr Ravi, 56, began to show "concerning symptoms" and became unresponsive after they allegedly consumed the drugs. The man administered CPR on Mr Ravi before calling the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for assistance.

Mr Ravi was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital unconscious, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

CNB’s follow-up investigations revealed that the man may have deliberately disposed of some drugs before the police arrived at the Upper Boon Keng Road apartment. He has therefore also been referred to the police for a possible offence of perverting the course of justice.

Loo was arrested by CNB for suspected drug-related offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act. 

CNB officers also seized some drug-related items from the apartment. His urine had tested positive for a controlled drug in an instant urine test, and his urine samples will be sent to the HSA for a confirmatory test.

Investigations by CNB and the police are ongoing. 

The authorities said that after police investigations are completed, the findings will be submitted to the State Coroner in Singapore, who will determine if a coroner’s inquiry will need to be held.

Loo, who is employed by the Bank of America, will return to court on Jan 2. Bail was offered to him at S$20,000 (US$15,578).

When contacted, a spokesperson for the bank declined to comment. 

SINGAPORE: Ask Mr Vareck Ng what good design is, and he will point to a chair. No instruction manual. No second-guessing. You just sit down, and it works.

Likewise, good wayfinding signs in a transport system should guide commuters intuitively.

“Imagine if things in the city are so seamless that it is as easy as sitting down on this chair," he said. "That would be fantastic. And that, to me, is what good design is about.” 

The 23-year-old has spent the past few years applying that philosophy to Singapore's public transport system – by designing and installing his own wayfinding signs in places where he believes the official ones fall short. 

He calls himself Singapore's "guerrilla wayfinder".

His journey into unsanctioned signage began with frustration at Orchard MRT station. When the Land Transport Authority (LTA) introduced its new transit signs for the Thomson-East Coast Line, exits were labelled with numbers instead of letters and landmarks. Finding his way to Lucky Plaza became an exercise in confusion.

“There are certain points which are a bit too vague or unclear. And I know that these things can be made better,” he said.

Singapore regularly ranks among the world's best for public transportation infrastructure. Yet Mr Ng argues that top-down planning, however effective at delivering large-scale projects, inevitably misses the gaps that everyday users encounter.

He used to complain about such issues online. 

“Then I realised that I actually have the power to change things in my community. I feel empowered by seeing other people doing the same,” he said.

THE FIRST BIG PROJECT

He began with small projects, such as putting up signs along the Lorong Halus park connector, where directions between Pasir Ris and Punggol were unclear. 

A bigger project presented itself when Mr Ng was pursuing a diploma at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 2024. He noticed that campus bus stops lacked signs showing which buses stopped where.

"As a freshman, I saw it as stepping into a restaurant and having no menu at the start," he said. "So I went to the wrong bus stops, and then just to see the bus fly by the bus stops, especially when it's late at night." 

Frustrated, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Mr Ng spent three to four months designing new signs, tweaking them based on feedback from students at bus stops. He took inspiration from the Circle Line map and icons used in Kuala Lumpur's transport system. 

When the last bus departed, he would cycle around campus in the early hours of the morning to put up the signs. 

Some signs lasted less than a day. Others remained for months. Whenever one came down, he put up another.

Eventually, Mr Ng approached NTU directly. A university spokesperson confirmed that the school engaged with him several times to discuss his proposals.

"All campus installations must meet safety and infrastructure requirements, and his ideas were considered within these guidelines," the spokesperson said. 

Ultimately, the proposals were dropped and he was told students could simply use Google Maps. In April, the school reached out to Mr Ng for a meeting shortly before the end of term in May, but by then, he was working as a music teacher and no longer had the capacity to take on the project.

"But if I were a student and the school was receptive to it, I'd be super happy to just make the signs for them," he said.

“YOU GOT PERMISSION?”

Mr Ng went on to make wayfinding signs for the public, starting with Marine Parade MRT station. 

There, two bus stops had the same bus stop number, with no clear indication of which buses stopped where. So, he made and installed signs. 

Going from putting up signs on campus to the public space was “scary”, he said.

“You're doing it in public view, you can get into trouble for a lot of things. Particularly, you can get caned for vandalism. That is one thing I'm very well aware of,” he said.

In Singapore, vandalism carries a fine of up to S$2,000 (US$1,540) or imprisonment up to three years, and three to eight strokes of the cane.

“But at the same time, I was asking myself: what are my morals and what am I doing this for? What are my values? And for me, if it's to serve the public better, then I'll just do them.”

He estimates he has completed at least 10 wayfinding projects, although he has "lost count". 

People often ask: “You got permission?”

Mr Ng smiled and said: “I usually put up the signs first. If they benefit commuters, then they usually stay. So I'm quite happy with that way of working.”

He doesn't track which signs remain. 

"Usually I just put it up, take a photo and say: 'Okay, this is my gift to commuters along the way', and I just hop on the next bus and carry on with my journey." 

A LOVE FOR TRANSPORT

Mr Ng, a percussionist by training, has no formal training in graphic design. But he grew up in a family of artists – both his parents work in the arts and his younger sister is pursuing a diploma in communication design.

While his interest in wayfinding signs only started a few years back, his love for the transport system goes way back.

When he was just three, he would spend car rides quietly observing the streets outside, said his mother, Mdm Karyn Lee, 54.

“Being in the car, he wouldn't want to choose the nursery booklet … he’d be flipping the street directory,” said the art therapist. “By five and six, he was very familiar with all the roads in Tampines.” 

His room is filled with transport-themed items: self-designed postcards, handmade bus models and transportation signs collected from Singapore and abroad. 

He has no ride-hailing apps on his phone, and they have long sold their family car, his mother said.

“When I'm curious about something, I just want to deep dive into it, find out more. And then I fell into the transportation rabbit hole a bit too deeply, so now it's a bit hard to reverse out of it, but here I am,” he said. 

SEEDING A MOVEMENT

Despite his passion for transport, Mr Ng is unsure if wayfinding design will ever become a full-time job.

“If the opportunity comes, I would love to work on it to help people with wayfinding. Of course, there are a thousand and one things that I love to do, and the main constraint is time.”

Outside of transport, he enjoys long runs, cycles frequently and plays at least a dozen instruments.

He is also active on social media, under the handle Tehsiewdai, where he advocates for better transport systems and posts about his wayfinding journey.

He has received "nasty" comments and messages, he said. The criticism was especially difficult early on, when he was unaware of others doing similar work. 

"I've been doing things that have been out of the safe and proven path for so many years. So it is a lonely journey. It is a tough journey, but I would say it's a very fulfilling journey." 

For now, his wayfinding work continues.

Already, he has seen more signs being put up by other members of the public. The Marine Parade sign he installed has since been replaced with an official one.

But the impact, he said, is not about how many signs stay up. Instead, it is like “planting a seed into the soil”.

"You won't see the effects on day one, but you might see it maybe one year down the road, 10 years down the road," he said. "If more people get involved in the community – wayfinding or not – I think it's a net positive to everyone."

SINGAPORE: A 43-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday (Dec 25) for her suspected involvement in spray painting "offensive words" at The Salvation Army at Upper Bukit Timah.

In response to CNA's query, police said they received a call for assistance regarding a case of graffiti at Praisehaven - The Salvation Army at about 9.15am on Thursday.

"Offensive words written with red spray paint were found scribbled on the premises and on properties belonging to Praisehaven - The Salvation Army, including the building's walls and three vans," police said.
 
In a post on Sgfollowsall's Instagram account at around 2pm, a follower shared: "Several parts of the walls and vehicles were spray-painted with a red canister. With ill-intended words."

The social media post also said that police "have the place surrounded" and a red spray canister was found on site.


 

The police said they "take a very serious view of acts that threaten Singapore’s racial and religious harmony".

"Such behaviour will not be condoned, and offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law."

Police investigations are ongoing.