The_King

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In-flight meals that are actually enjoyable are few and far between. In part, that’s because ingredients often need to be shipped hundreds or thousands of miles from farms to airports, meaning sometimes they’re not exactly fresh. Singapore Airlines is aiming to change that with a “farm-to-plane” partnership announced Thursday with AeroFarms, a vertical indoor farming company. At AeroFarms’ Newark, New Jersey headquarters, a variety of leafy greens are grown with only light, nutrients and oxygen — there’s no sunlight or soil to speak of. The operation, which TIME toured on Thursday, resembles a data center, but instead of racks upon racks of servers and other hardware, it has rows of plants in various stages of growth. AeroFarms’ plants are grown atop a layer of cloth suspended over a chamber about the size of a small bathtub, into which nutrients are pumped. Instead of sunlight, the plants are exposed to LED light, the color of which can be changed depending on whatever’s best for a particular species. The company closely tracks the progress of each batch of plants, providing data that can help it refine the combination of light, nutrients, fertilizers and other factors involved. AeroFarms says its process uses 95% less water than typical farming, and doesn’t use pesticides or similar chemicals. The company’s “aeroponics” approach, says co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Marc Oshima, is 390 times more efficient in terms of land usage than an equivalent traditional farm. And because the indoor farm is temperature-controlled and protected from the elements, AeroFarms’ growing techniques can be highly customized. “It’s a type of control and precision you can’t ever get out in the field,” says Oshima. He adds that the Newark facility is the world’s largest indoor vertical farm. It takes about 12-14 days for baby leafy greens to grow at AeroFarms’ facility, Oshima says, compared to 30-45 days at an average outdoor farm. That quicker growth means food can be grown and supplied faster. But it also allows for the kind of rapid prototyping more commonly seen in the software world — if AeroFarms wants to experiment with a different technique for a certain plant, it won’t take long for it to see the results and adjust as needed. AeroFarms’ proximity to Newark Liberty International Airport, which serves the New York metro area, means that greens grown there can be on a Singapore Airlines passenger’s plate within hours of when they’re harvested, allowing for fresher and tastier meals. The airline hopes to have the first AeroFarms-grown food available on flights by September. Singapore Airlines’ culinary experts are particularly interested in AeroFarms’ bolder, spicer greens, which can help overcome passengers’ decreased senses of smell and taste in dried-out airplane cabins. (TIME enjoyed a taste test of those bolder, spicer greens and can report they’re also excellent while on terra firma.) Singapore Airlines sees the AeroFarms partnership as a way to further differentiate itself in the crowded, commoditized aviation world. “Food is an area where we can stand out,” says Singapore Airlines VP of PR James Boyd. Some examples of potential Singapore Airlines menu items that could feature AeroFarms greens include soy poached chicken, a garden green salad, and heirloom tomato ceviche. (AeroFarms also sells greens to local grocery stores under the brand name Dream Greens.) AeroFarms’ approach has benefits beyond fresher salads in first-class and coach. It’s also one potential solution to the problem of so-called “food deserts,” or areas that don’t have enough access to fresh, healthy foods. Some people have looked to rooftop farming as a fix for that problem in urban neighborhoods, but there’s only so much viable rooftop real estate in any given city. But indoor vertical farms like AeroFarms can make use of an entire building to produce food, echoing the way cities have built upwards over time when they run out of room to grow sideways. http://time.com/5556132/singapore-airlines-aerofarms/

i was thinking, the person jalan jalan then the sai just drop from is short/pant?

thanks, i will take note, BTW you can use hydrogen peroxide for mouth wash, to remove the yellow collar from white shirt or as a disinfect

kill by drug

i wanted to buy baking soda, to make my white t shirt white again but cannot find about 250gram of baking soda to 4l of water and soak for 8hr

the sai look like dark grey, like a baby sai but grainy

level 4, i was going to the value dollar shop

The facade of the Moncler store at Marina Bay Sands. (PHOTO: Moncler) Who says retail is dead? Apparel and lifestyle company Moncler just revealed its newest brick-and-mortar store at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore and we were there to preview it on Thursday (21 March). The new Moncler boutique covers a total area of 5,600 sq ftspread across two floors, making it among the biggest Moncler store in the APAC Region. The interior of the store. (PHOTO: Moncler) Not to overlook their biggest opportunity to connect with consumers, the store, at the first glimpse, marries an inspiring physical environment with vignettes of our lifestyle – the facade of the store mimics the brand’s classic puffer-style jackets, to use of black and white marble within the interior and furniture that’s carved into shapes of icebergs – leaving you with that feeling like you’re off on an Alpine ski trip. (PHOTO: Moncler) There is a marble staircase that’s luminescent, which we reckon would make the next Instagrammable snap, while the mirrors on the high ceilings will leave you wanting to take a 360° video. Thanks to French designer Gwenael Nicolas and founder of the Curiosity design studio, we got to experience the evocative ice effect within the store. (PHOTO: Moncler) Moncler’s customers will be pleased to know that there is a range of 4 Moncler Simone Rocha to shop from, which is part of the instalment of Moncler Genius’ SS19 collection, as well as kids’ collections, accessories and both men and women’s collection in-store. Moncler is located at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands L1-63 and B1-141.

Earlier this year, Taiwanese bubble tea connoisseur The Alley announced its impending arrival in Singapore. Although details were scant, eagle-eyed netizens immediately jumped on the news, speculating when and where the brown sugar pearl milk specialist would set up shop. Fast forward a couple months, and the wait is almost over. Interestingly enough, the brand will be opening two stores at the same time in mid-April — one at Jewel Changi Airport, the other a flagship and “world first” at Cineleisure Orchard called The Alley Luxe. Both will join the brand’s family of more than 300 outlets across the globe, which has been expanding since 2013. The Brown Sugar Series. Photo: The Alley Not much else has been said about the airport outlet, but at the “premium lifestyle cafe concept”, you can expect to see a selection of pastries like croissants, cruffins (croissant-muffin hybrids), and kouign-amann (Breton cake) creations to go with the brand’s signature Brown Sugar Deerioca Series of fresh milk and tapioca pearls that’ve been brewed for hours in natural brown sugar. The Lulu Series. Photo: The Alley Besides the sugary beverage, the menu will also offer a new Lulu Series of fresh fruit and tea blends, plus its popular Aurora Series of ice blended fresh fruits and tea in swirls of color.

Video game arcades may have a nostalgic hold over us (shoutout to our childhoods spent in Timezone), but let’s be real. The pull of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences are a lot more immersive and exhilarating, teleporting users into the middle of all that action. With VR, you get to roam around an entirely new world, which may or may not be overrun with creatures like zombies, ghosts, or monsters. Meanwhile, AR lets you interact with digital landscapes and objects built on top of real-life ones. To get started on your otherworldly adventures (and perhaps work up a bit of a sweat), check out these five attractions below. Hado Singapore Photo: Hado Singapore/Facebook Short for “hadoken,” Street Fighter’s iconic special attack, Hado Singapore’s trademark is augmented sports with three game varieties: Hado Dodgeball, where players battle one another, Hado Monster Battle, with dragons to defeat, and Hado Shoot, an all-ages friendly session that pits your fireballs against poisonous mushrooms and other creatures. You can try all three on your visit, or choose whichever calls out to you. Don your gear – AR goggles (basically a phone fastened on a headset) and a forearm motion sensor – to aid you in your mission to slay. #02-15 *Scape, 2 Orchard Link. 6634-4668. Daily noon-9pm. HeadRock VR Photo: HeadRock VR Singapore/Facebook Opened late last year, this Resorts World Sentosa “theme park” houses 11 attractions over three zones of different thrill levels. To ease you into the VR experience, the green zone offers a room full of sports like baseball and fencing, plus a Robin Hood archery game and a Zombie Busters adventure. If you’d like to up your adrenaline level, venture into a Horror Room at the orange zone, where you’ll be forced to flee from a haunted house in the Amazon forest. Alternatively, squeamish guests can board the Extreme Train for a ride to a treasure island in the skies or put on your wetsuits for Jungle Rafting in a land dominated by a T-Rex. For the bravest of us, the blue zone is where you can challenge yourself by making your way through a raging blizzard on a dog sled or leaping your way across the jungle, a la Tarzan. Waterfront at Resorts World Sentosa. 6963-4609. Daily 10am-8pm. Sandbox VR Photo: Sandbox VR Singapore/Facebook Branching out to Singapore after outlets in Los Angeles, Bangkok, and Hong Kong, Sandbox VR takes over a space at Orchard Central for its team-based games that last for about half an hour (although you need to factor in time for setup and debriefing). All the action takes place in a green room stocked with heavy duty gear that includes a haptic vest, a weapon, a VR headset, and headphones embedded with a microphone. It is a pretty cool sight to see your teammates all decked out and ready for war. To dive right in, sign up for Deadwood Mansion, the creepiest experience of the three. As you tiptoe around the place, you can actually feel the touch of the undead, which could possibly make you question everything about the world as you know it. If you’ve always had swashbuckling dreams, the Curse of Davy Jones is where you can live out your plundering pirate fantasies. Otherwise, step into a cyberpunk cityscape set in New Hong Kong for Amber Sky 2088 and defend your home turf to the death. #05-31 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Rd. 9832-5988. Mon-Thurs 1pm-10:15pm, Fri 11:30am-midnight, Sat 10:30am-midnight, Sun 10:30am-10:30pm. Virtual Room Singapore Fly me… to the moon? Photo: Virtual Room: Virtual Reality Singapore/Facebook The entire basement of Lucky Chinatown is home to Virtual Room’s sprawling premises, which includes 22 game rooms chock full of cool gear. Each experience lasts about 40 to 50 minutes, and once you’ve got your headset and two controllers, you’re ready to roll. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to solve puzzles and complete tasks as you travel back to the past in time periods like ancient Egypt and scenes such as the moon landing. Just like any other dramatic challenge, the fate of the world lies in your hands. Although, more often than not, you may be too preoccupied with marveling at the new world before your eyes to focus on actually breaking out of the virtual escape room. B3, Lucky Chinatown, 211 New Bridge Rd. 6966-8060. Zero Latency Photo: Zero Latency Singapore/Facebook Touted as the largest VR gaming arena in the country, this free-roaming multi-player experience from Australia gives you the full experience with custom-made simulated weapons, a headset with 2K resolution, a backpack containing a high-performance gaming computer, and microphone-equipped headphones. Pick from a selection of five games, including Sol Raiders, where you’ll join the last survivors of humanity traversing the universe on the hunt for new worlds, and Outbreak Origins, which puts you in the thick of the action to defend the city against swarms of zombies. If you’ve always dreamed of going to space (but perhaps watched Gravity one too many times), Singularity safely transports you to a space station that’s unfortunately overrun by killer drones and robots. For something a little more light-hearted, enter the world of Engineerium and frolic across a fantastical alien realm full of flying whales and parrot rays. #03-346 Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Blvd. 6931-0331. Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 10am-10pm.

SINGAPORE — The ride-hailing market here is about to heat up again, with Vietnamese firm FastGo to launch in Singapore next month as part of its expansion plan in South-east Asia. Drivers here may register on the FastGo mobile application from April 1 and customers will be able to book rides from April 30. Singapore is the third country in which FastGo will operate after Vietnam and Myanmar, and the firm is revving into a market that includes ride-hailing giant Grab, Indonesia’s Gojek, Ryde and Tada. The company, which is part of technology startup NextTech Group, said in a press release on Wednesday (March 20) that it is also planning to launch in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand this year. While FastGo did not provide details on fares for riders, its founder and chairman Nguyen Huu Tuat said that “any FastGo ride will always be cheaper than the others”. Customers will not have to pay surcharges during peak hours and they may leave tips for drivers when booking a ride, or opt for priority services. Unlike some ride-hailing apps, FastGo will charge its drivers a fixed daily subscription fee instead of collecting commission fees. It expects to charge a fee of below US$5 (S$6.80) if a driver’s income exceeds US$30 a day. This strategy will allow it to “attract driver-partners and customers at a low cost”, the firm said. Transport economist Walter Theseira said that the addition of “another small entrant” will not make a difference here, unless the new player is financially backed by a strong sponsor or a well-known Singaporean firm. The associate professor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences said: “Other than GoJek and Grab, the other (existing) players have very small market share and have difficulty making much impact locally. “The market is easy to enter but it’s very hard to get substantial market share.” FastGo started its private car and taxi service in Vietnam in June last year and claimed to be one of the top two ride-hailing services in the country with close to 60,000 drivers. After receiving an undisclosed sum in a Series A investment from venture capital platform VinaCapital Ventures in August last year, FastGo is aiming to raise another US$50 million in its Series B investment round over the next few months. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/vietnams-fastgo-revs-singapores-ride-hailing-market

Compromised credentials from Singaporean government agencies and educational institutions were put up for sale on the dark web. Russian cyber-security company Group-IB, a partner of Interpol, revealed on Tuesday that it had found user log-ins and passwords from these organisations on the dark web over the course of 2017 and last year. Among the agencies named by Group-IB were the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and the Singapore Police Force. The National University of Singapore's learning management system was also named. Mr Dmitry Volkov, the chief technology officer and head of threat intelligence at Group-IB, said in a press release that the compromised credentials pose a significant threat to security. "Users' accounts from government resources are either sold on underground forums or used in targeted attacks on government agencies for the purpose of espionage or sabotage," he said. "Even one compromised account, unless detected at the right time, can lead to the disruption of internal operations or leak of government secrets." Mr Alexander Kalinin, head of Group-IB's Computer Emergency Response Team, yesterday told The New Paper his team had reached out to the Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCert) after the discovery. "It is likely that these credentials are still on sale on underground forums," he said. It is not known if any of the compromised credentials was used illegally, but Mr Kalinin said such stolen information has been used by cyber criminals in other cases. "It is not unusual when a compromised account is used by cyber criminals to infiltrate an organisation's internal network for the purpose of sabotage and espionage," he said. VERIFICATION He added that his team had refrained from verifying the credentials themselves, and instead left it to SingCert to do so. "The verification of stolen credentials would require a log-in session using compromised log-ins and passwords which is not only unethical but also a crime," he said. "SingCert confirmed the receipt of the information, thanked Group-IB for sharing the list of compromised credentials and promised to verify and perform the necessary actions." TNP contacted the agencies listed on Tuesday, as well as the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, for comment. Replying on their behalf, a Smart Nation and Digital Government Group spokesman said last night that GovTech was alerted to e-mail credentials in illegal data banks in January this year. The credentials comprise e-mail addresses and passwords provided by individuals. "Around 50,000 of them are government e-mail addresses. They are either outdated or bogus addresses, except for 119 of them which are still being used," he added. "As an immediate precautionary measure, all officers with affected credentials have changed their passwords." No other information fields were exposed. The spokesman said the credentials were not leaked from government systems, but from officers who used them for personal and non-official purposes. "Officers have been reminded not to use government e-mail addresses for such purposes, as part of basic cyber hygiene," he added. Last June, the personal data of 1.5 million SingHealth patients, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, were stolen in the country's largest data breach. Other breaches included the illegal access of 72 HealthHub accounts last October, the online leak of information of 14,200 patients from the HIV Registry and improper handling of data belonging to more than 800,000 blood donors by a vendor last week. https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/government-log-data-sale-dark-web

SINGAPORE: Authorities in Singapore are monitoring the situation in Pasir Gudang, as more illegal waste dumping sites have been found in the area. One of the new dumping sites found this week is along Johor's Sungai Masai, which empties into the Johor Strait opposite Singapore's northern coast, near Yishun. The air and water quality in Singapore, as well as the water supply, remain unaffected by the latest developments, said the National Environment Agency (NEA), Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, Singapore's water agency PUB and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a joint statement on Tuesday (Mar 19). In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam described the illegal chemical waste dumping as "an irresponsible act". "We take this very seriously. What happens in Malaysia can affect us significantly," said Mr Shanmugam, who is also a Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC. The minister said Singapore agencies have been conducting regular checks: SCDF has found no toxic chemicals in the air, and PUB and AVA have been testing water quality in the parts of Singapore waters near Pasir Gudang. "We will continue to work with our Malaysian counterparts to monitor the situation," he said. "There are no significant variations in NEA and PUB’s monitored water quality in our local waterways and reservoirs in North and North-eastern Singapore," said the authorities. "The waters of our recreational coastal beaches and the Straits of Johor; as well as in AVA’s observations of the health of fish in our local fish farms located along the Straits of Johor." Ambient levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC), including benzene, measured at the VOC monitoring stations in the North-eastern region, remain within safe levels, according to the press release. The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index since Mar 6, remains in the good to low-moderate range, while the 1-hour PM2.5 readings remain in Band I (Normal). Thousands of people fell ill earlier in March, after toxic waste pollution in Pasir Gudang was first reported on Mar 7. All 111 schools in Pasir Gudang were ordered shut amid the growing environmental issue. On Tuesday, Malaysia's Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Yeo Bee Yin declared that the polluted river at Pasir Gudang is now clean and safe. However, new sites believed to be chemical waste dumping grounds have been found in Pasir Gudang. Source: CNA/ic(hm)

SMRT is strengthening its procedures to prevent a reoccurrence of the incident where a train pulled out of an MRT station with one of its doors open. In an email reply to Yahoo News Singapore’s queries on Tuesday (19 March), the rail operator explained why the train was able to move off from Ang Mo Kio MRT Station on the evening of 11 March, despite having one of its doors open. Lee Ling Wee, chief executive of SMRT Trains, said, “The station manager had made an error in bypassing the train door interlocking system before the train door was closed. This allowed the train to move off. “We are strengthening our procedures to prevent a re-occurrence of such nature. Safety is our top priority.” In an earlier report on the incident, SMRT had said that the train stopped after travelling around 200 metres and returned to Ang Mo Kio station, where all commuters disembarked safely. It was then withdrawn from service. Subsequent investigations showed that the incident was down to an “error” by the station manager, who was inside the train at the time of the incident, attempting to fix a fault at the door in question. SMRT added that the station manager was suspended with immediate effect. It declined to comment on subsequent queries about whether the station manager received further disciplinary action or has been reinstated to his post, or the length of his service with SMRT. https://sg.news.yahoo.com/smrt-explains-train-moved-off-ang-mo-kio-station-door-open-075337600.html

Ice cream addicts in Toa Payoh will soon know June 30 to be a sad, sad day, when popular parlor Creamier shutters its very first space in the neighborhood for good on June 30. In a Facebook post today, the brand announced its closure “with a heavy heart,” reminiscing about “that funny, tingly feeling of trepidation and excitement on the morning of 19 November 2011” when the shop’s welcome sign went on for the first time. Offering gratitude to its landlady, market neighbors, past and present staff, and customers, Creamier didn’t cite a specific reason for its departure, but said that any leads for “a good space” would be “much appreciated.” If you’re heading down for one last scoop of nostalgia before the last day of operations, expect to see a special flavor concocted by the ice cream makers as a final farewell to commemorate its “little heartland shop.” But on the bright side, the joint will still be serving frozen treats at its Gillman Barracks and Tiong Bahru outlets.

KF Seetoh — local food icon and very good friend of Anthony Bourdain (rest in power) — has politely issued a warning to an international school in Singapore for using a trademarked name that he came up with for his own company. Seetoh is, of course, the highly revered founder of local hawker food bible Makansutra, which is also the name of the food consultancy company he established in 1997. The success of his guidebooks and television series led him to launch the Makansutra Glutton’s Bay food court at the Esplanade as well as the Makansutra Asian Food Village in Manila. Dulwich College is a British educational institution founded in 1619 and opened a Singaporean campus in Bukit Batok back in 2014. The international school is pretty massive, and according to its website, has three libraries, three theatres, three swimming pools, a sports field, and multiple roof-top gardens, gyms, dining rooms and coffee shops. Apparently, the campus now even has a stall called Makansutra. And since Seetoh had nothing to do with the enterprise, he is not happy. “Gosh, hope all is fine and I know you teach your students imitation is the best form of flattery. But… passing-off and brand theft is an offense la,” he wrote on Facebook in his typically sardonic manner. Taking issue with how the stall operator took up the registered name of his business, Seetoh advised the college to get their vendor to change the name so that there won’t be any flouting of intellectual property laws. A week’s grace was given for them to do so, with Seetoh implying that legal action could be taken. All in all, a rather cordial cease-and-desist notice. Some of Seetoh’s fans have already tried writing on Dulwich College’s Facebook page about the issue, but according to them, the comments were deleted. We’ve since contacted the college for their comments on the matter and will update the story once we hear back. https://coconuts.co/singapore/news/dulwich-college-singapore-gets-called-makansutra-founder-kf-seetoh-brand-theft/

SINGAPORE — An 82-year-old woman has died after she was knocked down by a car at the junction of Marine Parade Road and Amber Road. The police said that they were alerted to the accident on Monday (March 18) afternoon at about 12.30pm. The Singapore Civil Defence Force also responded at around the same time. The woman, who was not identified, was unconscious when she was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where she later died from her injuries. The 29-year-old male driver, also not named, is assisting the police in their investigations. An eyewitness, Ms Sandra Decasper, told TODAY that the car’s tyre exploded when it hit the sidewalk and knocked down the woman, who was walking along the pavement with her shopping cart. Her head hit the car’s windscreen before she fell to the ground, which caused her head to bleed, Ms Decasper said. “The old lady... was thrown in the air. She hit her head on the car and (she) was bleeding a lot,” she said. The 38-year-old Swiss was walking outside the Silversea private condominium, where she is a resident, when she witnessed the accident. The entrance of the condominium leads to the roundabout where the accident happened. Ms Decasper said that several passers-by stopped to help the victim. They found out from her condominium key card that she lived nearby and one of them went to the condo to try to inform her relatives, she added. Ms Decasper, who is the spouse of a Swiss diplomat, said that the police took statements from the driver and interviewed two other witnesses. She added that she has to cross the roundabout every day with her two young children, aged five and one, and every resident who exits the estate that way does the same. “I just saw a woman being killed right in front of my eyes and tomorrow, I have to walk down the same path with my two children.” Ms Decasper has been having concerns about how safe it is for her and her family to use that path since nine months ago, when she first moved into the condominium. “If I see a big bus, I stop at a spot where the sidewalk is broader. But part of the sidewalk is really narrow,” she said, adding that there is not much space to move. Ms Decasper said that she has sent email messages to Silversea’s management office and the Land Transport Authority to look into the safety of pedestrians at this “dangerous” roundabout. She also said that some of her neighbours have done the same, but there has apparently been no progress even though there were accidents at the area before. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/woman-82-dies-after-being-hit-car-marine-parade

SINGAPORE - Singapore's Temasek International said on Tuesday Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara will take over as its CEO, while its current CEO Lee Theng Kiat will become chairman next month. Temasek International is the wholly-owned management and investment arm of state investor Temasek Holdings - one of the world's biggest investors, with a total portfolio of S$308 billion ($228 billion) as of March 2018. The changes will see Lee take over from Ho Ching, the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as chairman of Temasek International, the firm said in a statement. The statement did not mention any changes at Temasek Holdings, where Ho has been the CEO for more than a decade. REUTERS

THE decades-old Liang Court mall - famous at its peak as a Japanese expat haunt and for the Daimaru department store and supermarket - is expected to be sold to new owners for S$400 million. The Business Times understands that a put-and-call option agreement has been entered into between the owner, an entity linked to PGIM Real Estate, and CapitaLand and City Developments Ltd (CDL). CapitaLand's listed unit Ascott Residence Trust already owns serviced residence the Somerset Liang Court Singapore; CDL's indirect subsidiary CDL Hospitality Trusts (CDLHT) owns the Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay - both of which, along with the mall, are part of the Liang Court complex. Speculation has swirled over the past few years that the three parties have been exploring the possibility of jointly redeveloping the mixed-development complex, which was completed more than three decades ago. A sale of the mall to the CDL and CapitaLand groups will reduce control of the complex from three parties to two and facilitate a redevelopment, market watchers say. The complex is located beside the Clarke Quay riverside area and is next to the Fort Canning station on the Downtown Line. It is also a short distance from the Clarke Quay station on the North-East Line. Under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Master Plan 2014, the site is zoned for commercial and residential use with a 7.6 plot ratio (ratio of maximum gross floor area to land area). The site has a leasehold tenure of about 97 years from April 1980, leaving 58 years on its lease. In the early 1980s, tycoon Goh Cheng Liang's Wuthelam Group developed the complex, comprising Liang Court Shopping Centre, luxury apartments and Hotel New Otani, it was reported. In 1992, Wuthelam floated Liang Court Holdings, owning two out of three components of the namesake complex: the Regency apartments and the mall. In 1999, Wuthelam sold a 58.9 per cent stake in Liang Court Holdings to Pidemco Land, which was part of the Singapore Technologies (ST) stable. Following that, the company was renamed as Somerset Holdings. In 2000, Pidemco's Somerset Holdings was merged with DBS Land's Ascott. In 2006, The Ascott Group, as the merged entity was known, sold the six-storey Liang Court mall to Asian Retail Mall Fund II. This today sits as part of the PGIM Real Estate Asia Retail Fund, an open-end private investment vehicle managed by PGIM Real Estate, the property investment business of PGIM, Inc, which in turn is the global investment management business of US-based Prudential Financial, Inc. Also in 2006, Ascott spun off Ascott Residence Trust; with one of the assets being the serviced apartment tower in the Liang Court complex. As for Hotel New Otani, Wuthelam sold it in 2004 to a Lehman Brothers entity, which subsequently appointed French hotel chain Accor to manage the property under the Novotel brand. CDLHT acquired the hotel in 2007 for S$219.8 million or about S$552,000 per room. CDLHT is an associate of CDL's London-listed hotel arm Millennium & Copthorne Hotels. https://www.sgsme.sg/news/capitaland-and-cdl-poised-buy-liang-court-mall-s400m

You’d think that in the age of mobile phones and smart watches that the good ol’ wristwatch would be in its death throes. But Singaporeans, it would seem, still love their wrist candy. Look no further than the number of Facebook groups about watches. Today, there are at least 27 Singapore-based ones, with some memberships, such as the Rolex Owners Club Asia, Seiko Club Singapore and Singapore Rolex Club, running in the tens of thousands. And while many might simply be watch enthusiasts, a lot are actually collectors of one sort or the other. It was a far cry from 15 years ago, when Sugiharto Kusumadi opened his first specialty watch store, Red Army Watches. “Back then, it was mainly high-end; we didn’t have options for affordable mechanical watches, which collectors prefer,” he said. Kusumadi, who also co-founded alternative watch microbrand store Watch Wonderland, reckons there are a few factors that have led to the popularity of watches in Singapore. These include having a high concentration of watch experts, journalists and bloggers; a high living standard, which results in discretionary income; and the fact that watches are the perfect collectible in space-constrained Singapore. And then, there's the Internet. Online shops, online watch communities and the onset of Kickstarter, which has been used by many watch microbrands, has given watch lovers more options – enough to take the plunge and embrace or spark an obsession. So, what is it about watches that makes people want to collect them? Is it simply about investments, the cool cache, or something else? We had a chat with some collectors to find out what makes them tick. IN LOVE WITH G-SHOCKS ('CAN YOU SLAM A ROLEX AGAINST A WALL?') Three years ago, Kelvin Lim decided to overhaul his only Casio G-Shock. It was the same watch the 39-year-old real estate agent had saved up for and owned since he was a student. But for some reason, servicing the watch took a long time. In his frustration, he decided to buy another G-Shock online. And another. And another. After a month of waiting, he had 40 pieces to keep him company. “It was relatively affordable and it was only after many months that I hit the three-digit figures,” he said. Today, Kelvin has a whopping 470 G-Shocks in his collection. “If you factored it all in, I can afford a few Rolexes if I wanted to. But can you slam a Rolex against a wall?” he joked. “If you want me to wear a delicate watch, I’m likely to damage it easily but G-Shocks don’t have that problem – getting a scratch is a badge of honour compared to scratching your Rolex, which is heart pain!” His love for G-Shocks is legendary in the watch community, and Kelvin often steps in to defend criticisms about the brand at online forums. “Whenever there’s negative press or any misconceptions about a particular G-Shock, I’ll come in to clarify.” But being known as a G-Shock connoisseur hasn’t shielded him from being criticised “very often” by others who look down on the kind of watches he loves. But he remains unfazed, pointing out that there are G-Shock collectors out there “but we’re relatively below the radar,” he said. And it’s also not uncommon for hardcore collectors to come to his defence at online forums. “We do tease him sometimes but we admire and respect him for his focus. I respect obsession,” said fellow collector Yang Minxiang. The co-founder of Watch Wonderland would know a thing or two about obsessions – he’s also one of them. Minxiang started collecting a decade ago – beginning with Russian watches that range from S$25 to S$50. And he’ll really go in deep. “I’ll collect maybe 72 different variants of the Vostok Komandirskie. Later, I went into Seikos,” he said. Today, Minxiang’s collection numbers more than a hundred pieces from different price points. And like Kelvin, he’s not one to shy away from what others may think is unusual. “I even buy women's watches, because I like the idea and art of it. To me, a watch is not only for wearing but an object to look at.” When it comes to watches, they all have their charm. “If I wear my S$50 Vostok Amphibia, I will speak about it as passionately as I would a vintage Patek Philippe. I find equal enjoyment in both,” he said. And Singapore’s full of these obsessive fanatics of all sorts – from people who only collect Adidas watches to those who focus on Seikos or Russian brands. “We can be quite fanatical,” he said. WOMEN WHO CHOOSE WATCHES OVER BAGS If you thought watch collecting is a man’s world, try telling that to Nana Ahmad and Elaine Wee. Last month, the two women were spotted in a sea of male watch collectors at Watch Wonderland for the first Seiko Perspectives gathering. “I think other than us, the only women were the Seiko staff!” said Elaine, with a laugh. The 43-year-old project manager started collecting in 2017 – as a way for her and her husband to get over the passing of their beloved dog, Patches. “We decided to splurge to get over our sadness,” she said. And splurge they did – they got each other a Rolex each. “And there was no turning back,” she recalled. The couple started reading up on watches and they now have a joint 40-piece collection ranging from Seikos to microbrands to a handful of luxury pieces. To think that before that, Elaine kept teasing her friend Nana: “You only have two wrists, why buy so many watches? Now I understand!” Of the two, Nana has been collecting longer. The 46-year-old had been buying watches here and there since 2000. But it was on a trip to Japan in 2016 and seeing the Japan-only Seiko models that she caught the bug. Furthermore, her husband suggested that she collects watches instead of bags. “He’d rather I bought them because at least they’ll look good for a long time and you never know when they’ll be collectors’ items. A handbag you’ll use for one to two years and they start to deteriorate,” she said. Today, Nana has around 90 pieces (mostly Seikos but with some luxury and microbrands, too) and even an Instagram account (@wristed_time). And about the collection? It’s all Nana’s; her husband just borrows the watches from time to time. Being the rare female watch aficionado hasn’t been a problem for the two women. While there have been the odd surprised comment about Nana’s preference for “men’s” watches, she said: “I don’t see any discrimination. I think they’re beginning to see there’s a group of women who loves watches, men’s watches.” Elaine added: “We just like watches and talk about our hobbies, although hopefully, there will be more female watch collectors joining in.” THEY’RE NOT WATCH SNOBS, THEY’RE WATCH GEEKS Twenty-five years ago, Lim Ee Chiat saved up for his Rolex. And when he got it, he did the unthinkable – he dismantled it. “I was curious, but I couldn’t put it back together! I spent about S$600 just to fix it but that’s how I started to like automatic and mechanical watches,” said the 47-year-old engineer. Meanwhile, James Martin Lim got into watches by default. The 49-year-old businessman’s wife worked at City Chain in the 1990s, so they would inevitably get watches – before James started to seriously collect them in 2009. Today, the two are well known in the community for their collections – Ee Chiat’s a lover of vintage pieces, while James has a broader collection from all sorts of price points. And while they do have many luxury watches in their collections (and also a reputation for them), they’re far from being the stereotype associated quite often with collectors – the watch snob who dismisses a Seiko. (We’re looking at you, Robert Downey Jr.) “Watch collecting has long been associated with expensive brands like Omega, and there are people who are high-end watch collectors who do tend to look down on others who buy, say, microbrands,” said James. “But a watch is a watch – regardless of the brand, you can be a watch collector.” For Ee Chiat, looking solely at price tags (and even primarily at the investment aspects of watch-buying) is a surefire way of losing that magic. “There’s a fine line between a watch collector and a watch investor. If you cross the line and think ‘will this watch depreciate or appreciate (in value)?’ you’ll lose a bit of the passion.” Watch snobs James and Ee Chiat may not be but when it comes down to labels, there’s one stereotype that fits the two: The watch geek. During a recent online release of a limited-edition Seiko Alpinist model, they recalled calling and messaging each other at midnight just to make sure everyone’s awake and can go online to buy it. The same thing happened during the release of an online-exclusive model of Omega’s famous Speedmaster, which sold out in a few hours. But if you think that’s not geeky enough, how about this: Some of them collect … watch parts. Ee Chiat, for instance, collects watch bezel inserts, which he self-deprecatingly describes as “aluminium junk”. “You know what the worst thing is? Even if people offer me S$8,000 dollars, I will still not sell!” https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/singapore-watch-collectors-470-gshock-rolex-luxury-timepiece-11347874