HEY MISTER, NEED LADY? 

CABBIES TOUTING SEX AT ORCHARD TOWERS
They're louts, say other cabbies.
They give us a bad name

THEY park their taxis illegally along Orchard Road with their engines running.

He said: 'It's not right for our image but they know what they are in for.' THEY park their taxis illegally along Orchard Road with their engines running. They hang around the walkways and ask tourists who pass by: 'Do you need a taxi?

Do you need a lady?

Yes, some taxi drivers outside Orchard Towers are openly approaching tourists and offering them a cab ride to a good time. Cheekily dubbed by some as 'Four Floors Of Whores', Orchard Towers has attracted a band of errant cabbies, who have added a new dimension to the flesh trade.

They offer to take tourists to nearby hotels for trysts with prostitutes and get a cut from the transaction. The cab journey is to throw off the authorities because, on the surface, it appears like any ordinary ride. But this has got so bad that it's aroused the ire of other taxi drivers who are worried that their reputation is being tarnished. They say the sight of cabbies playing the pimp so openly will mean that word would soon get around about their illegal activities.

After being tipped off about this, The New Paper on Sunday went undercover and sent a special correspondent to walk by the building on a weekday night. While our team staked out the place from 1am to 4am, taxis from all the cab companies lined the stretch outside the building along Orchard Road. Other legitimate drivers waited at the Orchard Towers taxi stand along Claymore Road.

OPENLY APPROACH

The drivers on Orchard Road parked their cabs, got out and hovered in the area outside a 7-Eleven outlet and also at the front entrance of Orchard Towers. They were seen openly approaching foreign-looking men. Twice, when a police patrol car came by, these cabbies jumped into their taxis and drove away, only to return a few minutes later. Several cabbies we spoke to confirmed the illegal business and quickly stressed that they themselves had never taken part in this activity. On almost any given night, these cabbies would start their business after 11pm and work until the small hours. Said an SMRT relief driver, who asked not to be named: 'Ask any taxi driver, especially those who drive at night and they will probably know about it.

This thing has been going on for more than three years now. The errant group are 'regulars,' said the 45-year-old cabbie, who works in the daytime. They want to keep this side business to themselves because more competition means less money. I've heard that there have been arguments.'

This is how they work:

  The prostitutes give their hand phone numbers to the cabbies and hang around the area.

  The cabby approaches a tourist and asks: 'Do you need a taxi? Do you need a lady?' He may even whip out his taxi license to prove that he is a genuine driver.

  Once the cabby strikes a deal with the customer, he would call one of the prostitutes from his list. If she's busy, he calls the next one.

  Cabby and customer then get into the taxi and pick up the prostitute.

If the customer agrees, they head either to a budget hotel or to the customer's hotel. If he does not fancy her, she will introduce him to her other friends. Sources say the women are usually on social visit passes and some are overstayers. They're usually from countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam, and speak relatively good English.

They also hang around the multi-storey carpark of Orchard Towers, waiting to be called. But unlike registered prostitutes, these women do not undergo health checks every month. The relief driver said those cabbies only approach tourists. He added: 'One look and these taxi drivers can tell whether the men are tourists or not. They are very good at reading faces.'

The fee ranges from $150 to $200, which the cabby pockets first. Once she returns to the Orchard Towers area, she claims her share. He keeps between $50 and $80 and gives her the rest. This works on a trust basis and no-one absconds or cheats. Said the relief driver: 'They will give the women their money because there is a 'network' and they need one another to keep the business going.'

'DIFFICULT TO NAIL ERRANT CABBIES'

THESE taxi drivers could be guilty of living off the earnings of the prostitutes. But it would be difficult to nail them, said criminal lawyer Amolat Singh.

'This is because both the customer and the prostitute would have to provide evidence to show that the taxi driver is the middleman, and that he made an earning out of the transaction,' he said. If found guilty, they could face a jail term not exceeding five years, and a maximum fine of $10,000. Lawyer Mervyn Tan said the taxi drivers could also be deemed to be touting. ComfortDelGro group spokesman Tammy Tan said: ' If we are alerted to such cases, we will refer the matter to the authorities.' The company owns CityCab, Comfort and Yellow-Top Cab.

Of the taxi stand outside Orchard Towers, she added: 'As this is a public taxi stand, we are not clear if the drivers do engage in the said illegal activity.'

Mr Johnny Harjantho, managing director of Smart Automobile, which runs Smart Cab, said: 'We have regularly reminded and given all our drivers the LTA rules and regulation pertaining to their vocational license.' Mr Harjantho said he was unaware that some taxi drivers were pimping.

Ms Jasmine Tan, the operations manager for TransCab Services, said if such activities were really going on, 'the drivers should know that the LTA can suspend or revoke their licences.'

IT'S EASY MONEY FOR THEM

THE taxi drivers who get into pimping business do so through word of mouth, say sources. But why do it in the first place? Cabbies say they are each issued a handbook, which explicitly states that they are not allowed to solicit for passengers. So, getting involved in pimping activities is very risky.

For flouting the rules, they can be given demerit points, which could lead to a suspension or even having their licenses revoked. A Comfort driver, who did not want to be named for fear of a backlash from fellow cabbies, said: 'Those who do it are not afraid. They can't be bothered with the rules. Most of them who do this are hungry for the money. It's easy money, and they don't have to ply the roads. 'If they can find a group of tourists, they can just work for a few hours and then close shop.'

Cabbies we spoke to said there are many more taxis than passengers, especially at night. And the earnings aren't great, they say. One taxi driver said she earns between $110 and $130 a night. After deducting rental and petrol, she's left with about $50 to $60. Some cabbies who know about the taxi pimps said they avoid Orchard Towers as much as possible. One City Cab driver, who only wanted to be known as Ms Tan, even went as far as to say that she's sick and tired of the illegal activities.

DON'T WANT TO PICK UP LOCALS

Said Ms Tan, who works the night shift: 'All the taxi drivers know that they cannot do this. It damages the reputation of other drivers.' Such cabbies sometimes also wait with their hired signs on, refusing to ferry locals because they want to pick up foreigners. This is especially bad just before the midnight surcharge kicks in. 'It's not fair to the locals,' said Ms Tan. 'Those drivers don't serve them when they are actually not on call. 'I try not to go there. If my passengers need to go there, I just drop them off and quickly drive away.' But some cabbies, like the SMRT relief driver we spoke to, are nonchalant about the taxi pimps.

30 May 2005 Singapore

Special correspondent's experience: Asked by cabby if he wanted a lady, he shows interest, then..

HE SHOWED ME HIS DRIVER'S CARD

AS a single male Caucasian, I have been approached a few times outside Orchard Towers.

So, suggestions of a possible racket by these cab drivers didn't surprise me. But I was still eager to find out more for myself. It was past 1am and there was a buzz of activity outside the Orchard Towers complex the night I was there. On the road, there were more than half a dozen cabs, engines idling, drivers missing. A motley crowd of men hung around in the area.

Within minutes, I was approached three times. All began and ended the same way: 'Would you like a taxi?' Then, 'Would you like a lady?'.

The third time I was made such an offer, I behaved as if I was interested. This was the proposal: We would go in a cab to a nearby hotel where some girls will be waiting. There, I will be allowed to make a choice, and then take the girl back to my hotel. I could spend a few hours or the whole night with her. I told the driver I would decide on the price after seeing the girls. He then asked what kind of women I liked. At this point, I still wasn't sure if this proposal was coming from a regular pimp or a taxi driver.

That changed when he showed me what looked like a taxi driver's card (all taxi drivers in Singapore carry a vocational driver's licenses issued by the Land Transport Authority). This was to reassure me that I could trust him because he was a genuine cabby.

I then got in a cab. Along the way, in between calling the women to let them know we were on the way, the conversation was like any chat in a taxi: Where I was from, how I liked Singapore. We then stopped outside a hotel, which was surprisingly far from seedy. A pretty, foreign-looking woman was waiting outside. I got out of the cab.

HAGGLING OVER $200

Then the haggling over the price of $200 began. But as I had no intention to spend time with her, I made excuses to go. The cabbie said if I was not comfortable taking her back to my hotel, I could go to the woman's hotel. I said no. He wasn't angry, but was clearly frustrated. The woman looked confused but kept silent throughout. Wanting to leave fast, I agreed to top up the fare for the ride and that would be it. Then, he asked if I wanted a ride back to my hotel. I declined and walked away.

21 May 2005 Singapore

One got mistaken for a prostitute, the other had to wear three bras Sexy, sultry lures?

GEYLANG is not the place for pretty girls to roam around.

Especially not actresses playing prostitutes and dressed for the role.

Actress Le Yao (left), who plays a Suzhou lass tricked into prostitution in Channel 8's new drama, Portrait Of Home, learnt this when she was filming in Geylang recently.

The 23-year-old was nearly propositioned by a pair of middle-aged men. 'One uncle saw me, nudged his friend and said: 'Aye, this one not bad, very pretty!' But his friend recognized me, and scolded him, “This one's not, lah! She's only acting!” More tickled than offended at the experience, Le Yao admitted that her outfit at that time was a tad revealing even though it wasn't skimpy.

According to her, co-actress Apple Hong was also a victim of unwanted attention though she wasn't even playing a prostitute. Apple was apparently sitting inside the MediaCorp van, when a couple of uncles started circling the van like sharks looking for prey, scaring the actress badly.

Le Yao laughed: 'These people, really! Isn't the MediaCorp logo painted at the side of the van enough of an indication?' Speaking of looking sexy and sultry, Cynthia Koh (right), 31, was lucky she didn't have to film in Geylang for Portrait Of Home.

The actress, who plays a gold-digger in the drama, had to do an Erin Brockovich with three bras and plenty of hip padding. Not only were they uncomfortable, they were also a hassle to remove during toilet breaks. The result was a voluptuous figure with an E-cup. But Cynthia is very happy with her own figure, thank you very much.

'I wouldn't want to change a thing... okay, except maybe I could be a little bit taller,' she said.

21 May 2005, Singapore

Sentosa's Bikini Beach
A thumping new joint on Sentosa's Tanjong Beach is fast becoming the place to see and be seen on weekends!

You don't have to travel to Thailand's hopping Koh Phangan or the throbbing Spanish island of Ibiza for a slice of paradise. A new beach bar called Km8 tucked away in Sentosa's Tanjong Beach comes close enough, going by the crowds that throng the 5,000sq ft set-up on weekends. Run by the guys behind The Liquid Room, the new kid on the beach gets its name from being located about 8km from the main club's home in The Gallery Hotel along Robertson Quay.

Since opening in late December, it has quickly carved a name among savvy clubbers as a thumping joint with a laidback vibe and beautiful crowd. The beach bar is so friendly, you can even take your pet retriever up to the bar while you knock back a Mojito. And when hunger pangs hit, count on the three in-house chefs to whip up anything from pizzas to spaghetti bolognaise.

Swiss expatriate Marco Frischknecht, who pops by once a week, describes it as 'a little Ibiza'. The exotic island is a hotspot for its beach dance parties that go on from dusk to dawn, much like Koh Phangan, which is famous for its 'full moon' parties. Mr. Frischknecht, 30, a bank executive based here for the past five years, says: 'This is just a 20-minute taxi ride from my home and I can do exactly the same things here that I can in Bali.' It has also drawn jaded party animals such as Ms Caslin Liu, 32. The postgraduate student has been heading for Km8 almost every weekend with her French husband since it opened. 'I'm not a seaside person but this is exceptional. My husband and I love everything about this place,' she gushes.

Km8's owners have ambitious plans for the bar, which opens daily from 11am till 1am on weekdays and doesn't draw its shutters till 3am on weekends. 'It will give people a reason to start partying before sunset,' says Mr Chris Tan, 38, the director of Km8, The Liquid Room and Soundbar, also in The Gallery Hotel. Km8, he adds, targets not only expatriates and tourists, but also Singaporeans who love the beach and enjoy partying outdoors. His company is still testing the concept of a 'beach party themed bar' and plans to travel to 'inspiring locations' to conduct research.

HOT, HOT, HOT

KM8 seems to be acceding the test for now, where models and TV personalities were spotted among the 400 or so party-goers. One of them was MediaCorp actor Terence Cao, who was chilling out by the bar clad in a sleeveless T-shirt and surfing shorts paired with a trucker hat and a pair of sunglasses. He was there with about 20 of his friends. 'Singapore is so boring on Sundays. You can come here, have a few drinks, chill out and still make it home by 10pm for work the next day,' he says.

Comedian Irene Ang was also spotted letting her hair down in the bar's soaking pool with her friends. Measuring 7.3m by 3.6m, the pool is set on a raised wooden deck and is a highlight of the place.

Km8 also has an attraction that is missing in the other five beach bars on Sentosa - a live DJ and an accompanying percussion band that delivers pulsating grooves on bongos and steel drums. There are three bars on Siloso Beach and two on Pahlawan Beach, the other two sandy stretches in Sentosa. But Km8 is no party pooper, say the other operators.

Mr Gary Verlanvier, 42, who co-owns Sunset Bay on Siloso Beach, says his family-run business has not suffered since Km8 opened, and even regards its owners as 'friends'. 'We attract a different crowd. The people we have here are usually the sporty types who are into beach volleyball.' A Sentosa spokesman says that prior to Km8's arrival, Tanjong Beach was most sought after by people who wanted some peace and quiet.

The bar has also got other major industry players talking. Although Zouk's marketing manager Tracy Phillips has not visited the place, she says she has heard 'good things' about it. But she notes that Sentosa may not be an ideal location to pull in the crowds on weekdays. 'Sentosa for many people is still a distance to travel to, so it is more likely to be a place they go to on weekends,' she says.

The key to the success of such bars is its music, she adds. 'When I walk along the beaches of Phuket and Bali, I'm drawn to the bar with the best music.' For now, it looks like the sun will never set on Km8 with its offering of pumping house music.

Singapore 21 may 2005

Size still matters in clubs

WHEN Embassy, Centro and Sultan Of Swing closed their doors last year, everyone was sure that there wasn't enough room for more than one or two big super-clubs the size of Zouk here. With the popularity of new and smaller clubs like Home, Happy and Coco Latte that offer intimacy and niche clubbing music, small, rather than big, seems to be the trend.

But now, three new club operators are out to prove that the super-club concept is here to stay. NTUC's DXO club at the Esplanade, with a capacity of nearly 1,400 people, opened last month. It hosted its first major gig featuring Boy George last weekend that saw a full house. The former Centro, under a different ownership, has partially opened as Onyx. The club will be fully operational in late June. Taking over the old Sultan Of Swing premises at Central Mall, Club Momo is the brainchild of Mr John Lee, who has opened nightclubs such as The Gate in Orchard Hotel and Venom in Pacific Plaza, which was re-launched as China Black in 2001.

That's not all.

There is also talk of London super-club, Ministry Of Sound, opening here, possibly at Clarke Quay in a 7,430 sq m entertainment-lifestyle venue focusing on fashion, food and nightlife. The people behind the three super-clubs believe that Singapore has the ability to sustain more than one big club. It just takes the right concept and marketing. Onyx's owners - first-timers in the clubbing business - claimed they did a survey with a thousand clubbers and the results all pointed in the right direction. 'The results were that clubbers were bored with the same few clubs and they were looking for something new to ignite their enthusiasm again,' said Mr Jack Tay, executive director of Onyx.

RIGHT VIBES

According to Mr. Duxbury Low, senior club manager for DXO, it's not the size of the club that matters, but whether it has the right vibe and music. 'Many places in Singapore play the same kind of dance music that goes across the board. There needs to be something different and more focused,' he said, adding that DXO plays strictly house music, from commercial to the more niche house genres like progressive and tribal. Said Mr. Tay: 'The fact that people are still willing to wait an hour to get into places like Zouk means there is still demand. 'They could do with more choices in the market.'

The 30-year-old reckons that while clubs like China Black and Double O cater to a younger crowd, there is a lack of choice for older clubbers. Onyx is hoping to offer that other choice. But the clubbing climate has also changed. Mr. Low conceded that people are clubbing less these days, as some have grown out of it while others prefer to hang out at chill-out bars. He remembers a time when it was easy to get a packed room when Sparks and Fire first opened their doors. 'These days, you are never 100 per cent sure that you will get a crowd when you open a club,' the 35-year-old said.

Club Momo's John Lee feels that the clubbing pie has not shrunk.  'All it takes is somewhere unique, with a real vibe and they will start clubbing again,' he said. He suggested that one of the reasons why Centro and Embassy closed down could be due to high rent, not a lack of crowds. 'A concept like Club Momo would never have been commercially viable, if the rent was not reasonable,' he said. Still, it is a challenge to run a super-club, as compared to operating a small niche club. Aside from higher operating costs, it is easy to pack a small club with people and look crowded, while the same number of people make a large club seem empty. And people do not like seeing an empty club, according to Mr. Tay.

Clubbers are excited about the news of three new super-clubs opening. Designer Anna Bervander, 30, said: "Singapore is missing more cool clubs. I do not go out anymore as the scene is getting boring. I am sure people are starving for clubs that are not looking a bit dated and old."

STILL PREFERS ZOUK

Some others, like administrative coordinator Cheryl Ling, said they will continue to patronise Zouk. 'I have grown up clubbing at Zouk and all my friends go there,' said the 25 year-old. Veteran nightclub operator Peter Wong said he welcomes more players in the market, as they often bring fresh and new ideas onto the scene. 'It also forces established players to innovate, instead of relying on the same old ideas, like giving out free drinks all the time,' said Mr. Wong, owner of the Towkay Wong's Group that runs five pubs. In the end, more choices can only be a good thing. Said seasoned industry player, Devil's Bar owner Dennis Foo: 'Ultimately, it is a case of what mood you are in. Sometimes you feel like chilling out with your friends, other times you want a big club experience.  'One is not better than the other, they are just different experiences.'

NEW SUPER-CLUBS

DXO

Specializes in all genres of House music and caters to the younger clubber. Composed of five distinct zones:

  X2: The main dance hall with ex-Centro DJs Godwin P and Jason T.

  Bar Nova: The sectioned-off bar area, operating from Sundays to Tuesdays.

  The Loft: The designated lounge and chill-out area.

  The Nook: For cigar patrons and wine buffs.

  The Nest: A chill-out alfresco area with Broken Beats and NuJazz.

  Where: 8 Raffles Avenue, #01-13F Esplanade Mall

  When: Sunday to Thursday (3pm to 3am); Friday, Saturday and eve of public holidays (3pm to 4am). Dance area X2 operates Wednesday to Saturday.

Worth checking out, especially for its innovative beer tower, which keeps drinks cold for at least two hours. Cover charges apply, with specials for union members.

ONYX

Situated at the former Centro, two of the four proposed areas, Onyx and Lash, are open, with all four opening in late June. Targeted at the more mature clubber.

  Onyx: The main arena and attempting a raw, underground feel, mimicking the rave parties in America and the UK.

  Lash: An alfresco area where Embargo used to be. Expect downtempo chill-out and bossa nova tunes.

  Soul: Located on the second floor, it is meant to be an exclusive, members-only clubbing area.

  Video Bar: The name is not confirmed, but it will be an MTV / live band area.

  Where: Former Centro, One Fullerton.

  When: Onyx is open every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, while Lash is open seven days a week.

CLUB MOMO

Details are hush-hush about the new club at the former Sultan Of Swing premises, but the owners tout this $4m place to be unlike any club in Singapore, 'giving clubbers exactly what they want.'

The decor will be uniquely Asian and will not copy any European or New York club. It will open on 1 Jun and has six areas located on the same ground floor, spanning 1,860 sqm, slightly smaller than Zouk.

  Momo: Main clubbing arena.

  Boudoir: 'Bedroom' in French, it will be a more exclusive clubbing area.

A games/sports area - a chill-out zone with video game consoles, pool tables and a huge 9-sq-m video projector tuned in to sports.

  Live music area: With smaller-outfit bands.

  Champagne bar: Alfresco area.

  Beer terrace: Alfresco area.

  Where: 5 Magazine Road, #01-02/03 Central Mall.

Log on to www.clubmomo.net

19 May 2005, Singapore / Clarke Quay

Nudes dressed up in light

Eng Wah signs $5m deal to bring world famous Paris cabaret to Singapore

By: Mervin Tay

Come December, nude women performing in a cabaret show in the heart of Singapore's all-new 24-hour entertainment precinct, Clarke Quay, will no longer be mere wild fantasy.

Yesterday, local entertainment company Eng Wah Organization signed a deal with Crazy Horse Paris to bring the world famous cabaret to Singapore.

The show celebrates the art of the nude, and its concept is "to paint women's bodies with beautiful lighting and spectacular costumes", said Crazy Horse Paris' managing director Didier Bernard, whose father, Alain, founded the show in 1951.

The dancers could be topless at times, and "wearing only a pair of G-strings". "They may be physically nude, but are dressed up in light," he said.

The show has been given "in-principle approval" by the local authorities, and has an age limit of 21, said Eng Wah managing director Goh Min Yen. The only other topless show in Singapore is at Neptune Theatre Restaurant, with an age limit of 18.

Committing $5 million to this collaboration, Eng Wah will refurbish 3B Clarke Quay into a custom-designed cabaret. The 15,000-sq ft building will include a 400-seat theatre, as well as a bistro and a bar.

It will develop and manage the venue and market the cabaret, while creative control like music, choreography and lighting will remain with the Paris-based management team of Crazy Horse.

Said Mr Bernard: "We are beginning castings for the Singapore show now and recruiting dancers from Europe — mainly from France — and Asia."

Aiming to draw 120,000 to 150,000 visitors annually, Eng Wah is positioning the cabaret as a permanent fixture in Singapore. The cabaret would "give visitors to Singapore more night-time entertainment options and we hope this encourages them to extend their stay", said Ms Goh. Ticketing details have not been worked out. According to the Crazy Horse Paris website, tickets start from 90 euros ($188).  Crazy Horse also performs at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas.

But the decision to set foot in Singapore, its first Asian location, was unrelated to the Government's decision to build two integrated resorts at Sentosa and Marina Bay, Mr Bernard said.

Singapore was chosen over other Asian cities because it is a "gateway" to Asia, he said. He picked Clarke Quay after visiting over 20 locations here. "I was told people tried to spice up the place 10 years ago, but it didn't work. But I find it beautiful and charming."

17 May 2005, Singapore

Second change for offenders

Criminal records to be considered 'spent' for those who stay clean

Derrick A Paulo

THE criminal pasts of some Singaporeans will soon be a matter of history.

The records of those who have stayed clean for a five-year period after committing a minor crime will be considered "spent" when a new Bill is implemented later this year.

Yesterday, Parliament amended the Registration of Criminals Act to help about 120,000 such ex-offenders now and, thereafter, some 9,000 annually.

The move was acknowledged by a few MPs as a small step towards making Singapore a more progressive and inclusive society.

There will still be a fine line, though, for these ex-offenders to walk as they strive to integrate into society, especially in their job hunt.

While they can lawfully answer 'no' when asked if they have a "criminal record", they must still disclose their convictions if specifically asked about "previous convictions", explained Dr Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs.

This is because the Government is not going to expunge, or completely erase, criminal records. Instead, it will render records spent so that a person is "deemed to have no record of that conviction", without removing the fact of the conviction.

The distinction had three MPs concerned about employers who may circumvent the new Bill and for ex-offenders who unwittingly reply wrongly to questions pertaining to their records.

"(An ex-offender's) ability to get a second chance depends on the way an employer asks the questions," noted Ms Indranee Rajah of Tanjong Pagar GRC.

Dr Ho said that as this was the Government's first move to address the issue, it would do so on a more "cautious note" to "balance the interests and concerns" of all stakeholders: Ex-offenders, employers and the public.

"Improvements and expansions can be made with more experience," he said. "For example, when we began the Home Detention Scheme, we started small and expanded it later."

To start with, those who have been sentenced to a jail term exceeding three months or a fine exceeding $2,000 will not qualify to have their records spent. Those convicted of offences under the Third Schedule, such as unnatural offences or kidnapping, will also be disqualified.

The new Bill will not displace existing requirements for certain jobs, such as in the medical and legal professions.

In reply to concerns raised by Madam Halimah Yacob, of Jurong GRC, that the Bill did not exempt positions involving children, Dr Ho said that the regulations for security guards and the pre-school industry remain.

The underlying theme among MPs was that there is a need to reach out to society and employers to change their mindset toward those who have made a mistake.

"Legislation can only do so much," said Mr Ahmad Khalis of Hong Kah GRC. "We have to garner support through education and persuasion."

To that end, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has promised to work with the Manpower Ministry and Singapore National Employers' Federation to "enlighten" companies that dismiss ex-offenders who they discover have a spent record after hiring them.

Dr Ho assured MPs that MHA would also help to educate ex-offenders. The Police will set up an e-portal within the next nine months to help ex-offenders check their status. It will send letters to those who qualify in September or October.

Those who do not qualify can appeal to the Commissioner of Police.

16 May 2005 Singapore

Void-deck girl is wild but wary

SAVE MY VIRGINITY? YES

Is sex really an epidemic among teens in Singapore? An outcry from some virgin teens following an article in The Straits Times last week suggests a stronger conservative streak

SHE moves in a crowd that is considered wild. She faces all the temptations and opportunities for sex. And the peer pressure to be 'with it'.

SHE moves in a crowd that is considered wild. She faces all the temptations and opportunities for sex. And the peer pressure to be 'with it'. Yet she remains, at 18, chaste. And she's proud of it. Her group of about 20 close friends consists of school dropouts. Their hangouts: Pubs at Boat Quay, pool clubs, karaoke joints, 24-hour coffee-shops and HDB void decks. She has had 11 boyfriends in six years, the longest relationship lasting eight months. She has no qualms about sleeping over at her boyfriends' homes. She would snuggle in their single beds, fondle, hug and kiss till they fall asleep together. But Elizabeth Tan draws the line at sex, preferring to save her chastity for marriage.

'There's nothing to be ashamed of,' she said about her virginity.

'I don't try to hide the fact from my friends. In fact I'm proud of it because I don't think there are many left.'

Hers is a different picture from the stereotype of the wild, sexually-adventurous teen featured in recent newspaper reports about teenage sexual trends in Singapore. Is she the exception?A poll by The New Paper on Sunday found other like-minded teens.

PROUD VIRGIN

The former EM3 student told The New Paper on Sunday that she is proud to be a virgin. Go ahead, use my name, she said. But she declined to reveal her face in the photograph because her parents are not aware of her wild social activities. Dressed in a white T-shirt and hipster jeans, the fair and petite teen is sweet and attractive.

Said Elizabeth in Mandarin: “I don't trust men enough to have pre-marital sex with them”. 'I'm afraid of getting pregnant and I choose not to take the risk. I can look very wild or behave very wild, but I'm actually very conservative at heart.' She cited her friends and her parents as the reasons for her belief in remaining virtuous. “When I was young, my parents constantly reminded me not to have pre-marital sex,” said Elizabeth. “When I was in Sec One or Two, at the age of 13 going on 14, I was shocked to learn that a close friend got pregnant”. She had to abort her baby. The news hit me hard. It was so real and I was scared that would happen to me. As I grew older, I made more friends and some of them had attempted suicide after discovering unwanted pregnancies.

One of them gave birth without getting married and I saw how badly her boyfriend treated her after she gave birth to their child. Some of my friends told me how they regretted losing their virginity at an early age. Watching my friends suffer, I learned from their lessons.' She is used to hearing her friends talk about their sexual escapades.

'I'm not anxious to lose my virginity because I know that I'll have the chance in the future,' said Elizabeth, who does not now have a boyfriend. She enjoys herself most at drinking sessions with her friends and spends more than 10 hours with them each time. Sometimes the group would hang out at HDB void decks or 24-hour coffee-shops chatting till the wee hours of the morning. When I'm outside I can be very wild, but when I reach home, I turn into a good girl. I play the piano at home,' said Elizabeth, who recently quit her studies at ITE. She hopes to pursue a diploma in music. She lives with her mother, a housewife, her hawker dad and 12-year-old brother in a four-room Housing Board flat. She claimed that none of her ex-boyfriends have asked her for sex. We fondled, hugged and kissed, but we never went beyond that. Maybe they know that I have my principles,' she said. I never go out with guys whom I know just want sex with me. From my friends, I know who these guys are and I would avoid them. I never go on dates with them.'

Does she take any precautions when she sleeps over at her ex-boyfriends' homes?

NO PRECAUTIONS

No,' replied Elizabeth. I was sure that they are decent guys who would not rape me in the middle of the night.' When we asked to speak to her ex-boyfriends, Elizabeth claimed that she had lost contact with all of them. One of her friends, Kelly Tay, described Elizabeth's ex-boyfriends as studious and decent-looking.' They don't look like those who would demand sex from her. I've never seen them behaving intimately,' said Kelly, 16, an ITE student.

Another friend who wanted to be known only as Jessica, 19, said: 'There's no doubt that Elizabeth has had a quite a number of boyfriends, but I still believe that she is a virgin.

She once told me that other people may perceive us as wild and think that we are problematic girls, but we're certainly not stupid to have pre-marital sex. We've read many stories in the newspapers about teens getting pregnant, but it was only when our friends got pregnant that reality hit us.

It is all so real and we learned from their lessons.

16 May 2005, Singapore

When the Jaga opened the Pearly Gates

I knew an ancient “Uncle”, a former clerk in a rice warehouse, who ended up working as a security guard in a condo because he couldn't get a decent job anywhere. But the new job came with a white uniform, and that comforted him because he had always regarded himself as a white-collar worker, unlike those semi-literate blue-collar ants in factories.

His wife referred to his toilet-sized guard-house as his ‘office' and to the only other security guard (an even older retiree) as his 'team'. He and his team were always doing overtime, and that persuaded him that the condo committee considered his expertise irreplaceable. His only regret was that they never acknowledged his services gratefully as other employers did. For instance, never once had he been given a ‘Guard of the Month' certificate.

TALK ABOUT JOB SECURITY

In fact, they were rather mean, because when he died on the job (of a heart attack while trying to break open a rusted padlock on a side gate), they didn't even give him a posthumous award for dying in action.

When it was reported that Guard 0512 would not be able to continue working on account of death without reasonable notice, the Committee chairman was reputed to have expressed concern that the rusty gate was still unlocked. The secretary, being lower paid and therefore kickable, was branded useless for not phoning the security agency for a prompt replacement.

But that was years ago. Things have improved vastly since.

The condo (upgraded) is still there, the guard-house (upgraded) now has a fancy TV surveillance system, the security guards (upgraded) wear flashy uniforms that make Hitler's generals look like corporals, and they have mobile phones through which they communicate in a top secret code language which some culturally advantaged residents have identified as Hindi. (The other secret language they use from time to time appears to be English.)

The residents are not complaining about the service they’re getting from their expat guards, although some grumble that they’re paying above-market (i.e. peanuts) rates. The older residents are perfectly happy, having grown up in an era when security guards (known then as jagas) were almost entirely from the Indian subcontinent. Indeed, being big, hairy and warlike was almost a pre-requisite for a job in security then.

Information technology changed all that. Weedy, fragile pensioners who couldn’t run a hundred meters without collapsing from an asthmatic fit were given a chance to start new lives as Terminators.

I suppose the comforting thing about working as a guard, at a time when many people are grateful to be working at all, is that there’s some security in the job.

DAILY DISH  20 April 2005 Singapore

Boyfriends? Any age will do

YOUNG, old, rich, poor, Michelle Reis wants them all - and we're talking about boyfriends.

The Hong Kong actress told The New Paper about her expectations in love over the phone on Thursday. 'I'm single and 35, so I think if I impose an age limit either way, there won't be many choices left for me,' she said

Michelle said she'd have no problem financially supporting her boyfriend, as she does in her new movie Miss Du Shi Niang, which premieres over Star Chinese Movies (StarHub Ch 62) on 30 Apr at 9pm. Michelle (right) appears in traditional Chinese garb in this drama. She said: 'I don't see anything wrong with that, if he's happy contributing some other way, like cleaning the house or something. So what if people say he's a boy-toy?'

The candid beauty even questioned the value of marriage: 'I know many women today feel pressured to get married, have babies, but why? 'Do I want love? Yes. But can't two people just enjoy a life together without a contract? I don't need marriage to be happy. '(But) he must love me. He mustn’t be unfaithful. And he must be a filial son.' - Feng Zengkun

Well-stacked for a hit

BOSSES of Pamela Anderson's new comeback sitcom were forced to cut eight minutes of tape from the first episode because there were 'so many laughs' from the live studio audience.

The 37-year-old Baywatch star is impressed to see that her comedic antics as a bookstore employee on the aptly-titled Stacked have won the audience's seal of approval. Meanwhile, Anderson - who was recently named spokesman and face of cosmetics brand M.A.C. - had turned down many offers to star in her own reality TV show because she hates the format. She said: 'I hope they're on the way out. I don't watch a lot of TV, and when I do, I don't want to see people you know. I want to escape and see funny things.'

Harsh reality

THE harsh lens of high definition TV (HDTV) may not be a boon for some Hollywood actresses. According to entertainment guide OnHD.TV, Cameron Diaz, 32 (above), tops the list of celebrities who look awful on it.

'In the Charlie's Angels movies they're showing in HD on HBO, she almost looks like a burn patient,' said its spokesman. HDTV is six times clearer than normal TV. So Diaz's acne-prone skin is six times as bad on screen when filming her MTV eco-travel show, Trippin', which is shot on HDTV.

The worried Diaz reportedly made the music channel pay for her pre-travel acne treatments - plus thousand-dollar hair extensions. A source said: 'Cameron has extremely thin hair. Even when her hair looks short and unfussy on the show, she's wearing a lot of extensions.'

Too taunchy in Taiwan but OK in HK

First came news of Chinese authorities banning three songs on her latest album Exposed due to their explicit lyrics. Now, Coco Lee's record label, Sony, is banning the music video of So Good, one of the songs, from playing in Taiwan. Execs at the company deemed the video too raunchy for the Taiwanese population, but have given the green light for its debut on Hong Kong screens in May.

Coco, 30, hinted at the contents of the video saying: 'Well, the song itself is about good sex, so obviously the video can't be too conservative.' The singer then went on to tease reporters, saying: 'There won't be sex with candlewax in it, even though that's in the lyrics, but I will be topless... sort of.

'I'm wearing a tiny skin-colored bikini, so you can use your imagination if you want.'

April 10, 2005 Singapore Swing Singapore?

Swing Singapore?

Partner swapping and kinky fantasies are all the rage in local swingers' clubs

Partner swapping and kinky fantasies are all the rage in local swingers' clubs

By : Rahul Venkit

THEY call it a "meeting of lifestyle friends". But don't be fooled by the sophisticated sugar coating. Behind the closed doors of the rising number of swingers' clubs in Singapore lies a brow-raising tale of sexual promiscuity, replete with partner swapping, group sex and kinky fantasies.

Swingers are by definition those who engage freely in promiscuous sex. Though swingers' clubs have always existed in Singaporean folklore, Today has learnt that the connectivity of the Internet has caused a mushrooming of such clubs, many of them online.

A simple check on any search engine leads the curious to three such swingers' clubs, some which advertise their wares plainly.

One club, called Singapore Swingtown, boasts of eight local branches, including ones in Queenstown, Woodlands, Choa Chu Kang, Toa Payoh and Bedok.

Almost all require registration and password access, after which interested couples are contacted via email and online invitations.

According to sources, couples and single girls also receive unsolicited invitations to join swingers' parties based on recommendations from current members.

Usually, couples are first quizzed by the clubs' founder members about their background and sexual preferences. Once their wavelengths are found to match those of the club's, they are given access to the email-group or website upon payment of an annual membership fee of $50.

Emails are then circulated, informing members when and where the next gathering will be held. Today procured a copy of an invitation of an online swingers' group calling themselves United Singapore Swingers. It was an invitation to a party held two weeks ago in the East Coast area.

The invitation detailed their international clientele and how the house hosting the party would be divided into two different sections for soft swingers (first-timers) and hard swingers (returning members).

"As we are trying to get as many people as we can to attend, we are not sure how many (people will be there). There will be people of different shapes, sizes, race, nationality and (of course) different 'levels' of lifestyle ie exhibitionist, soft swingers, swapping couples," the invitation said.

"In fact, the last party was like a mini United Nations. So we are making this mainly a meeting, networking and soft swing (watch and be watched) party."

Laying down the rules of the party, the invitation further read: "Rule 2: Hard swingers will then have to ask as per normal if others want to try some swapping fun and, as per normal, respect others and (be) ready to take 'no' for an answer. Not that they are not keen with you, but just that they might be newbies/soft swingers. So please ask. Don't just reach out and grab ... without asking."

Partygoers are expected to take their own alcohol, condoms and towels. There are also specifically marked "clothes optional" and "clothes disallowed" zones in the house, the email said.

Interested couples were told to reply with details of what kind of action they were game for, namely "Watch and be watched, swap for touching, swap for oral and full swap".

A 20-something female member of a club, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "They always claim a party is meant to be a watch-and-be-watched kind. But more often than not, people get sexually-charged and engage with multiple partners.

"Once the party ends, we clean up and keep in touch with our new contacts — only if time permits. Sometimes, we meet former partners again at swingers' parties and go one step further with them."

Said another 28-year-old male professional, who admitted to frequenting swingers' gatherings: "Membership is a tentative factor. It all depends on the number of couples who turn up on a particular night. Since the venues are usually houses, we try and limit them to 10 to 12 couples to ensure everyone has enough room."

He also pointed out that a majority of the couples who engage in swinging are casual partners themselves. "Very seldom do we see husband-wife or long-term boyfriend-girlfriend couples."

Other than erotic memories, all evidence of swingers' gatherings is destroyed.

"There is a strict no photo/video rule. During the screening process, those who appear juvenile or seem overexcited by the concept of swinging are denied access to the club," said another source.

Asked about the safety practiced during swingers' meetings, the source confessed that it is often neglected in the heat of the moment.

"You can say that safety is aimed at not getting any of the women pregnant. You see, people are quite charged. It is difficult to interrupt them and say: 'Hey stranger, please put on a condom before you continue'."

However, though the practices sound scandalous to some, no laws might be broken.

Said Adrian Wee, lawyer with Harry Elias Partnership: "As long as the club organisers do not publish any obscene material on websites and their club is unregistered, what people do among themselves is a private arrangement.

"As long as such practices are not conducted in public view, I do not think the authorities will take will action."

When contacted, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) first asked for evidence that such online swingers' clubs exist. Upon meeting their request, the media relations officer of SPF's Public Affairs Department, Woon Hwee See, said: "We can only take action if someone lodges an official complaint."

March 13, 2005  Singapore
What happened at Sentosa gay parties
by Sarah Ng

THEY come to party, but many end up pairing up and going off to hotel rooms.

These goings-on at the annual Nation parties, which attract mainly gay men from Singapore and overseas, appear to back up what Senior Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan said in Parliament last week: that the Nation parties might be the reason for the spike in Aids cases last year.

Calling it an 'epidemic', Dr Balaji told Parliament on Wednesday that the number of new Aids infection cases rose by 28 per cent last year, from 242 to 311. Nine out of 10 of the new Aids sufferers are men, a third of them gay.

He added that the link between the upsurge of new cases and 'gay parties' is a hypothesis suggested by an unnamed epidemiologist and more research needs to be done.

Held in August near National Day on Aug 9, the yearly Nation parties started in 2001 and attract a predominantly homosexual crowd.

As many as 8,000 people from the region attend, and the parties are organized by gay and lesbian Web portal Fridae.com.

Last year, it was a three-day festival; with an opening bash at Suntec City on Aug 7, the main event at the Sentosa Musical Fountain the next day, and a wrap party at Zouk on National Day.

Packing the parties were men clad in sleeveless T-shirts, tight tees, jeans, boardshorts or tiny Speedos. Some turned up dressed as fairies or sailors, and others bared their chest to show off their sculpted abs and biceps.

They danced to the beat of techno, house and trance music spun by international DJs.

People - both homosexual and heterosexual - who have attended the parties told The Sunday Times that couples, both same sex and otherwise, lock lips and grope each other discreetly on the crowded dance floor.

But the real action happens outside the party or when it ends at 5am. David, 30, who works in the IT industry, said: 'After a few drinks and with hormones pumping, people slip away to hotel rooms or their homes for sex.'

Sam is one of them. He attended Nation.03, where he met a man from Hong Kong. The 38-year-old customer service manager told The Sunday Times that the Hong Konger bought him a drink and they were soon dancing together.

Later, without telling their friends, they sneaked off quietly and headed back to the Hong Konger's hotel room in Orchard Road. Said Sam: 'When there are so many beautiful bodies around, and everyone is so friendly, sparks will fly.'

Although he insisted that he always uses a condom, even with his steady partner, and that he is HIV negative, his behavior is cause for concern.

A Ministry of Health update on HIV infection in 2003 showed that about 88 per cent of Singaporeans who caught HIV through sexual contact got it from casual-sex partners and prostitutes.

Mr Benedict Jacob-Thambiah, executive director of Action for Aids, said: 'Blaming the gay community will only further stigmatise the disease and the people suffering from it. We need to arm our people with education and awareness. We must be more open about spreading the message of condom usage, abstinence and monogamy.'

But family life educator Koh Su Yin said: 'By having the parties, we are sending the message to young people that such a lifestyle is okay. It also desensitizes and normalizes a behavior which would be construed intuitively as unnatural.

'We would not want young people to be attracted to the gay lifestyle as it undermines the basic family value of committed love, the importance of marriage and the stability of a family that constitutes mother- and father-love.'

Agreeing, Ms Linda Kwek, 32, an advertising executive and mother of two toddlers, said: 'Homosexuals, like anyone else, have a right to whatever lifestyle they fancy. But if this right becomes a potential threat to family values, then I would rather live in a country that is labeled strait-laced than one plagued by Aids and heartbreaks.

'We don't need such parties on our doorstep. Call me selfish, but they can happen elsewhere.'
 

Feb 23, 2005 Anti-crime cameras to go up in more areas by Tanya Fong

THE use of closed-circuit television cameras to fight crime has proven so effective in several parts of Singapore that police will extend their use to other areas.

For a start, several parts of Geylang will be added to a list that already includes Boat Quay, Little India and Newton Food Centre.  By the end of next month, eight cameras will go up in Geylang to monitor lorongs 15, 17, 19 and 21. The area was chosen because of residents' complaints about illegal prostitution and fights.  Police said the scheme will be widened to other parts of the island later.

Assistant Commissioner Aubeck Kam, the director of operations for the Singapore Police Force, said: 'Geylang won't be the last. We have a list of locations where we may extend the cameras to.  'But we will prioritize where they are needed, and do it in phases.'

Camera monitoring of crime-prone areas began in 2003, after sharp increases in rioting were recorded in Boat Quay and Newton Food Centre. Police also noticed a spike in robberies in Little India. Since then, the number of such incidents has dropped markedly. In Boat Quay, rioting cases fell from 51 in 2003 to just 12 last year. Merchants have also given positive feedback.

The cameras, which can be monitored by nearby Neighborhood Police Centers, let police respond quickly to crimes in progress. Officers can also be dispatched to stop incidents escalating.

In Boat Quay, officers on patrol have prevented fights on several occasions after being alerted by those monitoring the cameras. The footage captured also helps police solve crimes. Last September, for instance, police used footage of an incident at Boat Quay to find two suspects in a parang attack in which a person's hand was severed. In another incident, 10 people who had viciously attacked two men at Newton Food Centre and fled were later arrested after police turned to the tapes.

The cameras employ the latest technology, allowing officers monitoring them to zoom in on potential trouble spots, and even to look out for signs of terrorist activity. They can pan and tilt to capture minute details, such as the type of watch a suspect is wearing, even in low-light conditions. The cameras are typically placed atop lamp posts or walls to prevent vandalism. So far, 29 cameras costing $2 million have been deployed.

Responding to a question about the potential privacy issues that widespread use of such cameras could raise, the head of the police public affairs department, Senior Assistant Commissioner Tan Puay Kern, said that they are meant to monitor criminal activity and violent crimes, not to spy on people.

Those who visit prostitutes in Geylang, for example, need not worry about being caught on tape, say police, unless they commit a major crime while doing so. But pub-goers who have one too many and get rowdy are liable to get a friendly visit from police.

SAC Tan added that cameras are only deployed after consultation with local residents and tenants. This is because police want to seek their cooperation, and to reassure them that using cameras will result in lower crime. Using cameras to monitor crime-prone areas is a common practice worldwide.

London, for example, has often been cited as the world's 'most-watched' city, because of the millions of cameras deployed in shopping centers, at traffic tollgates, railway stations and even on parking meters to reduce crime. Other cities, such as New York and Hong Kong, also use them. In fact, businesses and residents in the affected areas here welcomed being watched.

Mr K.S. Kummah, 47, owner of Roots de Cafe-cum-pub in Madras Street in Little India, said: 'We used to see two major gang fights a month in our back alleys before the cameras were put up. 'We don't know where the cameras are, but they work. It's much quieter now, and we can go for many months without any fights.'

Part 2

The police have also released last year's crime statistics. The number of arrests made by them hit a record high of 24,606 last year, an increase of 6 percent from 2003. But this is attributed more to minor crimes such as theft and drink-driving, rather than serious offences. Most major offences such as robbery, rape and murder registered decreases.

Police statistics also reveal that the number of molest cases in nightspots increased by more than 60 percent last year, from 54 cases in 2003 to 87 cases in 2004.

And while you are having fun at nightspots, you may also want to pay special attention to your mobile phone. The number of theft and robbery cases involving mobile phones increased by 5 percent to 161 cases last year.

Said Singapore Police Force Assistant Commissioner Aubeck Kam, "We have seen some cases where people approach well meaning and helpful Singaporeans and ask to borrow their handphones and having taken possession of their handphones, they run away.

"The other thing that Singaporeans can do is to keep a good record of their handphone IMEI or IMA numbers because if you happen to lose it, reporting that number can help the police to trace it back."

Other significant increases in crimes committed last year include drink driving, which went up by 44 percent to 834 cases, break-ins at industrial premises, which rose by 93 percent to 107 cases, and snatch thefts, which increased 11 percent to 429 cases.

The police also announced that they will be installing eight surveillance cameras at Geylang. It is hoped that the cameras will have a psychological deterrent on potential offenders and lower the amount of vice activity in this area. Residents and shop owners surveyed say they welcomed the news. "It's a good move because there is a lot of crime in this Geylang area, so it will be more security for everyone," one person said. "The crime rate will go down if they know that the police are watching," said another. "With the surveillance camera on, the place is safe here. People will come more to shop and have their food," said a third person.

Police say that the CCTVs earlier installed at Newton Hawker Centre, Little India and Boat Quay have helped them to diffuse several fights and to solve some cases. - CNA

BINTAN, the Indonesian resort island, is sprucing up to lure more tourists.

07 February 2005

BINTAN, the Indonesian resort island, is sprucing up to lure more tourists.

A 'tourist city', with nightclubs and upscale restaurants, shopping malls and boutique hotels, is to be built on its north coast to woo more visitors.

To entice them to stay longer than the average three days, retirement villages and a new six-star beach resort are also being planned.

The 'tourist city' will give the area, known as Bintan Resorts, an entertainment and shopping belt, said Mr Yeo Khee Leng, the new chief executive officer of Island Leisure International, the master planner of Bintan Resorts.

Mr Yeo, 51, formerly Singapore Tourism Board chief, is charged with marketing the development to tourists and investors.

Industry sources said the planned six-star beach resort will be managed by one of the world's poshest hotel chains - the Ritz-Carlton.

Mr Yeo declined to confirm the hotel's involvement.

020505-Singapore  When hookers come to town

Despite more than 5,000 arrests for vice last year, Boat Quay has become the latest area of operation

By: Ansley Ng

THE two mainland Chinese women, strolling by the riverbank in front of UOB Plaza, looked out of place in the central business district on a weekday afternoon.  From a distance, they looked as if they were dressed in what a young and savvy local might call "clubbing gear" — one wore a tight back dress, the other a pink camisole and a colorful striped skirt. Both women, who appeared to be in their early 30s, stopped and sat on a stone bench. For about 30 minutes, they chatted and pointed at landmarks around them, occasionally toying with their mobile phones. The girls could have been mistaken for tourists. But tourists, who tend to dress more casually, have more touristy things to do than idling with their mobile phones.

Suddenly, the pair spotted what they had been waiting for all afternoon — two male Caucasian tourists, who had just come off a bumboat ride, were walking in their direction. The women approached the men unabashedly and hand them business cards, occasionally turning around and pointing in the direction of Boat Quay. After a minute of gesturing and talking, the men smile and walk away, one still studying the card as he was leaving. The girls continue their prowl along the riverbank.

Growing numbers

Nearly everyone has heard the story about the girls from China. Some come as tourists, others as students -- to make a quick buck by accosting amorous men in KTV lounges, massage parlors, coffee-shops and HDB void decks. But lusty men and the media were not the only ones hounding prostitutes last year.

According to latest police figures, 5,239 women were arrested last year for vice activities, compared to 2,301 caught in 2003. In 2002, police nabbed 3,422 women in anti-vice raids. This spike was due to a rise in the number of social visitors, reduced figures in 2003 due to Sars and "sustained enforcement action", police spokeswoman ASP Rachel Yeo told Today. But perhaps that increased action in traditional hooker haunts such as Geylang has forced the action to come out to places such as Joo Chiat, Yishun and, most recently, Boat Quay.

The massage gambit

The parlors on Circular Road behind Boat Quay know that the walk-in traffic alone cannot sustain business. So they send out their best-looking girls to lure the men indoors. Complete with business cards with a map of their location, the girls scour the area for potential clients, often hitting the grounds as early as 11am to catch the lunchtime crowd. Today has learnt that there are as many as seven massage parlors and "health centers" in the Circular Road area alone.

According to a pub manager, who spoke on condition of anonymity, these "freelancers", who enter Singapore on tourist visas, prefer picking up tourists as local men could turn out to be undercover police.

Though local men do not get approached, they don't get turned away either. Today saw a well-dressed man in his 30's loitering outside a shop-house stairwell that led to a massage parlor. He looked at the poster put up by the parlor and dialed a number on his mobile phone. In less than a minute, a girl came down and brought him upstairs.

"They don't solicit anyone openly anymore," said the pub manager, adding that the girls sometimes frequent his pub when their business is slow. "The girls do not want to get caught for streetwalking. If they waited upstairs and still get caught, they would only be charged with working as masseurs without work permits," he added. According to him, the girls charge about $38 for an hour of massage and the "market rate" of $100 for sex. Prices are negotiable.

"Everyone knows what else there is to expect other than a massage," he said, with a grin. But authorities are not amused. The police has been "monitoring the situation" but so far, no one has been arrested for vice during "anti-crime rounds", said ASP Yeo. "We will take enforcement action if we come across any vice activities there," said ASP Yeo.

Boat Quay Business Association president Mr Colin MacDonald said he knows about the parlors but hasn't personally seen any streetwalkers yet. "I haven't heard about that (soliciting) yet… I think we are safe. "Boat Quay is a gem in Singapore's tourism industry and authorities would act quickly if the situation gets out of hand," he added.

Banker Mr Ong, who works in Raffles Place and often has lunch in coffee-shops along Circular Road, has not seen the masseurs but said he was "shocked that they have come to the business district".

"The girls are very entrepreneurial. From a business point of view, it is a good strategy because of all the fierce competition in Geylang," Mr Ong said.

No quick solutions

Critics blame the hooker hike on the loosening of visa rules last year to woo the Chinese tourism dollar. Holders of social visas can now stay in Singapore for up to 30 days, instead of 14.

Also, to make the entry application process easier for Chinese tourists, the number of travel agents in China that is authorized by the China National Tourism Administration has been raised from three to 43, with 322 branches in major Chinese cities.

Responding to questions about whether there was a need to tighten immigration rules, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokeswoman said foreigners caught engaging in vice activities would be repatriated and banned from re-entering Singapore.

ICA is also aware of the need to meet other national objectives, such as promoting tourism and economic growth, without compromising on national security, she said. But how should Singapore draw the line between chasing tourists and weeding out women who fuel the local sex trade?

Observers say there are no quick solutions.

Describing the situation as a "growing problem for law enforcement", former chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Home Affairs and Law Associate Professor Chin Tet Yung said the entry rules should not be relaxed any further to make it easier for Chinese tourists. "The sheer volume of China visitors may make it difficult for ICA officers to check and screen (each person) properly," he added.

"I am not sure if enlisting the help of the Chinese authorities will be useful given the… numbers involved in this trade. But it may be of some help in the screening process," he said.

Men who accept services from streetwalkers should also be punished, Prof Chin added. "If it is really getting out of hand, we have to have laws covering not just the streetwalkers but also their willing clients," he said.

Meanwhile, residents and shop owners whose areas have been infiltrated by streetwalkers should form watch groups and inform the police of any of such activities.

Ms Indranee Rajah, who is the chairwoman in the GPC for Home Affairs and Law, agreed. The police can only "do so much" since enforcement focuses on the supply end of the industry, she said. "It is difficult if a person is coming in for the first time. You can't presume that every tourist is going to engage in this kind of activity. "We should do some soul searching as a society and have a long hard look at those who are the source of demand for… prostitutes," she said. "If there was no demand, there wouldn't be this kind of activity."

A lawyer who works in UOB Plaza was amused and nudged his male lunch partner when told that massage girls had operated just 50 meters away from his office. "We have been missing out on things, man!" said the bespectacled 20-something jokingly. "But I wouldn't go there," he said. "It is too near my workplace."

020505-Singapore She made me an offer ... but I had to refuse

By: Ross Wallace
 

FROM the way she was dressed, it was clear she was a businesswoman. Just not the sort of businesswoman you'd expect to find at Raffles Place. I spotted her on a stone bench, just meters from the rows of pubs along Boat Quay. She was long-haired, Asian, I guessed about 30, and in her matching grey jacket and skirt combo, she could have been mistaken for an office worker on a late afternoon break.

On Today's instructions, I had arrived at about 4 on a weekday afternoon with the express purpose of meeting someone like her and, as it turned out, I didn't have long to wait. "Hi, you want massage?" she said with a smile while handing me a hot pink business card. "One hour. Thirty-eight dollah." I peered down at the card, tried to look bewildered and stammered: "What? Where's this?" She repeated her offer but, unable to explain the location of the massage parlor, gestured vaguely in the direction of Circular Road. A look of mild surprise came over her face when I agreed to follow her there.

Evidently not one for small talk, she hustled me along to her place of employment, on the top floor of a shop-house – pausing only once to find out where I was from but declining to reveal anything but her name: Li Li. As an afterthought, she asked for mine. Li Li wasn't a woman who would turn heads in a crowded room, but she had the geisha-like elegance and exoticism that tends to appeal to Western men. When she giggled shyly at having to sidestep her way up the last section of the narrow staircase (due to her high-heeled shoes), I smiled despite myself.

Upon reaching the third-floor, the only sign that we had arrived at our destination was a sheet of A4 paper taped beside the door on which the parlor’s name appeared in large type. We entered and passed through an area where two men and a woman, all in their 50s and presumably the proprietors, were chatting in upholstered armchairs. They barely glanced up. Li Li ushered me down a short corridor lined with six empty "rooms", actually cubicles separated by 2m-high office-style dividers – containing white-sheet covered massage tables and little else. Once inside the last of these, I was handed a plastic cup of Chinese tea and instructed, gestured, really to undress.

Having once enjoyed a massage at an upscale hotel in Bali, I expected I'd get down to my shorts before being handed a towel to preserve both my modesty and that of my masseuse. Li Li didn't stand on ceremony. She signaled for me to remove my last stitch of clothing, which I did, and then indicated that I should lie face down on the table. She removed her jacket to reveal a lacy black blouse before getting down to work. Initially, it was just a straightforward massage, nowhere near as good as the one I had enjoyed in Bali but relaxing enough that I felt myself getting drowsy. Even the strong aroma of the lotion she was massaging into my back wasn't helping as I fought off sleep.

I'm not sure how long I was out but it didn't take much to bring me back from the Land of Nod. I realized with a start that Li Li had worked her way down to my legs and was paying what seemed like an inordinate amount of attention to my inner thighs. Surely, the tissue on the inside of my left leg wasn't so knotted that it needed this sort of treatment. Wait a minute! That wasn't my leg! I began to suspect that Li Li and my Balinese masseuse might not have gone through the same sort of training. While it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say I shifted my body out of discomfort, Li Li seemed to get the message that she should move on. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to remind myself I was on a journalistic assignment.

A few minutes later, when Li Li indicated it was time to turn over, I did so hesitantly. I wasn't entirely comfortable letting it all hang out in front of this stranger – especially in light of what had happened earlier – but figured we both had a job to do and might as well get it over with. Li Li might have had the same thought in mind – we barely spoke during our hour together – but it soon became clear that we had different ideas of what it meant to have a job well in hand. When she went to work massaging my forehead, shoulders and chest, whatever discomfort I had been feeling evaporated. Li Li smiled at me from her position above and behind me and playfully let her long hair fall into my face.

I feigned annoyance but had to admit I was enjoying myself. Who wouldn't be in my position? But I couldn't escape the feeling I was in the process of being seduced. Whereas my Balinese masseuse had maintained a veneer of professionalism during our time together, Li Li was going out of her way to create a feeling of intimacy.

What she did next ended any pretence, if one ever existed, of professional distance. After moving to a position beside the table, Li Li used a universally recognized hand gesture to offer a service that no one in the massage business would admit is available. In the interests of journalism (or so I told myself), I asked how much she charged for this service. My jaw dropped at her response: "$150." Perhaps sensing that she may have set the bar too high, Li Li quickly reduced the price to $100. I was in no position to bargain, partly because I had resolved not to buy and partly because I feared she might make me an offer I couldn't refuse. So, I just shook my head and said: "Massage only." I could detect a mixture of surprise and disappointment in Li Li's eyes but, to her credit, she didn't try to force my hand (or hers). She just went about completing my massage in what could only be described as a perfunctory manner.

When it was over, she watched as I dressed and, with a look of entitlement, coldly accepted the modest tip I offered. I barely managed to stifle the impulse to apologize. For what, I wasn't sure. Li Li escorted me back the way we'd come and, after I had turned over my $38 to one of the proprietors, she saw me out the front door. If I had returned to the riverside 30 minutes later, I have little doubt I would have seen her, perched on the same bench, looking to get her hands on a fresh opportunity.

013105-Singapore They Honey Trap II

CAN YOU RESIST HER?

'HONEY TRAPS' ARE IN DEMAND HERE, SAY INVESTIGATORS

By Faith Teo & Joycelyn Wong

IF you're a man with a roving eye and a weakness for a pretty face, be careful who you flirt with at the pub next time. You could be looking into the eyes of a honeytrapper, whose subtle allure could cost you your girlfriend, or worse, your marriage. Honeytrappers, so-called because of the nature of their work, are actually female private investigators (PIs) hired by women to check on their men.

These women usually want to find out if their fiancés or husbands are capable of cheating. We reported the case files of Ms Annie Johnson, a honeytrapper in London, in The New Paper yesterday. The former advertising executive has set more than 50 honey traps since launching the service in February last year, reported The Daily Mail.

Honeytrappers - usually attractive, well-dressed young women - position themselves at hang-outs where the targets would definitely notice them.

What happens next depends on the target. If he starts flirting, offers his phone number or suggests another date, the client will be notified. Even if he doesn't bite, the honeytrapper will observe his behavior towards other women.

But the rules of engagement in the PI industry are very clear.

DEMAND RISING

Honeytrappers may make eye-contact, smile or start a conversation, but they will never seduce a man by flirting.

Mr Harmon Singh, a PI, told The New Paper on Sunday that over the years, more and more women are seeking the service of honeytrappers.

He declined to reveal details except to say the increase is substantial. 'Today's women are different, they are educated and know their rights. I also have more requests by women for my operatives to go overseas where their husbands have been posted to check up on them,' he revealed. His 'operatives' go through a strict briefing with him on their boundaries before they leave for assignments. 'All they should do is talk to the man and see if he lies about his marital status or whether he has children. If he's committed, he won't lie. 'The operatives may meet the men a few more times after that if they ask, but they won't do anything that would lead to the breakup of marriages. They will never 'hook' him, even if the clients ask for it,' said Mr Singh.

During these meetings, a miniature taperecorder carried by the honeytrapper records every word between her and the target. She may discreetly take pictures too if he's intimate with other women.

Mr Singh said the evidence gathered by the operative during her observations of the target can be submitted in court, but the operative's own experience with the target is brought up only if the court asks for it. It's not a pleasant process for everyone involved, but Mr Singh actually recommends it to those who are planning to get married.

'A pre-marital check ensures the guy isn't involved in another relationship. It's not a good feeling, but it's less traumatic and expensive than a divorce.'

In some cases, the honeytrappers maintain contact with the subject for months until they gather conclusive evidence. And cheating spouses are not always their targets. Mr Andy Lek, who owns Asia Investigation and Security, said he had once been approached by a company to check if one of its employees had been moonlighting. The man was spending much more than he was earning and was often taking private overseas trips.

One of Mr Lek's female PIs befriended him at a pub along Mohamed Sultan Road and told him she was a sales representative. To keep up with pretences, Mr Lek even roped in a sales company to help. He printed business cards with the PI's name and office number for her to give to the man.

Over three months, the female PI would often go to that sales company to make calls to the man. 'She had his trust and he'd tell her where he was going and who he was meeting.' 'With this information, we were able to find out that he was moonlighting. He was getting some of his company's clients to deal with the supplier directly. The commission he collected was even more than his pay.' Mr Lek said that it would have taken much longer to conclude the case if his PI had not befriended the man. While it appears that honeytrappers can get the job done faster and more effectively, not all PI agencies use such tactics.

Of the 10 agencies that The New Paper contacted, seven said they do not allow their female PIs to have any sort of contact with the people they are investigating for ethical reasons. Said Mr Lionel De Souza: 'Human nature is weak and some men cannot resist women in sexy, low-cut dresses. Getting female PIs to be those women is like planting evidence.

'If the man is a flirt, we can still gather evidence through surveillance.'

MODEL PUTS SINGAPORE MEN TO THE TEST

IT is a typical Wednesday night at a popular pub in Suntec City. A tall and slim woman, attracting attention with her long hair and attractive features, moves amongst the after-work yuppie crowd. Her eyes fix on one of the many men there, and he looks back. She smiles. He comes over and introduces himself. It is exactly what she intended. Meet Ashley, who's in her late 20s. The part-time model managed by talent agency Catworkz International was roped in by us for our honey-trap experiment.

Her mission: To act as PI for one night.

Her target: To prove how easy it is to make men approach her at a pub just by smiling or making eye-contact and to probe them about their marital status. She also had to report back on whether they asked for her number or gave them theirs, and whether they requested to see her again.

SMILED BACK

Within one hour, Ashley succeeded in getting five men out of the eight she made eye-contact with to approach her. 'Of the three that didn't, two of them were with their friends and the last was with a girlfriend. They all smiled back when I smiled at them though,' Ashley reported. The first man to fall into Ashley's honey-trap claimed to be a pilot in his late 20s. He refused to give her his real name, but asked for her number and said he wanted to see her again.

When Ashley asked him what he was doing alone at the pub and if he was married, he admitted that he was. 'He said that he was in a broken marriage and had no kids. He also told me that everything about his marriage was so sour that it was 'good to make new friends'. 'He then asked me 'When can I fly you?'.'

Target No. 2 was easy prey. He claimed to be a lawyer in his late 30s, and said he had been eyeing Ashley from afar for a while. When she popped the marital status question, he refused to give her a straight answer. 'He said 'Why should you ask me if I'm married or single, if I approach you it means that I'm available'. He also refused to give me his name card when I asked for it, but he asked for my number and a second meeting.

LAWYER, BANK OFFICER

Target No. 3 was much more straightforward. He also said he was a lawyer in his 30s, and readily gave Ashley his name card. He said he was single, never divorced, and never married.

The fourth target said he was a bank professional in his early 30s.

When Ashley asked if he was married, he jokingly told her he was gay but 'he also said that he's never failed to satisfy a woman before.' A bank officer in his 20s was the last target to be hooked by Ashley at the Suntec City pub. 'He told me that he didn't have a girlfriend that particular day, but insisted he wasn't married. He told me 'If I had a girlfriend, I would be faithful to her at least two hours of the day', and then asked for a date and my number,' said Ashley. - Faith Teo

24 Jan 2005 - Singapore

Risque mags stir classification talk

More measures urged to block them from the young

By: Keith Lin

SEX parties in HDB flats. Four floors of whores. Rise of the great Singapore slut.

As intriguing as these headlines may sound, not all Singaporeans are lapping up with glee the plethora of raunchy stories fleshed out across the pages of many local lifestyle magazines.

Parents, in particular, are clamouring for a magazine classification system that will prevent their young children from accessing magazine articles laden with themes such as promiscuity and homosexuality.

Madam CL Chu is one such worried parent. Concerned about the potential negative impact of such stories on her children's moral standards, she keeps some of the publications she buys in her office, and avoids taking them home.

"Magazines should be classified. These days, some articles are very sexual or sensational, and I think it's not necessarily the right time (for my daughters) to read such things," said the mother of two teenage girls.

Currently, only a limited magazine classification system exists in Singapore. Foreign adult-interest publications, such as Cosmopolitan, have to be shrink-wrapped before they are purchased, and have advisory labels such as "Unsuitable for the Young" pasted on the packaging.

Local lifestyle magazines such as Her World, Female and many only-for-men-type publications, on the other hand, can be purchased at newsstands by almost anyone, despite having a kaleidoscope of steamy stories and risque images.

When asked about the impact of such content on the mainstream public, a spokesperson for the Media Development Authority (MDA) said MDA conducts regular dialogue sessions with local publishers, reminding them to be mindful of the public's threshold for sex and nudity.

She, however, acknowledged that there have been "a few occasions" over the past two years in which some local lifestyle magazines had overstepped the guidelines given to them.

More concrete measures to prevent such magazines from falling into the wrong hands must be taken, said Mr. Basskaran Nair, chairman of the Publications Consultative Panel (PCP), a publications advisory board.

He added: "(Magazine) publishers should not foist unsuitable niche market publications upon the general public."

Avid magazine reader Jasmine Teo, a local university student, felt otherwise. Said the 21 year-old: "It's quite pointless to prevent young readers from getting access to such magazines. They can always get someone older to buy it for them.

"In any case, there's always the Internet, where even more explicit material exists."

In any case, mature readers need not worry about a clampdown on sexually liberal content should a magazine classification system be introduced, said media observer Dr Mark Cenite, who lectures at the School of Communication and Information (SCI) in NTU.

"Magazine classification allows the public to more readily accept a greater selection of magazines, just like how movie classification has led to more controversial movies being made available in Singapore," he said.

Most industry players Today spoke to were unsupportive of a classification system.

Ms. Agatha Koh, editorial director of Panpac Media, a local publisher of lifestyle magazines such as NewMan and Dare, said: "We would rather work with the authorities to see if things can be 'fixed' without having to resort to classification."

"We live in a society that has all the thinking done for us. How are consumers going to learn to be sophisticated enough to make their own choices?" she added.

A spokesperson for STP Magazines, which distributes the US edition of Maxim as well as Cosmopolitan, among other foreign magazines, said: "From a business perspective, the current (limited classification) system is a bit restrictive.

"However, increased segregation would mean that we would have to incur further costs, such as pasting advisory labels on the wide spectrum of magazines we distribute."

Business costs and media liberalization aside, Ms. Jody Koh, a private tutor and the mother of a 15-year-old girl, summed up the concerns of many parents when she said: "Allowing magazines with adult-themed articles to flood the mass market, and not doing anything about it, could send the wrong signal to young people.

"Many of them might interpret such action as tantamount to saying that acting in a sexually irresponsible way is perfectly acceptable in society. And that worries me."

More measures urged to block them from the young

Where There's Honey, There's Money / Singapore
Where pretty women go, money usually follows. And restaurant and pub owners are cashing in

THE FUN
He thought the KTV-bars were too cina (pronounced cheenah, meaning off-beat Chinese). So he decided to open one with DJ consoles spinning American top 40 songs and retro music. Mr. Dickson Ong saw the potential of Joo Chiat Road and invested close to $200,000 in Blue Star Pub two years ago. 'Joo Chiat Road is a food paradise. There were already four to five hotels in the area then. But it lacked good entertainment. I wanted a pub that could capture the hearts of the heartlanders so that they wouldn't need to travel all the way to town to enjoy themselves,' said Mr. Ong, 35.

His pub attracted more than just the heartlanders. Yuppies and Ang Mohs flocked to Blue Star Pub. And so did other budding entrepreneurs. Even Mr Ong's friend seized the opportunity and started Blue Lagoon Lounge, right opposite to his. Soon more and more pubs sprouted up along the road. Try counting and you will find more than 20 pubs, KTVs, massage parlors and at least seven hotels along Joo Chiat Road.

In 1993, Joo Chiat was gazetted as a conservation area by URA. It recognised the multi-faceted and distinctive character of the place and is working closely with STB, Joo Chiat CCC and NHB on a walking map for the area.

Just what is the deal with Joo Chiat Road?

'The beautiful architecture of the shop-houses help to draw the crowd here,' replied Mr. Ong who is considering opening another pub. 'We've re-created the scene from Tanjong Pagar and Mohd Sultan Road in Joo Chiat Road. With more pubs opening, people have more choices and they can bar-hop easily.' The owner of Blue Lagoon Lounge, who declined to be named, added: 'We've basically re-created the whole downtown entertainment scene at Joo Chiat Road.' Another entrepreneur William Foo opened his pub, Tiger Bar, together with two partners, at the other end of the road. It was to be away from the competition. 'Our customers are not limited to only the yuppies. We have families who book our KTV rooms.'

THE FOOD
They knew little about Vietnamese food and spoke only a few words of Vietnamese.

But what Mr. Daniel Phan and Mr. Eric Gwee did know was that opening a Vietnamese restaurant - right in the middle of Little Vietnam - was a smart business move. The small stretch along Joo Chiat Road got its name from the growing Vietnamese presence there, from pub hostesses to food outlets. Mr. Phan, 45, and Mr. Gwee, 35, are among a group of shrewd food entrepreneurs who have cashed in on the nightspot boom in Joo Chiat in recent years. Before the neon signboards of karaoke joints and pubs lit up the neighborhood, it was better known for its wide variety of good food. One can still find old-timers like Lau Hock Guan Kee Bak Kut Teh and Guan Hoe Soon Peranakan Restaurant there. But in the last three years or so, newcomers have sprouted in the area. Mr. Phan and Mr. Gwee pumped more than $50,000 into Halong Bay (named after a popular tourist spot in Vietnam), which opened last October.

VIBRANT COMMUNITY
Mr. Phan, formerly in the jewelry business, told The New Paper on Sunday: 'There was a vibrant Vietnamese community here, and I saw a chance to provide them with good food.' He picked up tips about Vietnamese food from his customers, and hired a Malaysian chef. He declined to say how much he made a month, but said business was doing reasonably well. When this reporter was there at 5.30pm on Tuesday, the restaurant, which opens from 4pm to 1am daily, was doing brisk business. There was a good mix of local customers and Vietnamese pub hostesses.

Mr. Steven Yeo and his colleague in an architecture firm patronise Halong Bay once every two weeks. Mr. Yeo, 47, said: 'We come here to eat, as well as to 'birdwatch' (watch the women). There's good food here, and the women are a fringe benefit. It's like a free catwalk show.' Mr Jason Koh, who runs family dim sum business Shang Hoo Kee, said he opened an outlet in Joo Chiat in May as he wanted to take advantage of the night crowd. The 32-year-old has another outlet at Block 358, Bedok North Street 3. 'Most of my customers come for supper, and many of them patronize the KTV lounges and pubs,' he said. His outlet, which cost almost $100,000 to set up, opens from evening to 3am daily.

Mr. John Tan, who set up the Vietnamese Thi' Loan Cafe with his Vietnamese wife last November, said: 'Every time a new karaoke lounge opens, there'll be a new crowd.' Madam Loan, 30, had run a food business with her family in Vietnam before she came to Singapore about seven years ago. A rough count showed there are at least 30 restaurants and coffee-shops along Joo Chiat Road. The first quarter of the road consists mainly of Muslim eateries, while the next quarter is Little Vietnam. After that comes the Chinese restaurants and coffee-shops offering a wide variety of local and foreign (like Taiwanese) fare. But it isn't just the new kids on the block whose business is boosted by the night crowd. Some of the old boys, who rely mostly on their regular customers, admitted they might not do as well if not for the presence of pubs and KTV lounges in the area.

Mr. Ng Boon Hak, 38, who has been running a nasi lemak outlet for the past eight years, said: 'I don't like the nightlife, but I think we probably wouldn't survive without it.' Mr. K G Tan, 54, of Lau Hock Guan Kee, a coffee-shop selling bak kut teh and curry fish head, said in Mandarin: 'When the night spot business is bad, it's also bad for the food business. The flourishing night life in Joo Chiat has also led to a rise in the number of prostitutes working in the residential heartland. That means frequent police raids, which badly affect some of the food businesses. Mr. Phan said there has been four raids since he set up shop. 'The policemen come into the restaurant, check documents of the Vietnamese women and even arrest some of them.'

Mr. John Tan, 42, pointed out: 'Some customers are students or other people's wives, but they still get checked.' He said the last police raid was in August, after which his business dropped by 30 to 40 per cent. Local customers stay away for fear of getting into trouble, while the Vietnamese hostesses disappear from the area for a while. It takes about one to two months for business to pick up again, he said.