Is it the start of a worrying trend or are Singaporeans finally breaking the shackles of conformity and daring to be “different’?
This after Singapore police arrested a woman in her 50s for boarding a bus stark naked near Ubi Avenue on Wednesday evening, the third such case of a “nude” arrest this month.
Last Sunday, a naked man in his 20s or 30s was arrested after trying to order coffee in the buff from a 24-hour McDonald’s outlet along Queensway.
Earlier this month, a heavily tattooed man in his 40s sat naked for hours near an HDB block in Ang Mo Kio. He was later arrested after several warnings.
Psychologist, Mr Daniel Koh, 39, who owns Insights Mind Centre, told Yahoo! SEA, “Some of them might be attention seekers or would like to be the focal point of news while others might actually be crying out for help.”
“In the case of the latter, authorities should step in and such people should be reviewed, ” he said.
Mr Koh added that there are also those who do it out of sexual gratification or to arouse themselves.
In the latest case, the elderly woman who boarded the bus naked was initially dressed in a black blouse and pants. According to eyewitnesses, she later started to strip down by the roadside in full view of passers-by.
Oblivious to the stares by members of the public, the woman folded her clothes into a neat pile and put them in a plastic bag which she later placed on the pavement.
She then walked towards a bus stop in front of Block 302, Ubi Avenue 1, and stood a few metres away from the shelter, even though it was drizzling slightly.
Madam Huay who witnessed the incident said in Mandarin to The New Paper, “When she continued stripping, I felt more and more nervous. She was stark naked in front of peak-hour traffic. There were about 100 people staring at her.”
One of them, Mr Lim Fam Meng, a barber in his 50s said in Mandarin, “I was scared silly, but it was also an interesting sight. All of us who were in the shops came out. Passers-by also stopped to gawk.”
When bus service 22 arrived, she boarded the bus and sat in the back row. However, the bus did not move off and when she refused to budge or even accept a jacket to cover her modesty, passengers were told to sit at the front of the bus and women to the back, where they could help shield her.
Passengers were eventually transferred to a second bus service 22 that arrived later.
It was only when two police officers arrived and made her wear a yellow raincoat that she complied and left with them in a police car. She was later found to be of unsound mind.
The incident is the latest in a string of recent cases involving people appearing nude in public. In the first six months of the year, there have already been 105 such incidents — one about every other day.
It is understood that those arrested and who are believed to be mentally unsound are usually referred to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for psychiatric review.
Dr Koh has also advised members of public to be cautious when confronted with such people.
While it is important for males not to go near them for fear of being accused of molest, he said whoever is around should determine whether the naked man or woman is in a rational mood.
“They should just monitor the situation because such people might act defensive and be aggressive towards whoever approaches them. In this case it is best to leave them alone and leave it to the authorities,” he added.
Those found guilty of being nude in public, or in a private location, but visible to those outside, faces a fine of up to $2,000 and up to three months in jail.

Own Opinion: We should not be too quick to pass judgements on anybody, even though their behaviour or actions can be eccentric. What happened might not be what it seems to be. We should be more interested in finding out the reasons for these people to appear in public naked. Surely, they did not do this to just gain attention or just to satify their pervertic desires. They could be affected by the stress of the modern society, where results mean everything. I certainly do not agree with many Netizens who poke fun at these people, sayinh some really crude things. But i really wonder whether those mindless people would actually say those hurtful and insensitive things if the person caught naked in public is one of their loved ones. Have they ever wondered how the family members of those people would feel when they see those comments made by Netizens. I feel that as human beings, we should learn to put ourselves in each other's shoes before doing something. We are not bigger than others, neither are they bigger than us. As long as a human is compared to another, we are of equal standing and value. Therefore, those who actually laugh at these people, pass sarcastic comments on them, shame on you.
Ernest lee, 102369D

A woman ended up in the Accident and Emergency department after literally glueing her eyes shut.
This after she was given a dental paste instead of an eye medicine due to a mix-up by the pharmacy at Singapore’s National University Hospital (NUH).
The Straits Times reports that Madam Pang Har Tin first saw a doctor at NUH last Friday for a routine follow-up to several pre-existing eye conditions, including glaucoma. Procedures performed during the appointment left a corneal abrasion on her eye, causing irritation.
On Monday, she went to see another eye specialist at NUH and was prescribed a gel called Solcoseryl 20% Eye Gel, which would help her eyes heal.
However, instead of taking home the prescribed medication, she was given a dental adhesive tube paste called Solcoseryl Dental Adhesive Paste, an ointment used to treat inflammation and wounds in the mouth.
As the 63-year-old housewife could not read English, she failed to spot the mix-up by reading the label on the medicine. She later went home and applied the wrong paste on her eyes, causing her eyelids to stick together.
She was eventually rushed to NUH’s A & E department to have her right eye flushed out. It is understood that she has since made a full recovery.
In a statement released on Tuesday, NUH apologised for the incident.
“We are deeply sorry for Madam Pang’s experience which resulted from our error. Her well-being is our priority, and we have arranged for our eye specialist to review her on Wednesday. We will do our best to see through Madam Pang’s recovery.”
An NUH spokesman added that “the pharmacy staff involved have been counselled, and we have tightened our processes to minimise the risk of a similar error.”
Madam Pang’ son, Austin Liow, 35, told paper, “This is a very severe mistake, especially for the elderly who might not be well educated or read English. They will not know that they have received the wrong medication.”
“We were lucky that the box indicated it was a dental paste. If it had just the substance name, we would not even have realised there was a mistake,” he added.

Own Opinion: The woman has existing eye problems, such as glaucoma. She went to NUH for her routine medical check-up to see the doctor. After the check-up, she was prescribed the Solcoseryl 20% Eye Gel, which would help her eyes heal. Instead, she was not given the prescription, as she was given the Solcoseryl Dental Adhesive Paste, a dental adhesive tube paste, an ointment to treat wounds and inflammation in the mouth. As Mdm Pang is not able to read English, she still used the wrong prescription on her eyes, not realising the mix-up made by NUH. As a result of applying it on her eyes, her eyelids were glued together. She had to be rushed to the hospital to have her eye flushed out, and ever since, she has been making a steady recovery. NUH's response was to counsell the pharmacy staff and tighten up their procedures so as to prevent a repeat of such events. In my opinion, such a mix-up is extremely severe. Had the pharmacy prescribed a medication which the patient was allergic to, by consuming the medication, the patient could suffer from a allergic reaction, and who knows the severity of the reaction, it might cost a life. NUH must investigate and find out the reason behind the mix-up. Whether it was negligiance, fatigue or others. Better staff training should be enforced. The attitude of staff must also be monitored, especially for staff whom people have placed their health and welfare on. If it is fatigue, better staff rotation must be set in place, and perhaps a staff lounge where staff could take a short nap when off duty. All in all, staff in healthcare sectors should be more meticulous in their work, as one mistake, could harm another's welfare.
Ernest Lee, 102369D

STOMPer bow-WOW wouldn't mind sleeping in these lavish doghouses that would be the envy of humans. Some of them even cost just more than a 'humanhouse'.

Said the STOMPer:

"'It's a dog's life' -- people used to say, to illustrate a troubled life.

"But if I were the dog that got to live in these amazing doghouses, I wouldn't mind a dog's life at all.

"Aside from being cute and creative, these doghouses even boast running water, lighting, air conditioning, heat, and a swimming pool!

"But of course, all these creature comforts come at a price -- like the Brick Manor that costs US$25,000.

"Which is nothing compared to Paris' Hilton's Dog Mansion that costs US$325,000!

"And even that can't beat the pooch palace that some lady surgeon built for her Great Danes -- that place cost US$407,000.

"What can you expect? That place comes equipped with retina scan entry for dogs, webcams, a temperature controlled dog-spa with purification system, self-cleaning food and water bowls AND a 52-inch plasma TV!

"I wanna be one of those dogs!"

Own Opinion:
Frankly speaking, i feel that it is disgusting to spend such amount of money on your pet, no matter how rich you are. a pet is a pet, how can it measure up to the lives of human beings. i am not saying that pets do not deserve better treatment from us, but seriously, need one go to such an extent like having a dog-spa, a plasma TV etc? yes, Paris Hilton is extremely wealthy, but would that US$325,000 been put to better use in donations for the less fortunate. she is a celebrity, which means she has the star power and attraction. she could simply have organized a charity event for those in the 3rd world countries, say those in Africa. it would really make far more sense than the amount splashed on her dog's "mansion". just imagine how much the people on the receiving end on such a kind gesture would benefit. their lives would be improved. they can seek medical treatment, have better living environment and daily neccesaties to pass the day. a donation would help, organizing a charity event would help, but paris hilton decides to spend money on her dog's "mansion" instead.

Ernest Lee, 102369D

YET ANOTHER SLASHING CASE.

7 youths attack man in Teck Whye: "Jail and cane them as an example to others"

A 26-year-old auxiliary policeman bumped into a youth on the way to the supermarket. For this, he was beaten up by 7 youngsters. STOMPer Toomuch feels severe punishment is needed to make an example of them.
This is the latest in a series of violent attacks involving gangs of youths that have occurred all over Singapore, in places as diverse as Bukit Panjang and Ang Mo Kio.
A group of youths was also found with a pair of concealed choppers at a Pasir Ris chalet, while two teenagers have been placed in a Reformative Training Centre for knifing fellow students.
Although these incidents are believed to be unrelated, they were all caused by trivial events such as staring and arguments.
STOMPer Toomuch wrote:
"These violent incidents involving youths are seriously getting out of hand.
"Time and again we hear of incidents where members of the public are getting targeted by youngsters spoiling for a fight.
"This time, an innocent auxiliary policeman just passing by was attacked, because he was walking in the opposite direction of a group of youngsters. He tried to squeeze past them, and was beaten bloody for it.
"These youths have no respect for the law and are just out to pick fights with people in public.
"We need to arrest these people and really make an example of those caught by caning or jailing them. That's the only way they will learn that the law is not to be messed around with."
STOMPer Gao Luck also commented:
"Yet again I heard of another case of a gang fight at Teck Whye over the radio.
"Come on, when will all these attacks stop?"

What have gangsters nowdays become?animals?Gangsters are territorial and usually fight over pride,territory and business.Nowdays,They fight over the slightest of things like accidentally bumping into them or look at them.there insane!recently,these silly actions have caused the life of a republic student.I feel that the gangsters these days do not think about about the consequences  of their actions and later then they regret their actions when its too late.like they say,You have to face the consequences of your actions no matter what.

RAHMAN

WW3

BEIJING - CHINA, after being snubbed in its call for six-way talks on North Korea, has warned the United States, Japan and South Korea not to 'intensify confrontation' at a meeting next week in Washington.

North Korea's nuclear-armed regime last week launched a deadly artillery attack on South Korea and boasted about a new uranium reprocessing plant, deepening international concern about its intentions.

China, under pressure to bring its ally to heel, proposed to hold multilateral talks in Beijing in early December. But that was rejected by the United States, South Korea and Japan, which will meet themselves in Washington on Monday.

'We'll keep a close watch on this meeting,' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Jiang Yu said in a statement issued late Thursday.

'As the situation on the Korean peninsula is highly complicated and sensitive, we expect the meeting to ease tensions and promote dialogue, rather than heighten tensions and intensify confrontation,' Ms Jiang said.

'We expect the three countries to take into account regional peace and stability and Korean peninsula denuclearisation and give a positive consideration to China's proposal' for emergency six-way talks, she added. -- AFP

COMMENTS-

I fear WW3 is upon us, what would you do if that really happens?
leave your comments at the comment section.

Done by:MALVIN 102142C