What causes youth to turn to violence? Is it due due to the neglect of parents? Is it due to the system of education? Is it due to peer pressure? Is it due to the failure of society to stop violence from breeding more violence?
Glenn Lim who is a youth specialist consultant and adjunct lecturer preparing for his Doctorate in Criminology, as well as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador (Asean) and Singapore Youth Award 2005 winner explores the subject of gang violence in Singapore in an article on Today Online.
Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Singapore. Show all posts
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
A Great Lesson in Grit and a Record for Endurance
Nanyang Technological University(NTU) Singapore went the extra mile to raise funds for their students. NTU's 218 km ultramarathon was run round Singapore Sunday to celebrate its 55th anniversary. The total distance equal to 5 marathons is Singapore’s longest run and it raised $218,000 for the school’s bursary fund.
Physics teacher Yong Yuen Cheng, 38, was the fastest finisher in a time of 31 hours, 28 minutes and 51 seconds. Five out of the nine core runners finished the awesome distance within the cut off time of 36 hours.
This is a classic case of no-pain, no-gain moment. It's the mind over matter. It's the remarkable ability of the human spirit to transcend the limitations set by the mind- pain and suffering in this case. Toenail problems, blistered feet, a hurt knee, strained left quadriceps and diarrhoea were just some of the challenges that Yong Yuen Cheng overcame to complete the 218km gruelling feat without any sleep.
Despite the risk of injury, what drives relentless runners to do these ultra-distances and challenge their physical limits?
One of the nine core runners representing the NTU alma mater is MediaCorp Chinese news editor 56-year-old Lim Nghee Huat. Lim is no stranger to the marathon scene and has conquered miles in Brazil and Jordan. During the the three month period of training for this event, Lim said, "As daunting as it may seem to some, Mr Lim has these words of encouragement to those who are keen to take up the challenge.
He said: "I think from time to time, we should redefine the boundaries of our limits. If we don't try, we won't know what our limits are."
A fitting reply to the above question also comes from Yong Yuen Cheng when he said, "I do endurance races to let people know that no matter how ordinary you are, you can do something extraordinary."
While the NTU can immortalise the unwavering determination and perseverance of the core runners and the support group who helped runners endure the arduous ultramarathon, this feat also holds loads of positives and inspiration for everyone else, especially for those wishing to excel in their chosen path of life, be it sports, education or any other field.
"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up." American ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazez.
Physics teacher Yong Yuen Cheng, 38, was the fastest finisher in a time of 31 hours, 28 minutes and 51 seconds. Five out of the nine core runners finished the awesome distance within the cut off time of 36 hours.
This is a classic case of no-pain, no-gain moment. It's the mind over matter. It's the remarkable ability of the human spirit to transcend the limitations set by the mind- pain and suffering in this case. Toenail problems, blistered feet, a hurt knee, strained left quadriceps and diarrhoea were just some of the challenges that Yong Yuen Cheng overcame to complete the 218km gruelling feat without any sleep.
Despite the risk of injury, what drives relentless runners to do these ultra-distances and challenge their physical limits?
One of the nine core runners representing the NTU alma mater is MediaCorp Chinese news editor 56-year-old Lim Nghee Huat. Lim is no stranger to the marathon scene and has conquered miles in Brazil and Jordan. During the the three month period of training for this event, Lim said, "As daunting as it may seem to some, Mr Lim has these words of encouragement to those who are keen to take up the challenge.
He said: "I think from time to time, we should redefine the boundaries of our limits. If we don't try, we won't know what our limits are."
A fitting reply to the above question also comes from Yong Yuen Cheng when he said, "I do endurance races to let people know that no matter how ordinary you are, you can do something extraordinary."
While the NTU can immortalise the unwavering determination and perseverance of the core runners and the support group who helped runners endure the arduous ultramarathon, this feat also holds loads of positives and inspiration for everyone else, especially for those wishing to excel in their chosen path of life, be it sports, education or any other field.
"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up." American ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazez.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Singapore to open up its first farm resort
Since Maldives has many uninhabited islands, here's some news that could give us some idea of what we could do in Maldives- beyond just catering to the sunseeking foreign tourists.
Singapore government's Land Transport Authority is offering an agri-tainment farm resort where visitors could have a more unconventional experience when it opens its doors in August 2008.
Visitors will be able to find out how crops like corn and coffee are grown and may even get the chance to harvest their own vegetables.
In addition, the five-hectare site, which is equal to the size of six football fields, will have 21 villas and a nearby spa. And the villas will be going for up to S$200 a night.
(Link Channel NewsAsia)
Singapore government's Land Transport Authority is offering an agri-tainment farm resort where visitors could have a more unconventional experience when it opens its doors in August 2008.
Visitors will be able to find out how crops like corn and coffee are grown and may even get the chance to harvest their own vegetables.
In addition, the five-hectare site, which is equal to the size of six football fields, will have 21 villas and a nearby spa. And the villas will be going for up to S$200 a night.
(Link Channel NewsAsia)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Singapore's pioneer civil servant J.Y.Pillay speaks
J.Y. Pillay (b. 30 March 1934, Klang, Malaya) is one of the pioneers who helped build the Singapore economy after its separation from Malaysia in 1965. His single most significant contribution is in building Singapore Airlines (SIA) into a leading world-class carrier. One of the few highest-ranked Civil Service officers (Staff Grade III), he is also known as a visionary and a brilliant bureaucrat.
Pillay had his early education at St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur. He completed his tertiary education at the University of London's Imperial College of Science and Technology, where he obtained a first class honours in Engineering in 1956. After working in the United Kingdom and Malaya for a few years, he came to Singapore to work in the Ministry of Finance in 1961.
Despite its small size and lacking any natural resources, the success story of this island nation of 4 million people is a remarkable one.
In a series of talks organised by The Straits Times and the EDB Society, Singapore's economic and policy pioneers are talking about their experience. The first two speakers were Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Tamasek Holdings chairman S. Dhanabalan.
Mr. Pillay took centre stage at the Pioneer talks Series dialogue on Monday in the old parliament house.
In the wide-ranging discussion, the private man who rarely gives interviews, touched on his time in the civil service and his move into the private sector.
The former Chairman of SIA also shared candidly his views on how the present generation of Singaporeans could learn from their predecessors in confronting new frontiers.
He said: "You must have guts, a little bit of guts. To me, it hasn't changed from the time of Adam. The environment has changed. So, each generation has to figure out its salvation as it goes along."
Unlike his generation, today's young have not experienced the shock of the Japanese Occupation and other shocks in subsequent decades, said Mr Pillay, who turns 74 on March 30.
'These are the people who should read all these books that are being written on Singapore's history, the past 50 years. Unfortunately, they don't. That's the way with youngsters. They are looking too much to the future - which is good - not so much backward,' he said in response to Straits Times reader Jonathan Chee at the EDB Society-Straits Times Pioneers seminar yesterday.
Pillay had his early education at St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur. He completed his tertiary education at the University of London's Imperial College of Science and Technology, where he obtained a first class honours in Engineering in 1956. After working in the United Kingdom and Malaya for a few years, he came to Singapore to work in the Ministry of Finance in 1961.
Despite its small size and lacking any natural resources, the success story of this island nation of 4 million people is a remarkable one.
In a series of talks organised by The Straits Times and the EDB Society, Singapore's economic and policy pioneers are talking about their experience. The first two speakers were Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Tamasek Holdings chairman S. Dhanabalan.
Mr. Pillay took centre stage at the Pioneer talks Series dialogue on Monday in the old parliament house.
In the wide-ranging discussion, the private man who rarely gives interviews, touched on his time in the civil service and his move into the private sector.
The former Chairman of SIA also shared candidly his views on how the present generation of Singaporeans could learn from their predecessors in confronting new frontiers.
He said: "You must have guts, a little bit of guts. To me, it hasn't changed from the time of Adam. The environment has changed. So, each generation has to figure out its salvation as it goes along."
Unlike his generation, today's young have not experienced the shock of the Japanese Occupation and other shocks in subsequent decades, said Mr Pillay, who turns 74 on March 30.
'These are the people who should read all these books that are being written on Singapore's history, the past 50 years. Unfortunately, they don't. That's the way with youngsters. They are looking too much to the future - which is good - not so much backward,' he said in response to Straits Times reader Jonathan Chee at the EDB Society-Straits Times Pioneers seminar yesterday.
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