THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

PART Is ‘Oscar curse’ real? Bob plays it again ‘He’s a big boy’ Two film bus Dylan strips Jackie Chan won’t be C find out if Oscar down in Beijing to welcome wins truly American Jaycee upon release lead to divorce standards from prison C2 C10 C26

MUST-SEE ASIAN INSPIRATION

China’s ZhouT Xun (left) andV South Korea’s Park Shin Hye are among the biggest East Asian stars to come to viewers’ TV in the first quarter of this year. GWENDOLYN NG talks to them. C6&7

DESIGN: CAROL GAN PHOTOS: SINGTEL TV, ONE, EPA, COLUMBIA RECORDS C2 LIFE! THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Actors nominated for Oscars, but who did not win and went on to get divorced soon after include (above, from left) Humphrey Bogart, Kirk Douglas and Mickey Rooney. Best Actress Oscar winners (below, from left) Jane Fonda, Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon and Halle Berry saw their marriages break up after winning the statuette. PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, NEW YORK TIMES

Dr Heeyon Kim and Dr Michael Jensen, who wrote a research paper on the Oscar curse, argue that male Oscar winners and nominees are more likely to get divorced than non-winners. ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN Oscar curse hits men more than women

Two academics argue that male But in a new study to be published in Organization more opportunities for them, such as spousal getting divorced in 1958). Science journal tomorrow, two academics appear to alternatives. Data for the actresses, however, is not as clear Oscar winners and nominees have debunked both parts of the popular myth. “Suddenly, they become more desirable to other and so it is “inconclusive”, say the researchers. Dr Heeyon Kim, an assistant professor of strategy women. While female Oscar winners and nominees If anything, it seems that women are less likely to are more likely to get divorced and policy at the National University Of Singapore are also presented with new opportunities, men in get divorced after the Oscars. In the first year of Business School, along with Dr Michael Jensen, an general, as past research has shown, react different- marriage following the Oscars, the divorce rates of Yip Wai Yee associate professor of strategy at University Of ly to such opportunities.” female Oscar winners is 85 per cent lower than that Michigan’s Ross School Of Business, argue that it is, He says the men “are a lot more likely than for female non-nominees. ow much truth is there to the famous in fact, the male Oscar winners and nominees who women to show regret” at passing on sexual tempta- The academics, who profess to be film buffs, “Oscar curse”, which has it that actors’ are more likely to get divorced – not the women. tion. “And of course, if they cheat on their wives, began their study in 2008, simply from a point of careers mysteriously go downhill after Dr Jensen, 48, tells Life!: “After looking at more then it could potentially lead to divorce.” curiosity about the mythological Oscar curse. their Oscar wins? than 800 actors from 1930 to 2005 in our study, we Alarmingly, the divorce rate of male Oscar Citing a love for the films of American director H found that divorce rates for male Oscar winners as winners is 205 per cent higher than the rate of Richard Linklater and South Korean director Kim Ki The jinx apparently extends to the romantic relationships of Best Actress Oscar winners, well as for nominees increase following the Oscars, non-nominees within the first year following the Duk, they wondered about the paradox of how as it is said that married female stars head for divorce but not the divorce rates for women.” awards. snagging a coveted prize could potentially have soon after snagging their coveted acting trophies. The researchers do not find this particularly What surprised the researchers is that male Oscar negative consequences. Just look at Jane Fonda, Sandra Bullock, Reese surprising. nominees also had higher divorce rates than actors But their study is not all bad news. Pessimistic as Witherspoon and Halle Berry, for example, whose Dr Jensen adds: “The Oscars is a social event, who have never been nominated. it may be about the romantic lives of male Oscar marriages broke up in the years after bagging that which elevates the nominees and winners to a higher Dr Kim, 31, says: “We guessed that male Oscar winners, it looks like the Oscars can only help to coveted golden statuette. status in their field and this, in turn, opens doors to winners would have higher divorce rates than boost their careers professionally – not jinx them. non-nominees, but we found that to be true for For both male and female Oscar winners, the male nominees as well. study saw that they continued to be gainfully “It does make sense if you think about it. When employed following their awards. Oscar winners, on you are nominated but do not win, you suffer great average, appear in more films than Oscar nominees disappointment. And men are worse at handling – who in turn, appear in more films than those who disappointments than women, especially when it were never nominated. comes to work-related events. Dr Kim says with a chuckle: “Professionally, it “So they are more likely to experience divorce seems that there is no such thing as an Oscar curse. following professional disappointments, such as not Actors and actresses continue to do well after winning their Oscar nomination.” winning or getting nominations. Examples of male actors who were nominated for “But when it comes to the personal lives of the Oscars, but did not win and then went on to get men, it is not so great. And that’s where the real divorced soon after are the late Humphrey Bogart Oscar curse is – that it could ruin marriages and (nominated 1943, divorced 1945), Kirk Douglas (nom- increase the likelihood of divorce.” inated 1949, divorced 1951) as well as Mickey [email protected] Rooney (nominated and then divorced in 1943, remarried and nominated again in 1956, before Follow Yip Wai Yee on Twitter @STyipwaiyee THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 C3 C4 LIFE! Music THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

In the Minions’ (far left) parody of I Swear by All-4-One, comprising (clockwise from far left) Delious Kennedy, Jamie Jones, Tony Borowiak and Alfred Nevarez, the words “I swear” were changed to “underwear”. PHOTOS: ALL-4-ONE, YOUTUBE

All for underwear

A few months later, R&B band All-4-One loved the All-4-One recorded their hilarious Despicable Me 2 version, which hit No. 1 in many countries, including the Bill- version of their hit I Swear board Hot 100, where it remained at the top for 11 con- Yip Wai Yee secutive weeks. The song also Book it earned the group a Grammy &B group All-4-One’s hit I Swear was Award in 1995 for Best Pop RETROLICIOUS famously parodied in animated feature Performance by a Duo or flick Despicable Me 2 (2013) – and the Group with Vocal. Where: Fort On Saturday, fans here will Canning Park American band loved every moment of it. When: Saturday, 8pm R In the film, four Minions – those cute get to hear the group belt out Admission: $125 yellow characters that spout gibberish – sing their the popular song live, when from Sistic (call they perform it at joint hilarious version of the song, changing the words 6348-5555 or go to concert Retrolicious at Fort www.sistic.com.sg) from “I swear” to “underwear”. Canning Park. All-4-One Instead of being offended, All-4-One lapped it comprise Kennedy, Jones, up. Nevarez, 42, and Tony Member Delious Kennedy, 45, tells Life! over the Borowiak, 43. important. I look at Motown music from the 1960s to Singapore, their first time here in almost two telephone in between laughs: “I thought that was This latest edition of the annual event celebrating as retro, but I still think the music is great.” decades. They last performed at Suntec City in 1996. just awesome and I loved how they mimicked each of older acts will also feature American singer Tommy Besides, the band are actively working on a new Kennedy gushes: “We love, love, love Singapore us from back in the day. You know, with the glasses “Shoulder To Cry On” Page and R&B group Color album, which is slated for release later this year and and the people are just amazing. I remember the last and the beret, and Alfred Nevarez with no hair. It Me Badd. will feature re-recorded versions of old songs as well time we were there, I went to a bar and had a drink was just so funny.” Ask All-4-One how they feel about being as new original music. His bandmate Jamie Jones, 41, adds: “That’s that was on fire, and that was the first time I ever considered a retro act and they appear not to be One highlight is a duet of I Swear between had anything like that. actually one of the reasons we get younger fans these bothered. All-4-One and Montgomery, 50. “I was like, ‘How do I even drink this?’ Singapore days, when our songs get played in new movies. Jones says: “The funny thing is, I think, we feel so Kennedy says: “We’ve been talking about this “Other than Despicable Me 2, I Swear has also young and we’re still young, but it has been 20 years duet for the longest time, but never got around to has great memories for all of us and we can’t wait to been featured on Earth To Echo (2014) and The that we’ve been doing this professionally, so I guess doing it. We sang it once with John at the Grammys be back.” Social Network (2010).” that’s why a lot of people may look at us as retro. in 1994 but, this time, we’ll have a proper recording [email protected] The love ballad was originally a country tune sung “But that’s cool. If people look at old acts, but of it. It’ll be pretty awesome.” by John Michael Montgomery in late 1993. still think their music is great, that’s more Until then, they are looking forward to their trip Follow Yip Wai Yee on Twitter @STyipwaiyee

DOWNLOAD NOW, IT’S FREE! Winter wonderland Softest powder ski slopes in Niseko

Also, in the February issue of The Life e-magazine: THE PRESIDENT’S FAVOURITE DISH Wee Kim Wee’s daughter cooks Pong Tawhu in his memory HOT MAMA Fann Wong’s desirable post-pregnancy figure

How to get the February issue of The Life magazine THE STRAITS 1. Download The Straits Times Star E-books from TIMES STAR App Store or Google Play for your iPad or Android device. E-BOOKS 2. Get The Life magazine inside the app. APP It’s free, along with previous issues of the magazine. www.straitstimes.com/ST-Star-app The Life is optimised for iPads and Android tablets. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 C5 C6 LIFE! Television THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 BACK ON TV FOR GRANDMA

Zhou Xun returns to the long time away from the small screen, Zhou Xun in the Zhou admits that the pace of filming took gogglebox after a decade well-received drama some getting used to. series Red Sorghum. She says: “In the first week, it was a as her grandmother PHOTO: SINGTEL TV little challenging because there were lines to be memorised every day. After all, it’s misses seeing her on TV been about 10 years since I did a TV series. Slowly, I got the hang of it and I realised that I haven’t lost my touch for memorising lines.” The 60-episode Red Sorghum Gwendolyn premiered last October in China to rave Ng reviews online and has enjoyed good ratings. According to Chinese media hinese actress Zhou Xun last reports, the series topped the ratings on did a television series more four satellite TV channels for three weeks than a decade ago. It is an indi- during its broadcast. C cation of how far she has come It has been viewed more than 1.4 bil- since her debut in 1991 – she is lion times on one of China’s major stream- now among the most bankable actresses ing site iQiyi. On the same site, the South in Chinese cinema and has even starred in Korean hit drama My Love From The Star the 2012 Hollywood sci-fi drama Cloud (2013), one of the most popular shows Atlas. last year, has more than 2.8 billion views. In a rare move for a top movie star, The good reception of the series has she has returned to the small screen in been achieved despite initial criticism of the China drama serial Red Sorghum and the casting of the 40-year-old Zhou as a she is not doing it for money but for love 19-year-old. But few would argue that – love for her elderly grandma who does the actress looks much younger than her not go to the movies. age. “My grandma is getting on in age. She In the romcom Meet Miss Anxiety, doesn’t surf the Internet or go to the which is now showing in Singapore, she cinema. She usually watches TV. One is convincing as a 20something woman. day, she told me she hasn’t seen Xiao Xun Her secret to youthful looks, she says, (Little Xun) on TV for a long time. I is discipline. realised it’s been a while since I starred in “It’s important to be disciplined in a TV series,” says Zhou in an e-mail inter- your lifestyle routine. Getting your view with Life!. beauty sleep is a must. I also make sure I Her grandma’s words planted in her remove my make-up thoroughly, moistur- mind the thought of finding a good TV ise my skin and also make it a point to put script. Soon after that, the Red Sorghum on face masks.” offer came along. Meet Miss Anxiety is her second The show is an adaptation of straight romcom after Women Who Flirt Nobel-winning author Mo Yan’s 1986 (2014). But fans should not think she is novel Red Sorghum Family, which direc- moving away from the serious dramas tor Zhang Yimou had made into a 1987 such as Suzhou River (2000), The film, Red Sorghum. The movie went on to Banquet (2006), The Message (2009) and win the Golden Bear at the 1988 Berlin The Silent War (2012) that she is better Film Festival. known for. Zhou says she was drawn to the She says she fields acting offers with novel’s 19-year-old protagonist Jiu’er – a an open mind. spunky peasant girl forced to marry the “The script, the character, the director leprosy-stricken owner of a winery. are all important. As long as it’s not hor- “I’m really moved by Jiu’er’s will to ror, as long as the project moves me and live – she’s a decisive and strong woman. the time is right, I’ll give it a shot.” It isn’t easy for her to manage the entire Last year, she tied the knot with household,” she adds. American-Chinese actor Archie Kao, 45, “Red Sorghum is a classic that people who is known for his roles in TV series are familiar with. I knew it wouldn’t be CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-present) and Power Rangers Lost easy to pull it off.” Galaxy (1999-2000). The popularity of the book is not the She sprung a surprise on her fans only thing Zhou has to contend with. The when she announced her marriage and character Jiu’er is made doubly iconic by exchanged vows with Kao at a charity con- the fact that it was the breakout role of cert she organised in Hangzhou last July. Chinese actress Gong Li in Zhang’s film. If she seems happy to mix work and Well aware that she cannot escape family life, that is because she says she is comparisons between her and Gong Li in more of a happy-go-lucky person than a the same role, she chose not to rewatch compulsive planner. the movie version as she wanted to make “I don’t need to make a special effort the TV character her own. to allocate my time. I go for filming, then “I really like and respect Gong Li as an meet my family and friends over a meal. actress. I watch all her movies and look “Perhaps it’s because I like to do forward to watching her act. Because we things simply and I don’t really plan play the same character, it’s only natural ahead. that audiences will compare our “Planning is not really my forte. For portrayals of Jiu’er.” me, it’s all about going with the flow. I Moreover, “the way that a movie and a don’t want to give myself too much pres- TV series each presents the story is very sure. Happiness is the most important.” different. A series has the advantage of [email protected] time to flesh out the characters, com- pared with a movie”. Red Sorghum premieres next Tuesday The two platforms are also greatly dif- at 10pm on Jia Le Channel (Singtel TV ferent in how they are shot. After such a channel 502).

Park Shin Hye plays a zealous Mummy’s girl is candid TV reporter who cannot lie without hiccupping in both on screen and off K-drama Pinocchio. PHOTO: ONE

-mail interviews with South celebrity self? Korean stars are usually filled She says: “That’s a difficult question, with boring politically correct but a good one. If I could be an entertain- one-liners or run-of-the-mill ment reporter for a day, I would want to E answers. dig up information for my readers and So it was surprising that this one with her fans. I would ask Park Shin Hye South Korean actress Park Shin Hye was what’s keeping her busy lately and if refreshingly candid and even peppered there’s anything we can look forward to.” with colourful quotes. The actress is known for her student Perhaps it is because Park knows what roles – she was a spunky high school stu- journalists go through dent in hit teenage after taking on the role romance The Inheritors of TV reporter Choi In “People tell me (2013), opposite Ha in the recent drama heart-throb Lee Min Pinocchio (see facing that I’m Ho, and a music student page). adorable and in love drama Heart- But while she is in strings (2011), romanc- awe of the hard work lovely. When ing rock band CNBlue’s that goes into news vocalist Jung Yong Hwa. “In the last scene of Pinocchio, as a “My mum’s always curious about my she is a selfish person and would do any- reporting, it is unlikely they meet my And she is a tad tired reporter, I had to memorise lines such as life. She’d ask me about my day on set, thing to keep her position as a queen, but that she will join the mum, they’ll of being stereotyped and ‘Creditors have stabilised the business’. what I had for lunch and what kind of con- at the same time, she’s lonely and desires newsroom in real life. is ready to break out of These are words I do not use in my daily versations I had with my co-stars. Some- to be loved.” The doe-eyed 24- know where I her girl-next-door life, but it was really interesting.” times, I do feel sad that I can’t spend The king in the movie is played by the year-old says: “I am an image. The complex character has a tragic more time with her.” charming actor Yoo Yeon Seok of drama emotional person, so it got those She says: “I haven’t backstory and suffers from a fictitious Despite them being a tight-knit pair, Reply 1994 (2013) fame. Park has been wouldn’t be easy for me decided on my next condition known as Pinocchio syndrome, the cheeky Park admits that she has lied the envy of K-drama fans with her string to be a reporter. characteristics project, but you can be where she is unable to lie without hiccup- to her mum. of dapper male co-stars. Through this drama, I certain that I will not be from.” ping. The junior reporter is estranged One can imagine her sheepishly laugh- learnt that it is very diffi- taking up a role as a stu- So which actor would she consider to cult to deliver facts – Actress Park Shin Hye, who is dent any time soon.” from her supercilious mother, who chose ing as she says: “She calls and asks me be her ideal man in real life? whether it’s good news very close to her mother The popular actress to pursue her journalism career over her where I am, and I tell her, ‘I’m on the way She says: “I cannot just pick one. or bad news – to your relished the chance to family. and am almost there’, when I am actually Every co-star has his own strengths, X audience. play the role of a journal- In real life, the jolly Park enjoys a just preparing to leave home.” factor and charm. They are all great “It is a really important job and, at the ist for the first time. loving relationship with her mother, who Park can also be seen playing a queen actors with great attitude.” same time, very difficult. You are respon- She says: “It’s different from all the reportedly runs a restaurant in Seoul. in the period film, The Royal Tailor, Gwendolyn Ng sible for the things you hear, read and wit- other characters I have played. I’m used She says: “We are really close. My which was released in South Korean cine- ness and have to pick the right tone and to playing students, but this role, a mum is so adorable. People tell me that mas in December. Looks like she is indeed Pinocchio airs on One (Singtel TV channels words to put forth the message. It is a female journalist in her 20s, gave me the I’m adorable and lovely. When they meet getting more more varied and complex 513 and 604, and StarHub TV channels 124, huge responsibility.” opportunity to expand my acting reper- my mum, they’ll know where I got those roles. 820 and 823) on Wednesday and Thursday So what would journalist Park ask her toire.” characteristics from. She says: “I like the character because at 8.55pm. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Television LIFE! C7

10 HOT ASIAN

8 HYDE JEKYLL, ME DRAMAS Where: One (Singtel TV channels 513 and 604, and StarHub TV channels 124, 820 and 823) When: Premieres Feb 25, airs on Wednesday and Thursday at 8.55pm Who: Hyun Bin and Han Ji Min (above) What: Amusement park director Gu Seo Jin (Hyun) suffers from multiple personality disorder. Gu alternates between his cold and nice personalities, akin to the character in the classic novel, Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. Gu wants to get rid of the park’s circus act, riling up the circus master Jang Han Na (Han). Buzz-o-meter: Rich troubled heir meets a feisty pretty lass in a romantic theme park setting – it is a cliched audience-pleasing plot disguised in a shiny new PHOTOS: ONE, FUJI TV, STARHUB, TVB, CHK, SINGTEL TV packaging. A huge draw lies in the good-looking leads, NOW SHOWING Hyun and Han, who were last seen in popular 1 PUNCH romcoms Secret Garden (2010) and Rooftop Prince Where: One (Singtel TV channels 513 and 604, and (2012). StarHub TV channels 124, 820 and 823) When: Monday and Tuesday at 8.55pm Who: Kim Rae Won (above) and Kim Ah Jung What: Unethical and ambitious prosecutor Park Jung Hwan (Kim Rae Won) gets a rude awakening when he is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour and mere months to live. Park decides to right his wrongs and joins forces with his ex-wife and prosecutor Shin Ha Kyung (Kim Ah Jung) to expose the corrupt public prosecutor general. Buzz-o-meter: Another K-drama with a terminally ill lead. Groan. But do not tune out yet – this 19-episode legal thriller is no mopey soap opera and is jam-packed with action from the get go, opening with a school bus crash that leads to the unravelling of the dirty politicking in the legal world. The series marks the TV comeback of seasoned actors Kim Rae Won and Kim Ah Jung, who were both last seen on the small screen in 2011 dramas, A Thousand Days’ Promise and Sign, respectively. (See review on Page C9.) annoying brothers, you will identify with the Sato family. There is the preachy surrogate father-cum-eldest brother Asahi (Tsumabuki), who goes on like a broken record about his sacrifices to raise his siblings. 9 RED SORGHUM The five siblings bicker over dinner and the Where: Jia Le Channel (Singtel TV channel 502) brothers wrestle one another WWE-style. It is When: Premieres next Tuesday at 10pm. Airs on refreshing to watch real life on TV. weekdays Who: Zhou Xun and Zhu Ya Wen (both above) 4 YOU LIGHT UP MY STAR What: This is the drama adaptation of Where: E City (StarHub TV channels 111 and 825) Nobel-winning author Mo Yan’s 1986 novel, Red When: Monday to Thursday at 10pm Sorghum Family. The novel’s protagonist Jiu’er Who: Joe Cheng and Janine Chang (both above) (Zhou) is a spunky peasant girl who is forced to What: On-screen golden couple Liu Cheng Wei marry the leprosy-stricken owner of a winery. She (Cheng) and Zhang Man Ling (Chang) are also a gets romantically entangled with her bridal sedan couple in real life. Cheng Wei gets disillusioned bearer Yu Zhan’ao (Zhu), who kills her husband. with the make-believe world of show business and The 19-year-old Jiu’er ends up running the winery this casts doubts on his romance with Man Ling. Buzz-o-meter: 2 PINOCCHIO Buzz-o-meter: All eyes are on female lead Zhou, who has much to Where: One (Singtel TV channels 513 and 604, and Taiwanese director Chu Yu-ning struck gold with live up to after Chinese actress Gong Li excelled in StarHub TV channels 124, 820 and 823) romance drama In Time With You (2011) that won the same role in the 1987 movie version. When: Wednesday and Thursday at 8.55pm seven Golden Bell Awards, including Best LATER THIS MONTH So far, top actress Zhou has not disappointed, Television Series. Who: Lee Jong Suk (above right) and Park Shin 6 LADY SOUR and the drama has earned critical and popular Hye (above left) Three years on, expectations are high with his acclaim since it premiered last October. The series comeback drama, You Light Up My Star, with an Where: VV Drama (StarHub TV channel 855) What: Choi In Ha’s (Park) journalistic ambitions When: Premieres next Wednesday at 9pm. Airs has been viewed more than 1.4 billion times on are constantly thwarted by her Pinocchio A-list cast of Cheng and Chang. one of China’s major streaming site iQiyi. Sadly, the show business-centric drama aired on weekday at 9pm syndrome, a fictitious condition where one is Who: Myolie Wu (above left), Ron Ng (above unable to lie without hiccupping. She eventually to lacklustre ratings in Taiwan last year. In a lengthy Facebook post, director Chu said he had right) and Him Law lands an internship at a TV station, where her What: Cho Tsing (Wu) gets help from estranged mother is a prominent broadcaster. Her more scenes to show and offered to do extra episodes for free. His request was denied by the enemy-turned-buddy Kai Chun (Ng) to marry the adoptive uncle Choi Dal Pol (Lee) works in a rival handsome heir of a vinegar brewery Tsin Tung newsroom. TV station, leading him to speculate it was due to poor ratings. (Law). Marriage does not guarantee her man’s Buzz-o-meter: undevoted love. Cho Tsing ends up getting Newsroom drama Pinocchio is packed with star insanely jealous over her husband’s concubine. power from the strong cast to its production Buzz-o-meter: team. The series is helmed by the screenwriter Wu returns to her romcom heyday of Wars Of and director behind the hit drama I Hear Your In-laws (2005). She is over-the-top, adorable and Voice (2013), in which leading man Lee played a cheesy as a green-eyed wife. man with a mind-reading ability. The 20-episode The series has drawn flak from netizens for Pinocchio ended with a bang in South Korea last lacking the hilarity of Wars Of In-laws and Wu’s month at the top of its timeslot with 13.3 per cent. standard expression. But it does have its laughter-inducing moments. In one scene, Cho Tsing, a beautician, pulls out a shopping channel sales move to sell a skincare cream – by covering half her face and revealing the other half to show the before and after effects.

7 ONCE UPON A SONG Where: cHK On Demand (Singtel TV channel 511) When: All episodes will be available on cHK On Demand from Feb 14 to 28. NEXT MONTH Audiences can watch cHK 5 COME ON, COUSIN 10 NOBUNAGA CONCERTO Where: VV Drama (StarHub TV channel 855) On Demand for free between Feb 17 and 23 Where: VV Drama (StarHub TV channel 855) When: Weeknight at 8pm When: Premieres March 6 at 10.30pm. Airs on Who: Roger Kwok and Wong Cho Lam (above Who: William So and Bernice Liu (right) Friday at 10.30pm. centre) Who: Shun Oguri and Kou Shibasaki (both above) What: This series is the indirect sequel to the What: Rookie singer Simon (So) falls in love with his What: Based on a manga series, high school highly rated drama Inbound Troubles (2013). The music video female lead student Saburo (Oguri) travels back in time and original cast returns with a brand new storyline. Agnes (Liu), but a scandal meets his doppelganger – the legendary warlord Rich brat Yau Tin (Wong) is forced to take over 3 ALL ABOUT MY SIBLINGS drives the couple apart. The Oda Nobunaga. Saburo takes the place of the his dad’s grocery shop, and ends up butting heads Where: VV Drama (StarHub TV channel 855) pair cross paths years later with his righteous and environmentally conscious famed warlord and embarks on a mission to unify When: Friday at 10.30pm at a singing and dancing employee Lam Joi Yeh (Kwok). Japan. Who: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Nagayama Eita, Hikari class when dance instructor Agnes invites Simon Buzz-o-meter: Buzz-o-meter: Mitsushima, Tasuku Emoto and Shuhei Nomura to be the vocal coach. Basing a show on a popular historical manga is a What: This is a modern remake of the classic The drama is fronted by TVB’s actor of the moment Wong with his trademark Ha Ha face and Buzz-o-meter: tried-and-tested formula for a drama’s success. drama, The Siblings (1966), to commemorate Fuji funny antics. Wong is also a regular cast on the Touted as the first made-in-Hong Kong musical Top it off with a loveable leading man played by TV’s 55th anniversary. The melodrama revolves China version of popular South Korean variety drama series, Liu has called it an Asian version of Oguri, who, at 32 years old, is still convincing as around the lives of five orphaned siblings of the show Running Man. Glee with a more mature love story. the clueless, cowardly student thrown into the Sato family (above). Inbound Troubles struck a chord in audiences Dancing would be a piece of cake for Liu, a deep end. Buzz-o-meter: with the hot button topic of cultural differences trained ballerina and tap dancer. She has also The period drama received a rating of 8.6 out This is no sugar-coated, dreamy fairy tale. There between mainlanders and Hong Kongers. The starred in a ballroom dance themed TVB drama of 10 on Internet Movie Database site. is no heroic prince charming, just the relatable sequel has earned respectable ratings in Hong Steps (2007). We do not know about Liu’s vocal Gwendolyn Ng everyday Joe with everyday issues. Kong, but has failed to live up to the hype of the ability, but we can count on crooner So’s pipes to If you have a naggy father figure at home or original drama. deliver the Cantopop tunes. Telecast details are subject to change. C8 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Television LIFE! C9 Dirty tricks, pure souls

New K-dramas offer an amoral lawyer and gentle ex-convicts viewers can root for

Telemad Foong Woei Wan he Chaser, the sleeper hit on South Korean television in 2012, was about a father’s dogged pursuit of the per- T petrators of a far-reaching conspiracy to bury the truth about his daughter’s death in a hit-and-run. Now the show’s writer, Park Kyung Soo, is back with Punch, a legal corruption thriller that covers similar territory but through a zigzagging path that is more entertaining. To begin with, the protagonist, Park Jung Hwan (Kim Rae Won), is a ravenous, ambitious prose- cutor whom you cheer on not because you like him, Healer stars Ji Chang Wook as a private operative but because he is quick, ruthless and looks most and Park Min Young (both above) as a reporter like a winner. In the power struggle between his boss, the he spies on. In Punch, a prosecutor (Kim Rae Won, right) learns he has a brain tumour and decides to conniving prosecutor general (Jo Jae Hyeon), and bring down his corrupt boss with help from his their boss, the two-faced justice minster (Choi former wife and fellow prosecutor (Kim Ah Jung, Myung Gil), Jung Hwan keeps playing dirty and switching sides, but he also seems more consistent far right, with Kim Ji Young, who plays their than them. You can’t accuse him of being a cynic daughter). PHOTOS: KBS WORLD, ONE when he admits it himself, as he tells more law-abiding prosecutors, including his ex-wife (Kim Ah Jung): “If the world was like what you think, I would have lived like you.” The show has the heavy score of a melodrama, but the soul of a black comedy. The fun here starts when Jung Hwan goes into a coma during surgery to remove a brain tumour and the boss, after crying over him in hospital and promising a grand funeral, decides to make Jung Hwan’s ex a scapegoat for a crime the boss’ older brother committed. Jung Hwan wakes up from the failed operation with only three more months to live, but quickly gets his surgeon to doctor his charts and spread rumours about his miraculous recovery. He knows he won’t be able to free the mother of View it his young daughter from jail if his boss PUNCH smells blood again. Circuitously – One (StarHub TV Channel 820 or Singtel TV Channel 513), after enough twists, Monday and Tuesday, 8.55pm turns and hairpin bends to almost FOUR LEGENDARY match a Formula WITCHES One racetrack – he arrives at a decision Oh!K (StarHub TV Channel 816 to join hands with or Singtel TV Channel 525), his ex and bring Thursday and Friday, 8.55pm down his boss. What HEALER he wants now is to leave the world a KBS (StarHub TV Channel 115 somewhat cleaner or Singtel TV Channel 523), place for his daugh- Monday and Tuesday, 8.50pm ter, an aim that ele- vates the show to a guilt-free pleasure. It sets you free to enjoy all of his dirty tricks, knowing he has just cause for double-crossing the other crooks in suits. The other two K-dramas of the week, Four Legendary Witches and Healer, follow more well-trodden paths. In episode one, both shows end with the classic Cupid-at-work moment: boy sees girl, girl accidentally falls into boy’s arms. By episode two, at least one protagonist on each show is revealed to be looking for his or her birth parents. And you see why Hong Kong actor Wayne Lai, defending broadcaster TVB’s lack of innovation, has protested that K-dramas have plots out of mouldy Cantonese melodramas too. The thing is, even a mid-range Korean women’s melodrama can be greater than the sum of its plot points. It can tell a story not of things that happen to people, but of the people the things happen to. Four Legendary Witches, for example, paints with a few deft strokes characters you can care about. It introduces one of the title characters (Ko Doo Sim), a murder convict who is stiff and slow when she is released for a day near the end of a 30-year prison sentence. She is being given a taste of what her life will be like when she is freed, but she is bewildered and discouraged when she visits her one friend outside, a retired prison guard, and finds she can’t even make the same soup she once made for her family every day. She can’t quite put her finger on it, but her soup is weird now. It’s different. She is vaguely upset, until the friend tries to assure her the soup is okay and she has a little meltdown. She has been emptied out by all her time behind bars, she tells him, and she is afraid there is nothing left of her to restart her life. In a flash, a portrait of the displaced wife and mother she is emerges. You feel for her, and your expectation that she will soon be reunited with her son, a baker, based on the hints sprinkled over the show, is sweet. Healer is a different show altogether, despite some plot similarities. It is more of a souffle of action and romance: airy, sassy and hardly weighed down by the slice of history the characters share. Some time in the 1980s, a group of friends ran an illegal, pro-democracy radio station out of a van, but it all ended in tears. In the present, a private operative (Ji Chang Wook) – a secret agent of sorts who works for a mysterious middle-aged woman – has been assigned a job of spying on an online tabloid reporter (Park Min Young), and he learns they may both be connected to the radio pirates. It isn’t something he and the show worry their pretty little heads about, though. Rather, the show is more about maintaining a smooth, sexy vibe, as he glides through the night with his parkour moves, watches her from a roof, and insinuates himself into her daily routine as a journalist. Has stalking ever been more romantic? The show has turned it into an immersive game, and you are all invited to plug and play. [email protected] C10 LIFE! Music THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

‘You feel unwatched in LA, which is nice, but then that ‘I wanted to go upstairs ‘When you think becomes not nice all of a sudden. You feel unlooked- and have a romance with you’re really after. Even the relentless sun. It feels like even God Hugh Bonneville’ something, your isn’t looking after you. I’m not actually religious, but British actress Julie Walters space is narrower’ he’s not even putting the protection of clouds above (left), who has a working-class Taiwanese television your head. You start feeling really exposed’ accent, but refuses to play host Aya (left) on how “downstairs” roles on period pride prevents people British musician Laura Marling (left) on feeling lonely in the drama Downton Abbey United States from being adventurous

Grown-up sound A breezy tinge from a teen

English singer Lapsley’s (right) voice is airily of loneliness delicate. At the same time, it sounds like someone who has Jessica Pratt’s album those good, old pre-Internet days. seen much of the These easy, breezy melodies flow world, with a cer- was conceived after a seamlessly, like a Laurel Canyon aesthete tain weariness and doing the backstroke in a pool and vulnerability to it. relationship break-up triggering ripples of sun-kissed waves. The repetition PHOTO: HARVEY PEARSON The timelessness is so intoxicating, it of phrases on and death of her mother makes it easy to forget the darkness Falling Short which hides the loneliness at its core. She suggests a familiarity with difficult times: Yeow Kai Chai worked on the album alone in the wake of “And it’s times like these, and it’s days a dissolution of a long-term relationship like/It’s been a long time coming but I’m ere’s the first thing you need and the sudden passing of her mother. falling short.” to know about Jessica Pratt if Accompanied by an acoustic guitar She could be talking about rent, she you are coming to her cold. and a four-track, Pratt is wont to chang- could be talking about something far H The San Franciscan’s ing gears, however infinitesimal, which more personal. mezzo-soprano needs some actually makes it even more unsettling. The songs draw you in slowly, but getting used to. Just like On Jacquelyn In The surely. On the confessional Brownlow, neo-psych-folk singer Background, her voice she is achingly honest when she sings: “I Joanna Newsom and WATCH THE VIDEO warps, as if eroding in a wouldn’t say that I was known for doing folk-rock legend Rickie www.straitstimes.com reel playback. At the On Your Own Love Again, the album of Jessica Pratt (above), has an intoxicating the right thing/I wouldn’t say that I was Lee Jones before her, same time, she sounds timeless feel. PHOTO: DRAG CITY always comfortable in my own skin.” there’s a girlish wheezi- Watch Jessica steely, never yielding to With just four songs, she creates a ness to her voice, which Pratt perform self-pity. “I can’t say I skewers the tug-of-war almost matter- Albums of the week cohesive music world that is moving and can be a little freaky. Back, Baby live found another friend of-factly, jazzily strumming and croon- beguiling. Maybe it is the association to One can describe it as like you,” her voice ing, opting to rein in rather than lash out. INDIE FOLK Lapland that Lapsley evokes or the Olive Oyl-esque, if one unexpectedly dips when “People’s faces blend together like a haunting electronica that she conjures, Download a QR code is being cheeky – and reader app on your she comes to the word water colour you can’t remember in ON YOUR OWN but there is something decidedly I’m sure the 27-year- smartphone and scan this “found”. It’s Nico time,” she sings in Game That I Play, LOVE AGAIN Scandinavian about Understudy. It comes old wouldn’t mind the code for more information. slowed to a crawl. another lucid-eyed post-break-up dirge Jessica Pratt as a surprise to find that she hails from mention of cheekiness. It’s such idiosyncrati- which is all the more remarkable for the Drag City Merseyside, Britain. And at only 18, she After all, her startling, gorgeously cally astute decisions that stir the dizzy sheer lack of sentimentality. sounds mature beyond her years. nuanced second album has a tendency to revelry and yanks you back to reality. “Were you coming to me to tell me ELECTRONICA The buzz has been building steadily sidestep expectations. In a single phrase, In Back, Baby, an asinine treatise on you’re a man?/Take a look ’round you, over the last year. Her bedroom-recorded she sounds like Stevie Nicks morphing the messiness of coupling and, well, baby, think that you’re a fan?” she sings Monday EP was embraced on Soundcloud UNDERSTUDY into Karen Dalton into Joni Mitchell, with- de-coupling, her voice segues from a in a deceptive chirp, before the buttery Lapsley and she played at Glastonbury. She has out losing an iota of her individuality. high-pitched innocence to the gruff, confessional changes, guitar riffs getting XL Recordings since been making her way onto lists of With its nimble finger-picking guitar lower register in a blink of an eye. “There louder, deeper, then farther away, and artists to watch. play, analogue hiss and a warm vibe, On was a time when you loved me/There was ending without drama. It is the single Never mind the title of the EP, she is Your Own Love Again invokes the sort of a time when you said that you want me to most dramatic thing a musician can do. no one’s understudy. timelessness you’d drown in gladly in believe/That I can go back, baby,” she [email protected] Boon Chan

catchy hooks and retro sound, but raised questions prestissimo brilliance, but Lisitsa does not allow HOT TRACKS about her full-length offering, Title. one that indulgence. She is too good a musician to The 21-year-old American had set herself up to fall into that speed trap. Asian pop be a one-hit wonder. She had been putting out Chang Tou Liang songs since she was 15, but hit gold only recently. THE GREAT ESCAPE But then she puts out Lips Are Movin, about a 831 cheating boyfriend, and pop fans lapped it up too. Obscure classics Rock Records It was as if this generation forgot that just about LYAPUNOV PIANO five decades ago, girl groups such as The Shangri CONCERTOS Las and The Shirelles sounded like that, with their The plaintive violin wail on Shorena Tsintsabadze, Piano doo-wop and bubblegum-pop hooks. Russian Philharmonic, Dmitry the opening track is a feint, With Title, Trainor merely recycles the genre, for 831 soon launch into an Yablonsky pairing the syrupy sounds with witty lyrics. The Naxos 8.570783 energetic number. effect is catchy, but every song seems to suggest With other songs such as that Trainor is a one-style wonder. Nonetheless, the kinetic Shake Shake and fervent Iron Man, the she is a smart lyricist, writing about situations that Russian nationalist compos- Taiwanese band have no intention of abandoning young adults can empathise with. She also does not er Sergei Lyapunov (1859- the youthful catchy rock found on their previous couch her songs in euphemisms, instead laying out 1924) is probably unknown to most except piano- album, The Last Day Of Summer (2012) – not just 831’s (from left) A-Dian, Ba Tian, A-pu, Xiao Ju emotions all over her record. philes and keyboard wizards in the thrall of his yet. But at least lead vocalist A-pu is sounding less and Liu Bi. PHOTO: ROCK RECORDS SINGAPORE The self-explanatory song Walkashame has Liszt-inspired 12 Transcendental Etudes. like a dead ringer for Mayday’s Ashin. Trainor qualifying that just because she slept over He was a student of Sergei Taneyev and Karl One of the most interesting tracks here is Pop/R&B/Funk at a boyfriend’s house, she isn’t a skank. (“We all Klindworth (pupil of Liszt) and was close to Mily Monster, in which the protagonist imagines he is make mistakes in the drunk world/Everyone here’s Balakirev, whose circle of “The Mighty Handful” being swallowed up by life: “A monster gnawing at UPTOWN SPECIAL done the walkashame,” she sings.) included Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. As he was also me bite by bite, heart getting numb day by day.” Mark Ronson She undoes her good with cheesy songs such as a collector of Russian folk music, these influences There is startling realisation at the end of the Columbia Bang Dem Sticks, about her having “a thing for coloured his music, which is exotic in flavour. song: “I let myself turn into the most frightening drummers”, where she rap-sings. Like many His two piano concertos (1890 and 1909) are in monster.” singers – Taylor Swift in Shake It Off, for example single continuous movements which each play for Boon Chan Mark Ronson, who has never – who attempt to rap, the result is terrible. about 20 minutes, with recurring themes in the been shy of flaunting his Perhaps Trainor should milk her It-girl status cyclic form much in the style of Liszt. Even the Motown influences, ups the while it lasts. Just about now, another hit song Traditional pop virtuosic flourishes utilise Lisztian devices and quotient here by pretending about positive body image and another singer technique for ultimate bravura. Certain passages SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT no new music existed from 1985 onwards. trawling through the recycling bin of evergreen from the Second Concerto are unabashed direct Bob Dylan Infectious lead single Uptown Funk, featuring genres are waiting in the wings to take her title. quotations from Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto. Columbia Records Bruno Mars and horns aplenty, has already become Natasha Ann Zachariah His Rhapsody On Ukrainian Themes (1907) was ubiquitous since its release in November. modelled on Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy and The retro theme continues throughout the Rimsky-Korsakov’s Piano Concerto, with clear folk For his 36th studio album, album. Motown legend Stevie Wonder even sings Classical accents and a Cossack dance to finish. America’s eminent trouba- on the first and last songs, Uptown’s First Finale Georgian pianist Shorena Tsintsabadze plays CHOPIN/SCHUMANN ETUDES dour Bob Dylan gets his and Crack In The Pearl, Pt. II. brilliantly and offers much competition to British Valentina Lisitsa, Piano material from the past, A more intriguing guest is New Orleans native pianist Hamish Milne (on Hyperion), who has the Decca 478 7697 specifically traditional pop Mystikal. It has been a while since the rapper better recorded orchestral sound. Naxos’ budget songs from the 1940s to early 1960s. Still, this is a appeared on a high-profile album like this one and price may be the deciding factor, but Russophiles Dylan album and he is doing it his way. his fiery singing on Feel Right lets him channel his and Lisztomaniacs need not hesitate. Pop and jazz standards from the American At over 85 minutes, this has finest impression of funk king James Brown in to be one of the longest Chang Tou Liang Songbook, such as Frank Sinatra’s 1951 single I’m recent times, sample-worthy drum breaks and all. A Fool To Want You, are stripped to their bare single CDs in existence. Breaking out of the Motown mould, Ronson Within it, Ukrainian- essence. The same raw, slowed-down treatment is turns to neo-psychedelic rockers Tame Impala’s given to Johnny Mercer’s English version of American pianist Valentina Music charts Kevin Parker, who stamps his falsetto singing on Lisitsa packs in Chopin’s 24 Etudes (Op. 10 and 25) Autumn Leaves, originally written in French in songs such as the trippy Technicolor highlight, 1945, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 and all of Schumann’s Etudes Symphoniques, BILLBOARD Leaving Los Feliz. Although Pulitzer Prize-winning showtune Some Enchanted Evening. including the five posthumous variations. 1. (1) Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars writer Michael Chabon contribute lyrics to half the Dylan, 73, further makes the songs his own by The draw of this YouTube sensation is not her 2. (2) Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran songs, the album is hardly original musically. What fire-breathing virtuosity, but an innate musicality 3. (4) Take Me To Church – Hozier crooning in his raspy, weighted voice, recording 4. (3) Blank Space – Taylor Swift them as he would a live show. Most of the Ronson can take credit for is his role in revitalising which elevates Chopin’s digitally most challenging classic sounds for the contemporary crowd. 5. (5) Shake It Off – Taylor Swift recordings were done in one or two takes, without essays beyond the realm of technical exercises. She 6. (8) Sugar – Maroon 5 any overdubbed or layered extra vocals – Eddino Abdul Hadi nevertheless dispatches the Op. 10 No. 4 In 7. (6) Lips Are Movin – Meghan Trainor apparently, he did not even wear headphones or C Sharp Minor study in 1 min 47 sec, bettering 8. (7) I’m Not The Only One – Sam Smith Andrei Gavrilov’s manic version by one second. 9. (9) Jealous – Nick Jonas sing in a vocal booth like in regular studio sessions. 10. (12) Centuries – Fall Out Boy Eschewing strings usually found in renditions of Pop Elsewhere, a poetic sensibility presides and traditional pop ballads, his versions instead bring TITLE freedom of expression and lyrical beauty are never For week ending Feb 7 to the fore melancholic and haunting slide guitars Meghan Trainor in short supply, even in the most arduous numbers. by pedal steel guitarist Don Herron. Epic Records The Schumann Op. 13 set comprises 12 varia- HIT FM Apart from some tracks which feature a subtle tions (and five more as an appendix) on a staid 1. (1) If Only – JJ Lin brass section, most of the heavy work of scaling descending Andante theme which does not suggest 2. (2) What Kind Of Man – Jay Chou down the song’s orchestral arrangements is taken Among the crimes com- possibilities for development, but how one is 3. (-) Cracked Heart – Wang Lee Hom mitted against music last proved wrong by compositional genius. 4. (13) Medusa – Jolin Tsai on by Dylan’s five-piece outfit. 5. (11) You Said It – Jacky Cheung Don’t be lulled by its mellow mood into thinking year, singer-songwriter Here, a sense of fantasy takes over, which 6. (7) Spring – Hua Chenyu that this is an easy listening album. It takes a few Meghan Trainor was a big Lisitsa positively revels in. Listen to how she 7. (16) My Way To Love – Eric Chou listens before Dylan’s gruff and barely-in-tune culprit for unleashing All readily switches gear from utmost delicacy to 8. (8) Unsuited – Li Ronghao vocals grow on you. When the album hits home, About That Bass, a ditty about booty-shaking and reaping a whirlwind, like a Formula One driver 9. (10) Mum’s Umbrella – Ling Kai 10. (5) Watch Me Now – Selina Jen you realise that the lush grandeur of the originals is being comfortable in your skin that was so popular, negotiating a treacherous turn, with never a dull just one way of interpreting these timeless songs. it felt like radio stations were playing it on loop. moment. For the week ending Jan 25 Eddino Abdul Hadi Understandably, radio went ga-ga for Trainor’s One could easily be exhausted by a surfeit of Produced by Special Projects | Marketing Division | SPH

bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 C11 Managing safety and health in businesses effectively Work-related injuries can be prevented if a proper risk management plan is in place

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five (i) Risk management should not minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you be a paper exercise will do things differently.” Preparing a risk management plan does not equate to implementation. What has been THIS quote by American business magnate, documented in the plan must be implemented investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett on the ground and reviewed if there is a change says it all. in the work environment or processes. For business owners, it takes time to build Employers must also encourage open com- success and reputation, but nearly everything munication between employers and employ- can be lost in an instant when something un- ees for effective implementation. fortunate, like an accident at the workplace, happens. Such accidents can be costly and detrimental to the business. (ii) Always reduce risk at source rst First step to a safer Still, many businesses believe that the risk Eliminating risks should always be the first and healthier workplace of such accidents happening to them is low. step in identifying, evaluating and control- bizSAFE, a programme by the WSH Council, But all work activities carry risks, and it is ling risks at the workplace. By eliminating the helps businesses to build their WSH capabilities. crucial that risk management be carried out risk from the beginning, there will be no risk The five-level programme helps small and in all workplaces like construction worksites, involved in the work. medium-sized enterprises develop risk man- manufacturing plants, shipyards, food and However, if elimination is not possible, the agement capabilities and implement a risk beverage establishments and offices. next step is to substitute the hazard with a management system. All work-related injuries and ill health can safer alternative that can minimise exposure To further provide opportunities for com- be prevented if risk management is effectively to the risk. panies to learn more about risk management, implemented at the workplace. If neither approach is feasible, applying en- the Ministry of Manpower and WSH Council A risk management plan that is imple- gineering controls or administrative measures organise the bizSAFE Convention annually. mented effectively makes good business such as training workers should be considered. This year, the theme of the bizSAFE Con- sense. Apart from business continuity and Use of personal protective equipment vention is “A Safer and Healthier Workplace profitability, it also improves productivity and should only be applied last as the last line of for Everyone”, which aims to encourage em- boosts staff morale when staff know that their defence against hazards. ployers to adopt effective risk management employers care for their well-being. so that all employees can go home safely and To help companies better assess work-re- (iii) Consider all factors that affect risk healthily at the end of each day. lated risks and execute risk management plans, Employers should look beyond physical risks In its seventh run, the bizSAFE Convention the Ministry of Manpower and the Work- and hazards and take into consideration all will also recognise the commitment and con- place Safety and Health (WSH) Council have factors that affect risk. These may include tributions of 23 companies and recipients of enhanced the risk management framework. workload, working hours, work environment the bizSAFE Awards who have made signifi- and personal health risks such as diabetes, cant contributions to improve WSH standards Enhanced framework high blood pressure or asthma. These factors through the bizSAFE programme. Termed Risk Management 2.0 (RM 2.0), the re- have an impact on the employee’s ability to For more details on bizSAFE and the bi- vised approach focuses on three key principles work safely and healthily. Employees should zSAFE Awards, visit www.wshc.sg or e-mail Above: Mr Shawn Ong (left), chief operating officer of Galmon, which is a bizSAFE — effective implementation of risk manage- also consider the impact of such risks, as the [email protected]. Partner and recipient of the bizSAFE Enterprise Exemplary and Champion Awards. ment, reducing risks at source and considera- risks taken by the employees have an impact Above left: Soon Li Heng Civil Engineering is a bizSAFE Partner and recipient of the tion of all factors that can increase risks. on the quality of their lives and their families. Article contributed by the WSH Council. Enterprise Exemplary and Champion Awards. PHOTOS: WSH COUNCIL C12 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Building confidence through education Teambuild believes that developing good safety records at construction sites can help to boost employee morale

by douglas chew

DEVELOPING good safety records at con- struction sites requires effort from the com- pany and its workers. When a safe work environment is achieved, employee morale is boosted, which in turn improves productivity and efficiency. Clients will also be more confident in entrusting their projects to the company, knowing that they will be delivered under high safety standards. This has been Teambuild Engineering and Construction’s experience after it em- barked on its workplace safety and health (WSH) efforts in 2009. At this year’s bizSAFE Convention, the company received two awards — the bi- zSAFE Enterprise Exemplary Award for its commendable WSH performance and the bizSAFE Champion Award, which recog- nises the contribution of Mr Allan Low, the company’s environment, health and safety (EHS) manager. Teambuild focuses on the construction and upgrading of public housing projects, along with private residential, institutional and commercial projects. It has begun expanding into the region, starting with Malaysia where it is exploring working on several construction projects. “Here at Teambuild, we believe safety is everyone’s business. As a main contractor and bizSAFE Partner, we are responsible for setting out the direction on how safe prac- tices should be implemented, practised, documented and improved on a continual Teambuild has emphasised the importance of teamwork in creating a safe work environment, not just for its own staff but also its sub-contractors, says Mr Lim. PHOTO: TED CHEN basis,” says Mr Johnny Lim Chee Hwa, the company’s executive director. teamwork in creating a safe work environ- est best practices in WSH, provide practical sideration for subcontractors’ involvement tied up with Sata CommHealth, a commu- BizSAFE Partners typically are larger ment, not just for its own staff but also its training and as a reminder of the importance in future projects. nity healthcare provider, to provide annual organisations that motivate small and me- sub-contractors. of proper work procedures. The company adopts a holistic approach health screenings for its staff so that they are dium-sized enterprises to join the bizSAFE “WSH standards and expectations are “With commitment and persistent ef- to safety, requiring subcontractors to submit aware of any health conditions. programme. communicated early and reinforced dur- fort in educating, reminding and enforcing risk assessments, safe work procedures and Teambuild’s human resource department In addition to working closely with its ing regular meetings on site. This serves safety standards, it has helped to change other WSH-related documentation — to be is ready to re-designate any staff, if needed, stakeholders to ensure work is carried out to build awareness, mutual understanding the mindset of our employees, made our job evaluated and amended prior to any work to positions that are better suited for them if safely, Teambuild extends its WSH pro- and trust among all parties involved in the sites safer and enabled Teambuild to attain commencing on site — to eliminate any any health problems emerge. grammes to its contractors to build up their site,” says Mr Lim. the bizSAFE certification,” adds Mr Lim. foreseeable safety hazards. Keeping healthy is also important, and capabilities to achieve improvements in Teambuild measures the EHS perfor- “It is important to make sure risks are as- Teambuild has worked with Singapore’s safety and health. mance of its subcontractors and its projects sessed and reviewed at source and upstream Health Promotion Board to conduct exercise To create the strong safety and health cul- Spreading the message each month, to ensure they are in line with the control measures are applied as early as pos- programmes such as kick-boxing, dancer- ture it now has, the company’s management Education plays a key role in spreading the company’s objectives and provides sufficient sible, so that we can focus on the necessary cise, yoga and aerobics. takes the lead, laying down the WSH policy, safety message. reaction time to correct any non-compliance. control measures to be implemented on the “Our employees are our greatest assets,” driving it in the right direction and involving The company conducts compulsory annual Rewards and performance-related pay ground to further mitigate the risk when says Mr Lim. “Their health is of equal impor- itself in the inspection of worksites. training and evaluation on its staff’s safety and for individuals are tied to the achievement work begins,” says Mr Lim. tance to their safety. Staying healthy together It has emphasised the importance of health competency to update them on the lat- of these indicators and form part of the con- On the health front, the company has is also good for team spirit and staff morale.” THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 C13 C14 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Nipping threats in the bud Zheng Keng Engineering and Construction reduces the need for dangerous work activities by changing work methods

Zheng Keng Engineering and Construction places importance on holistic risk management, says Mr Ang (centre). PHOTO: NURIA LING

by april chong ment system is having competent risk assessment team Walking the talk leaders and members, coupled with constant review In a good light A STRONG believer in safety makes for a provider of For starters, the Zheng Keng’s top management staff and continuous enhancement to risk assessment, While processes may be in place, the company faces the good business — this is Zheng Keng Engineering and take the lead in WSH. which will ensure that all risks arising from work activ- challenge of high worker turnover rates, which may make it Construction’s motto. For instance, its project director personally conducts ities are always kept as low as reasonably practicable.” difficult to create a positive safety culture in the workplace. It has led the general construction company to safety inspection tours, mass toolbox meetings that involve To keep incidents down, every individual work process To get around it, Zheng Keng focuses on training good achieving the bizSAFE Enterprise Exemplary Award, all levels of staff, and periodic reviews of the WSH manage- is assessed with care — risks are either eliminated or sub- leaders to take the lead in implementing and enforcing which recognises enterprises that attain bizSAFE Star ment systems and records to enforce strict compliances. stituted out while taking into account available resources. safe work practices. Lessons learnt from incidents are Level and displays laudable workplace performance. Management meetings are held regularly to review For example, mobile elevated work platforms are shared and simulation training is also practiced. Says its managing director Thomas Ang, 66: “The feedback on current WSH management practices, used to replace scaffolding to reduce the risk of falling The company is not new to the safety journey, hav- company started the programme with the objective of monitor the implementation progress of WSH pro- while long rollers during painting works eliminate the ing received the Occupational Health and Safety As- ensuring the safety and health of all staff and workers grammes and ensure that the company works toward need to work at height. sessment Series certification in 2009. and preventing unnecessary losses associated with un- the intended WSH objectives and targets. Whenever practicable, Zheng Keng also implements Mr Ang says: “Being one of the winners of the Bi- wanted accidents and incidents. At the staff level, various initiatives such as safety engineering and administrative controls, such as cor- zSAFE Enterprise Exemplary Award definitely puts the “Through practising these safety processes, works training and programmes related to health, inspection doning off hazardous work areas with warning signs. company in a good light and will prove to be an advan- are carried out in a safer and confident manner. and promotion advocate the importance of WSH to all Protective gear, which remains as the last means of tage during our tendering for projects and earning a Risks were greatly mitigated and productivity was stakeholders in the workplace. Good industry practices control, is enforced as an additional precaution to fur- good reputation in all stakeholders’ eyes. increased.” are also shared with all workers during the daily tool- ther reduce risk to workers. “Besides this, morale among staff is raised, and the On top of that, the company also finds it easier to box meetings. Where people are concerned, workers with asth- motivation to strive for continuous improvement in work with its subcontractors in the areas of workplace The company places importance on holistic risk man- matic conditions are assigned to projects that do not safety, health and excellence in safety performance will safety and health (WSH) and in ensuring that the pro- agement, which includes setting up a risk management produce dust and those who return from periods of kick in. The company will continue to work hard and jects are carried out in line with its safety policy and team to conduct risk assessment for all its work activities. sickness are assigned lighter duties, such as house- create a safe workplace through its comprehensive risk objectives. Mr Ang says: “The key to an effective risk manage- keeping of work areas and materials. management for all work activities.” THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 C15 Spreading the message SP PowerGrid encourages its partners to make safety a priority by hazel tan Training contractors SINCE becoming a bizSAFE Partner in 2010, SP Power- In addition to operational measures, SP PowerGrid has Grid has proactively recruited its contractors and sub- developed its own Safety@SPPG programme for con- contractors to join the bizSAFE programme. tractors’ workers, educating them on, say, how they SP PowerGrid is a subsidiary of the Sin- should go about doing some common tasks safely. gapore Power Group. Established in 2003, “One key example is roadwork. To ensure it manages Singapore’s electricity and gas workers understand the material, we conduct the transmission and distribution networks, course in the native language of workers who are and has more than 1.4 million industrial, less conversant in English. commercial and residential customers. “Since the launch of the programme in July last “We value the safety of our contractor year, we have trained more than 1,500 workers,” Being a mentor workers just as highly as that of our employ- says Mr Leong. ees. We set safety targets for our contractors Becoming a contractor or subcontractor for SP and work closely with them to make sure PowerGrid requires at least bizSAFE Level 4 cer- Hitachi has helped to bring SMEs onboard the bizSAFE programme those targets are met,” says Mr Peter Leong tification. (right), managing director of SP PowerGrid. To date, SP PowerGrid has partnered with 134 of its “We conduct dialogues with contractors and collabo- contractors, and helped them obtain at least bizSAFE by april chong came up with a more robust safety programme, which rate with them to identify activities where the safety risk Level 4 certification. adheres to the requirements of bizSAFE’s five-step exposure is relatively higher,” he adds. This commitment to contractor workers’ safety has HITACHI Infrastructure Systems (Asia) has achieved journey. For example, upon identifying that workers face a earned SP PowerGrid the bizSAFE Partner Award for the good workplace practices not just through its own ef- After achieving a bizSAFE star certification for ful- higher risk of leg injuries when working in the vicinity of first time this year. forts, it has also brought in its partners in achieving a filling the five steps, Hitachi then brought their con- heavy machinery — such as excavators and milling and The award, presented by the Workplace Safety and total workplace safety community. tractors — who play a key role in keeping workplaces patching machines — during roadwork, SP PowerGrid Health (WSH) Council, recognises companies that have As a bizSAFE Partner, Hitachi has shown itself to safe — into the picture. invested in rear-view cameras and additional mirrors to achieved commendable WSH performances. be proactive and committed in bringing small and me- Many initiatives were put in place, including ensur- mitigate the risks and ensure workers operating these Mr Leong says: “Singapore Power constantly engages dium-sized enterprises (SME) onboard the bizSAFE ing that staff and contractors follow safety protocols, machines do not injure fellow workers when reversing. the public on safety issues and formulates safety meas- programme by incorporating safety as part of the busi- such as the hierarchy of control measures and daily It also installed alarms, whose constant beeping alerts ures in consultation with community stakeholders. ness model. risk assessment monitoring programmes at worksites. surrounding workers that the machines are in operation. “Before commencing on construction works at our Says Mr R. Sivakumar (above), Staff and subcontrac- “We will be installing closed-circuit television cam- cable tunnel sites, for example, our project officers em- its corporate environmental health tors had to go for mandatory eras to monitor critical worksites 24/7 to identify and barked on months of intensive door-to-door engage- and safety manager: “Winning safety training, ranging from rectify unsafe practices and to encourage safe behaviour ment with nearby residents and schools,” he says. this bizSAFE Partner Award really in-house sessions on safety in workers. The feedback received helps his team finalise safety means a lot for our company and and risk assessment to ex- “This would also facilitate the learning and sharing of measures that will protect both workers as well as the our bizSAFE partners. ternal trainings in speciality incidents and near-misses,” adds Mr Leong. community at large, he adds. “For instance, it demonstrates areas such as safety training our responsibility of being a for project managers. mentor to all our contractors and Personal health — a vital that we are committed towards precursor of workplace safe- achieving a zero fatal accident ty was also not neglected. environment. PHOTOS: WEE T Y A fatigue management SP PowerGrid has “It is our pride and honour to receive this national programme, yearly health screenings, ample drinking developed its own award, and have Hitachi and our subcontractors be water at worksites and a proper rest area for employees Safety@SPPG recognised by our clients for our safety standards.” have been put in place. programme that addresses safety Shift or rotating work rosters were implemented for issues on projects that needed continuous work, and employees common tasks First priority had to be trained, competent and deemed physically and contractors’ At Hitachi, whose core business is in building facilities, mentally fit before embarking on high-risk activities. workers energy systems, environmental systems, and industrial “Over the years, we have learnt that that teamwork carry out. and social Infrastructure systems, the well-being of its is the best way to ensure that a job is completed on employees and partners is the first priority and deemed time, with factors like quality and safety considered as fundamental to business sustainability. the top priority for measuring achievement. The company first started on the safety journey by “Winning this award has assured us that this is a obtaining the Occupational Health and Safety Assess- correct path, and can effectively boost the confidence ment Series (OHSAS) certification in 2009, and then of Hitachi’s staff and our partners. “This will lead to the continued emphasis that safe- went on to working on the bizSAFE Award. PHOTOS: With the aid of a bizSAFE consultant, the company ty is our topmost priority,” says Mr Sivakumar. SINGAPORE POWER C16 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Solid foundation by douglas chew them. If this is not feasible, the next step will be to substi- Holistic safety tute them with something that does not create a hazard. CONSTRUCTION equipment company Galmon has reason As removing hazards might not be possible, controls are practices to celebrate at this year’s bizSAFE Convention, clinching built into the equipment or system. Changes may also be at Galmon the bizSAFE Enterprise Exemplary Award for its commend- made to work processes to circumvent the danger posed. able workplace safety and health (WSH) performance. When all else fails, administrative controls and personal benefit the Its employee Hazel Yong also received the bizSAFE protective equipment (PPE) are the last line of defence. Ap- Champion Award, which recognises individuals who have popriate PPE, such as gloves, goggles and face shields, is re- workers and made key contributions in improving the safety and health quired to be worn for all potentially hazardous tasks. business of their workplaces. This methodology has helped the company to devise so- Building a safety culture in- lutions that protect its workers. volves buy-in from every level One example is the electric of the company, which provides cutters that workshop staff use mobile elevated work platforms to cut steel materials. such as boom lifts, scissors lifts, Previously, the cutters’ truck-mounted work platforms, blades used to be exposed,Soon Li Heng Civil Engineering invests in tele-handlers and mobile alu- causing sparks and debris toinnovative equipment to reduce health minium scaffolding systems. fly in all directions, creating a In 2009, the company ap- danger to the user and thoseand safety risks in the workplace pointed Ms Yong, then a junior around. officer in the product support Galmon’s technicians then department, to be its risk man- created a customised shield agement champion and to lead for the cutters which helped to the company’s bizSAFE journey in 2009. contain the sparks and debris. In addition to enhancing Galmon’s safety practices through its policies, processes and work environment, Ms Yong served on the company’s safety committee, which Increased productivity comprises staff across all levels and departments, to de- Having now participated in bizSAFE for five years, Mr Ong velop a safety capability training programme and create a has seen benefits for the staff, with fewer workplace acci- healthy workplace safety culture. dents, and for the company’s bottom line. She is currently the executive secretary of Galmon’s qual- He says: “The bizSAFE programme provides a struc- ity, environmental, occupational health and safety committee. tured framework for our company to plan, document and Mr Shawn Ong, Galmon’s chief operating officer, says: track our progress in building up our workplace safety and “These initiatives were implemented from the ground up health (WSH) capabilities, from understanding the under- and as such, have created a strong sense of belonging and lying rationale of bizSAFE to getting the necessary capa- trust among our staff as they are confident the company has bilities in place and setting up our risk management team.” their interests at heart. The programme has motivated the company to continu- Since participating in “Our customers and vendors also feel assured that we ously enhance its safety and health practices, which trans- the bizSAFE programme, are able to take care of them when they see we take good lates to a reduction in the loss of man-hours, increasing its Mr Ong has seen the care of our employees.” productivity and lowering its costs. company’s bottom line This heightened safety consciousness has also enabled improve, with fewer the company to deliver safer and better products to its cus- workplace accidents. Minimising hazards tomers. PHOTOS: TED CHEN Training is an essential part of building safety awareness. “Customers who rent and buy our machines have high New employees have to undergo safety orientation safety standards that we are able to meet due to our strict training. Regular training sessions also keep staff up to date internal safety checks and processes,” explains Mr Ong. on the latest safety practices and raise their competency to The company takes into consideration the safety re- do their work safely. quirements of its customers, for instance, delivering equip- The company also conducts safety “promotions”, where ment with spark arrestors and fire extinguishers when external professionals are brought in to speak to the staff. supplying petrochemical plants which deal in flammable Past speakers included the traffic police, who briefed the substances; or ensuring suitable high quality tyres if the el- company on road safety — a critical aspect as Galmon deliv- evation work is carried out on rough terrain. ers and repairs machines onsite daily. As a bizSAFE Partner, Galmon has been actively engag- Healthcare workers also spoke to employees about the ing its contractors to bring them onboard the bizSAFE pro- harmful effects of smoking. gramme. To minimise its employees’ exposure to hazards, Galmon “This not only helps the contractors to enhance their has adopted the Hierachy of Hazard Control methodology, WSH practices at their workplaces, but also benefits our which addresses hazards in a systematic manner. company via safer practices when we work together with First, hazards are eliminated by physically removing them on projects,” he says. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 C17 Solid foundation Going in them. If this is not feasible, the next step will be to substi- tute them with something that does not create a hazard. As removing hazards might not be possible, controls are built into the equipment or system. Changes may also be made to work processes to circumvent the danger posed. When all else fails, administrative controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) are the last line of defence. Ap-the right popriate PPE, such as gloves, goggles and face shields, is re- quired to be worn for all potentially hazardous tasks. This methodology has helped the company to devise so- lutions that protect its workers. One example is the electric cutters that workshop staff use to cut steel materials. direction Previously, the cutters’ blades used to be exposed,Soon Li Heng Civil Engineering invests in causing sparks and debris toinnovative equipment to reduce health fly in all directions, creating a danger to the user and thoseand safety risks in the workplace around. Galmon’s technicians then created a customised shield by suki lor for the cutters which helped to contain the sparks and debris. FOR family-owned and family-oriented busi- Using innovation and ness Soon Li Heng Civil Engineering, which won technology is a must in the a bizSAFE Enterprise Exemplary Award this year, company’s efforts to create Increased productivity using innovation and technology is a must in its a safe and healthy working Having now participated in bizSAFE for five years, Mr Ong efforts to create a healthy and safe working envi- environment, says Mr Ong has seen benefits for the staff, with fewer workplace acci-ronment for its staff. (left), seen here with dents, and for the company’s bottom line. The company understands the true value of Mr Mendoza (centre) and He says: “The bizSAFE programme provides a struc-family and strives to ensure that all its workers re- management representative tured framework for our company to plan, document and turn home safely every day to their loved ones, says Gilbert Ong (far left). track our progress in building up our workplace safety and assistant director Ong Jun Quan, 29, whose father PHOTO: SAM YEO health (WSH) capabilities, from understanding the under-and three uncles established the business. lying rationale of bizSAFE to getting the necessary capa- “Winning this award affirms that we are going bilities in place and setting up our risk management team.”in the right direction towards our commitment in The programme has motivated the company to continu-workplace safety and health (WSH),” he adds. ously enhance its safety and health practices, which trans- Soon Li Heng’s assistant manager Gerardo lates to a reduction in the loss of man-hours, increasing itsMendoza III bagged the bizSAFE Champion productivity and lowering its costs. Award, a subcategory under the bizSAFE Enter- This heightened safety consciousness has also enabled prise Exemplary Award. the company to deliver safer and better products to its cus- Mr Mendoza is also the risk assessment leader tomers. in the company, and is responsible for creating “Customers who rent and buy our machines have highcontrol measures to eliminate or reduce risk at the safety standards that we are able to meet due to our strict workplace. internal safety checks and processes,” explains Mr Ong. “He has shown unparalleled dedication and The company takes into consideration the safety re-commitment in creating a healthy and safe work- quirements of its customers, for instance, delivering equip-ing environment,” says Mr Ong. ment with spark arrestors and fire extinguishers when Soon Li Heng, which was founded 40 years ago, supplying petrochemical plants which deal in flammablenow has more than 100 employees. substances; or ensuring suitable high quality tyres if the el- The earthwork contractor specialises in com- evation work is carried out on rough terrain. plex and deep basement excavation works for As a bizSAFE Partner, Galmon has been actively engag-building and civil engineering projects. It has also ing its contractors to bring them onboard the bizSAFE pro-diversified into the green industry through recy- gramme. cling concrete waste material from construction “This not only helps the contractors to enhance their and demolition for re-use in the building of roads WSH practices at their workplaces, but also benefits ourand drains. company via safer practices when we work together with them on projects,” he says. Sound investments Soon Li Heng’s risk management plan has set and enforced its safety standards. “With this, we have effectively controlled risks to health and safety in our workplaces,” says Mr Ong. The company has invested in innovative equip- ment to not only reduce or replace manual pro- cesses and minimise operational costs but also to eliminate risks to its workers. “With our commitment to creating a safe and healthy working environment through innovation and technology, we introduced the use of magnet crawler machines for shifting and lifting of steel plates,” says Mr Ong. The conventional lifting process uses wire ropes and hooks to hoist the steel plates, which exposes workers to risks. These risks are eliminated with the use of the magnet crawler machines. However, not all construction work can be re- placed by machinery. In such cases, the company uses substitution, engineering and administrative controls and effective personal protective equipment to reduce risks at the workplace, explains Mr Ong. “Our employees are the main core of our busi- ness,” he stresses. Accidents resulting in a loss of valuable man hours can be a major setback for the company. “The safety of our workers is monitored closely by our senior management through daily reporting. “This creates a clear channel for workers to make suggestions to senior management on how to im- prove WSH at their respective sites. Implementation can thus be carried out more effectively,” he adds. “When the workplace is safe, workers feel com- fortable and confident. This increases our produc- tivity and efficiency.” Developing guidelines Soon Li Heng has developed guidelines, safety policies, in-house rules and safe work procedures. It fosters a “safety first” attitude and culture from top management to all staff and workers, and sets aside a portion of annual revenue for this purpose. Through mentorship, training and safety promo- tion, workers are constantly educated to understand the risks involved in their work. Incentives are given to employees who are outstanding in working safely. “We constantly send our management staff, su- pervisors, operators and general workers for safety training and refresher courses like WSQ Advanced Certificate in WSH, Risk Management, Confined Space and Work at Height Assessor and Occupa- tional First Aid courses,” says Mr Ong. WSQ refers to Singapore Workforce Skills Qual- ifications, a national credentialing system. In May 2009, Soon Li Heng achieved the bi- zSAFE Star level and became a bizSAFE Partner in August 2011. Mr Ong says the bizSAFE programme has over the years served as a guide for the company to cre- ate a safe and healthy working environment for employees. No stranger to accolades, the company also re- ceived a Subcontractors Safety Recognition Award during the Land Transport Authority’s Annual Safety Award Convention 2014. Soon Li Heng also has OHSAS 18001:2007, ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certifications. OHSAS 18001 sets out the minimum require- ments for occupational health and safety manage- ment best practice. ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are management system standards which help an or- ganisation to better control its processes. C18 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Setting high standards PSA creates a safety ecosystem for staff, contractors and suppliers PSA is working towards its goal to achieve “Vision Zero”. Leading by panchalee thakur Mr Tan Puay Hin, regional chief Reporting System. executive officer, Southeast Asia, “In the event of a hazard in our IT TAKES an all-round approach and PSA International, says: “PSA is fully terminals, employees and port us- involvement from the top manage- committed to the safety and health of ers can contact a 24-hour hotline the way ment right down to the dock worker our staff and port users in our Singa- manned by the PSA Emergency Re- to turn the world’s largest container pore terminals and overseas. sponse Control Centre. The Termi- transhipment hub into a model for “Our comprehensive health, safe- nal Control Centre will then follow Boustead Projects follows a stringent WSH workplace safety and health (WSH). ty, security and environment (HSSE) up immediately to rectify the hazard. management system across its worksites PSA Singapore Terminals — management programme is a testa- “The hazard report is then up- which operates the largest shipping ment to this commitment. As a long- dated and stored in our systems for hub in the world here — is a recipi- term bizSAFE Partner, we strive to hazard analysis. The hazard report- At Boustead Projects, risks are reduced at the source and upstream control measures are put in place, says Mr How. ent of several awards, including the ensure high WSH standards for our er is subsequently rewarded for his PHOTO: NURIA LING bizSAFE Partner Award 2014, WSH staff, contractors and suppliers.” safety alertness and consciousness,” Safety and Health Award Recog- says Mr Tan. nition for Projects (Sharp) Award The active participation of front- A WINNER of several health and pany’s online system for a safety Firstly, the company lays empha- for its Tanjong Pagar Terminal in Maintaining focus line staff is a critical element in this safety awards, real estate solutions induction course, where they are sis on actual practices on the ground 2013 and the Road Safety Award for PSA’s HSSE policy ensures that its system and the company is continu- leader Boustead Projects is an in- briefed on health and safety require- and ensures that risks are identified Heavy Vehicle (Fleet) Category in commercial, business and opera- ously gearing its employees towards dustry veteran that enjoys being a ments at the worksite. The system and mitigated on a regular basis. 2013. tional decisions are guided by health such safety consciousness. mentor to those aspiring for higher also records the health conditions of “Our WSH team conducts daily Last year, the WSH Council rec- and safety considerations. Another initiative to build the health and safety standards at the workers. inspection of work activities and ognised PSA for embarking on the It means safety is high on the safety culture is the Safe Behaviour workplace. The online system serves as a meets the subcontractors every five-step CultureSAFE journey, the agenda during any discussion. The Rewards System that rewards em- Till date, the company has won repository of all submissions made week to update them on risks iden- culture-building journey that the company has been able to maintain ployees for exhibiting good safe be- four Workplace Safety and Health after risk assessments. These sub- tified and measures that need to be council recommends. Since 2015, this focus through a two-pronged haviour at work. (WSH) Performance Silver Awards, missions are then reviewed by the implemented,” he says. CultureSAFE has become a prereq- approach — top management com- seven Safety and Health Award Rec- risk management team. Secondly, risks are reduced at the uisite to apply for the Sharp Award. mitment and ownership towards ognition for Projects (Sharp) Awards The health and well-being of source and upstream control meas- The recognitions are a result of safety and consistent employee en- No compromise and a Best Safety Officer Award, tak- each employee has an impact on the ures are put in place to mitigate the PSA’s efforts in engaging its 9,000 gagement to foster a safety culture. PSA is working towards its goal to ing the total number of such awards overall safety of the workplace. Risk risks. plus employees in Singapore to con- An integral part of PSA’s risk achieve “Vision Zero” or, in other to 12 between 2009 and 2013. assessment must take into account “For instance, we have largely tinually raise its WSH standards. management process is the Hazard words, a zero injury workplace in the Boustead Projects was awarded the health condition of each worker. done away with scaffolding and in- long-term. the bizSAFE Mentor status in Janu- “A worker who is not feeling well stead use the table form system to “It is very important for a com- ary 2011. or has some health problem may in- carry out reinforced concrete works. pany to value its human capital. advertently cause an unsafe act and In this system, fabrication of large At PSA, we would like employees Stringent system thereby cause injury to himself or slabs are done on the ground and to come to work and return home others,” says Mr How. then fitted to a shoring system and safely,” says Mr Tan. The company follows a stringent By ensuring that all workers are lifted to their respective places. The company also studies the and robust WSH management sys- healthy and aware of all the risks in- “We also provide mobile elevated unique health-related challenges tem across its worksites. Work safe- volved on the ground creates a safer work platforms for those working at faced by workers on the job every ty practices also extend to all the work place for everyone. a height to minimise the risk of fall- day so that there is no compromise work done by its subcontractors. “These practices ensure that risk ing hazards,” he explains. on their health in the long run. “We mentor and advise our sub- management is done at ground zero Thirdly, the health of individual For instance, one routine activity contractors so as to help them fully and is not just an exercise on paper,” workers is monitored every day dur- with a potential health risk is repeti- comply with legal and all other re- says Mr How. ing daily tool box meetings. These tive crane operations. Thus, PSA pro- quirements,” says Mr Howard How, inputs are used while deploying actively educates crane operators on deputy director, quality assurance workers at the site. the need to take precautionary meas- and employee health and safety, Key principles “Employees in the higher age ures and teaches them back-stretch- Boustead Projects. Boustead Projects takes risk man- bracket are not deployed at a place PSA’s HSSE policy ensures that its commercial business and operational ing exercise after prolonged exposure Subcontractors are also required agement seriously and follows three that is higher than three storeys,” he decisions are guided by health and safety considerations. PHOTOS: PSA to repetitive crane operations. to register their workers on the com- key principles. adds. – Panchalee Thakur THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 C19 Raising the bar higher At Keppel, a safe work environment contributes to more productivity by suki lor ally improve our health and safety systems and align our business operations with best REFLECTING the high priority it places practices. on safety, conglomerate Keppel Corpora- “At Keppel, we believe that safety is eve- tion spent more than $40 million across ryone’s business. All of us play an important the group in 2013 on measures to achieve a role in ensuring the safety and well-being of healthier work environment for its 40,000 our colleagues and working partners.” employees across the globe. Beyond internal stakeholders, the group “These include enhancing infrastructure, continually tightens the safety standards of upgrading systems, and building knowledge the external parties it deals with, including and skill sets. contractors working at its sites, to achieve its “Close to 50,000 personnel received goal of zero incidents, he adds. training at the Keppel Safety Training Centre and Safety Awareness Centres in Singapore and abroad,” says Mr Jaggi Ramesh Kumar, Key factors Keppel’s general manager of group health, Keppel views good communication and peo- safety and environment (HSE). ple empowerment as key factors in building a For the group, which has a presence in strong safety culture. Keppel views good communication and people empowerment as key factors in building a strong safety culture. PHOTOS: KEPPEL CORPORATION over 30 countries, the health and safety of its “We recognise that for our best efforts to employees, contractors and all stakeholders be effectively executed, we must proactively are of utmost importance, he says. and regularly communicate our initiatives to eign worker dormitories to communicate its and multicultural workers in WSH,” he adds. assess the WSH performance of contractors, He explains: “We believe that a safe work all employees at our Singapore and overseas safety standards. suppliers and tenants,” says Mr Kumar. environment contributes to more produc- business units,” says Mr Kumar. Its HSE team members also reach out to its Integrated training hub In Singapore, the group works with more tive workers and also reduces risks for our In Singapore, Keppel regularly holds overseas yards to conduct safety workshops than 600 subcontractors. In 2010, Keppel O&M established an inte- businesses. As a group, we seek to continu- HSE sharing sessions at its yards and for- and share the group’s latest safety initiatives. “The group aligns them through strong grated HSE training hub in Singapore called One of the group’s key challenges in commitment at leadership level to create an workplace safety and health (WSH) is work- the Keppel Safety Training Centre. In Vietnam, another Keppel unit, Keppel incident-free workplace. The subcontrac- ing with a multinational and multicultural tors are then empowered with the necessary workforce in Singapore, especially subcon- Land, opened a Safety Awareness Centre in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011 to improve safety competencies to carry out their tasks safely,” tractors, to ensure that they have proper he says. knowledge on safety practices and proce- standards among its contractors. The cen- tre runs courses on topics such as working at Keppel’s business units have also partici- dures, despite their different backgrounds pated actively in the safety initiatives intro- and work experiences. height and fire-fighting to increase the safety duced by the WSH Council. These include Its efforts include introducing a range of awareness of the contractors’ employees. implementing WSH and risk management programmes to target the WSH needs of for- More than a dozen Keppel units operating eign workers, says Mr Kumar. in different industries have attained various systems to reduce injuries and illnesses, At Keppel Shipyard, experienced foreign bizSAFE statuses, with six of them being bi- which contribute to lower costs associated workers have been trained as mentors to dis- zSAFE Partners. with such incidents. cuss WSH incidents and near misses with The six are Keppel DHCS, Keppel FELS, Keppel’s efforts to improve workplace fellow workers in their own languages. Keppel Merlimau Cogen, Keppel Sea Scan, safety have been recognised by the WSH “Additionally, managers from Keppel Keppel Seghers Engineering Singapore and Council and the Ministry of Manpower, Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) conduct Keppel Shipyard. which handed the group 39 WSH Awards last regular WSH engagement visits to workers’ “The companies within the Keppel Group year, up from 32 in 2013. dormitories to encourage informal interac- have collectively benefited from their par- But the company does not plan to stop tions on WSH issues with workers. ticipation in bizSAFE programmes under here. Mr Kumar says that every employee plays an important role in ensuring the safety and “These initiatives help to raise the en- the WSH Council. As a bizSAFE partner, the “We will continue to look at ways to im- well-being of colleagues and working partners. gagement and awareness of multinational Keppel Group of companies are better able to prove our safety practices,” says Mr Kumar. C20 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Well-mapped goals to go further bizSAFE Partner Award winner UE E&C believes that a safe and healthy worker is productive by hazel tan Top priorities ENGINEERING and construction company The road towards greater workplace safety UE E&C strongly believes that workplace started with well-mapped goals. health and safety (WSH) help to grow the UE E&C makes a hazard-free work envi- business. ronment and the physical well-being of its The company’s steadfast commitment staff its top priorities. to its employees’ well-being at the work- Mr Chua explains: “This is done by set- place won them this year’s bizSAFE Partner ting goals and plans for achieving high WSH Award, which is presented by the Workplace performance, implementing WSH manage- Safety and Health Council and supported by ment systems, conducting regular internal the Ministry of Manpower. and external safety checks, reviewing and The award recognises bizSAFE Partners auditing at workplaces to ensure adherence who have been proactive and committed in and compliance, among others.” bringing small and medium- sized enterpris- By adopting a “three-pronged strategy” es (SMEs) onboard the bizSAFE programme that comprises building strong capabilities by incorporating safety as part of their busi- to manage WSH, reducing WSH incident ness model. rates, and fostering a progressive safety and Receiving the health behavioural- award is a great af- Improving and achieving based organisation, firmation that the good WSH performance UE E&C was able to company is heading systematically edu- in the right direc- is a critical success factor for UE cate and train its em- tion, says Mr Chua ployees. Hock Tong, chief E&C as it has a direct impact on Now, the compa- executive officer of work progress, efficiency ny hopes to go a step UE E&C, as it dem- further, by spreading onstrates the com- as well as staff morale. the word on WSH. pany’s commitment “WSH perfor- and achievements in – Mr Chua Hock Tong, mance should not chief executive officer, UE E&C WSH. be limited to our “Due to the na- employees, but also ture of UE E&C’s include business as- businesses, our workplaces comprise mainly sociates such as subcontractors and suppli- worksites that involve staff and workers ers,” says Mr Chua. working in possibly hazard-laden environ- “By bringing our SME business associ- ates onboard the bizSAFE journey, we strive ments, such as elevated heights, as well as to play a part in moving the entire construc- around heavy machinery and equipment,” tion industry forward in terms of WSH for he says. the benefit of everyone,” he adds. “As such, improving and achieving good To this end, UE E&C launched an inte- WSH performance is a critical success factor UE E&C makes a hazard-free work environment and the physical well-being of its staff its top priorities, says Mr Chua. PHOTO: NURIA LING grated programme called SmeSAFE@UE in for UE E&C as it has a direct impact on work 2010 to provide its business associates with progress, efficiency as well as staff morale.” In fact, one key challenge is the mobile pany has had to remain vigilant at all times. stages, we are able to identify potential risky training support and resources on WSH. The company, which won a similar award and heterogeneous nature of the work- To cater to the diverse workforce, it has events earlier, which then gives us ample in 2013, has more than 1,300 employees. Its force. Every worksite is a unique setting, also established a comprehensive, multi- time to assess, eliminate and mitigate them clients include established property devel- Constant learning which presents new safety challenges for lingual approach to training and communi- before they can have a chance to manifest opers such as WingTai Asia, CapitaLand and Although the company has come a long way the workers. cation. into accidents or illnesses,” says Mr Chua. Frasers Centrepoint. in their efforts, Mr Chua admits there were “The workforce is usually composed of In addition to education and training, UE At the end of the day, WSH is a win-win “This award gains the trust of authori- challenges. workers from different backgrounds, cul- E&C incorporates risk management into its for all involved. ties, existing clients as well as new potential “Working conditions always vary, and tures and countries. As such, it is often dif- WSH plans to address and eliminate risks “Staff can work with peace of mind and be clients, which in turn will potentially allow there is no foolproof solution to preventing ficult to implement a one-size-fits-all strat- at their source. This is done by engaging its more focused in getting their job done prop- us to secure more business and projects at a incidents. It is an endless journey of constant egy,” he says. stakeholders. erly and more efficiently, thereby increasing higher success rate,” adds Mr Chua. learning and re-learning,” he says. To overcome these challenges, the com- “By involving all stakeholders at the early productivity,” adds Mr Chua. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 C21 C22 bizSAFE CONVENTION 2015 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Vigilant operations Hytech Builders has controls in place to reduce accidents by ahmad osman

HYTECH Builders, a building and construction company set up in Singapore in 1982, is a winner of this year’s bizSAFE Partner Award. The company provides the part- nership, guidance and mentorship for its first-tier contractors to get to the top of the five-level bizSAFE programme designed to improve workplace safety and health (WSH) standards. Mr Wong hopes more companies will join the bizSAFE programme. PHOTO: SAM YEO Labour and building materials contractors must also have achieved a minimum of the bizSAFE Lev- el Three Risk Management (RM) standard should they want to win a Hytech Builders procurement con- Making life better tract. At its worksites, the company structures, machinery, piping, ac- ensures that capabilities are present PPL Shipyard commodation, electrical, drilling Multiple awards to protect the safety and health of and mechanical systems. PPL Shipyard has won 28 WSH employees and contractors. A Hy- uses the highest Council awards over five years from tech Builders centre in India that Mr Wong Teck Cheong, manag- standards of safety ing director of PPL Shipyard, says 2010. trains and tests workers is also ac- Though it has robust upstream that 60 per cent of the 42 first-tier credited by Singapore’s Building and to deliver quality safety measures in place, the com- Construction Authority. contractors are bizSAFE Stars — the pany will also implement a pro- For its firm approach to safety, products and top level of the bizSAFE programme, gramme to monitor and control it achieved the international Oc- which has five levels designed to re- workplace fatigue and a work plan cupational Health and Safety As- services duce and eliminate WSH risks. for this year to enhance its WSH risk sessment Series 18001 standards All the 42 contractors have the management system. and also fulfilled the bizSAFE RM PPL Shipyard clinched the bizSAFE minimum of the bizSAFE Level 3 Risk The plan includes a proactive, requirements. Partner Award conferred by the Management certification required comprehensive and integrated as- Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) for them to bid for a PPL Shipyard sessment of all the WSH risks and Implementing policies Council for this year and 2013. company contract, he adds. the workplace health and well-be- Since 2009, the company has One contractor, Sanko Marine ing of the company’s employees and Mr Ng Cheng Huat, 63, the direc- been providing workshops, dia- Engineering, won the 2012 bizSAFE other stakeholders. tor and general manager of Hytech logues and training for its contrac- Enterprise Progressive Award for “We hope to reduce WSH risks Builders, makes it clear that every tors to use the bizSAFE programme . employee and contractor working moving from bizSAFE Level 1 to comprehensively and improve the There are 42 first-tier contrac- well-being of all our stakeholders,” at Hytech Builders work sites must Level 3 within six months. tors serving the company, which has says Mr Wong. implement WSH policies and meas- Sanko worked with PPL Shipyard Hytech Builders ensures that capabilities are present to protect employees two shipyards at Pandan Road and “The integration of person- ures set by the company’s manage- and contractors’ safety and health, says Mr Ng. PHOTO: HYTECH BUILDERS Tuas Crescent specialising in the to ensure vigilant implementation al health risks into the PPL Risk ment leaders. design, construction and servicing of safe work practices to enhance Management System will improve Management staff at the equipment to provide the protec- ductivity. of offshore drilling rigs. the contractor’s productivity, profit productivity, WSH and financial worksites have the skills acquired tion from noise and dust pollution “Ensuring the well-being of our The contractors, who are mainly and image. performance, the returns for invest- from the safety training courses and heat stroke during construction employees, first-tier contractors marine industry small and medium- “We hope more companies will ments, and the retention of employ- delivered by Ministry of Manpower- works. and customers is our corporate so- sized enterprises, do the fabrication, join the bizSAFE programme,” says ees with a better quality of life,” he accredited service providers. The controls help employees and cial responsibility,” says Mr Ng. assembly and installation of steel Mr Wong. adds. — Ahmad Osman There are also engineering and first-tier contractors to systemati- “High quality products and technological controls at the work- cally assess WSH risks at every stage sites to achieve the aims of the Risk of their work processes. services, timely delivery and cost EDITOR Leong Phei Phei PROJECT EDITOR Geraldine Ling CONTRIBUTORS Ahmad Osman, April Chong, Douglas Chew, Management 2.0 framework to re- Close monitoring of the con- management are the key elements Hazel Tan, Panchalee Thakur, Suki Lor CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Uma Venkatraman SUB-EDITOR Jac Woo ART DIRECTOR Chris duce and eliminate WSH risks. trols by the Hytech Builders safety of our business model. WSH and Tan ART AND DESIGN Lynnette Chia, Vikki Ann Chan PHOTOGRAPHER Chong Jun Liang ADMIN MANAGER Zain Afridi Upstream controls include lift- and health department also helps to RM are integral parts of the means ADVERTISING SALES Lina Tan (9620-1355), Nancy Kan (9761-6215) ing devices and personal protective reduce accidents and improve pro- to achieve these elements,” he adds. For reproduction of articles or reprints of photographs, call SPH's Information Resource Centre: 6319-5508 or 6319-5726. E-mail feedback to [email protected] LIFE! C23 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Korean reality shows remade for China

Local versions being created in country where foreign programmes are barred from airing during prime-time

eoul – Chinese producers are getting around curbs on foreign television content with home-grown versions of South S Korean variety shows, cashing in on the popularity of “Korean Wave” cinema and celebrities captured in unscripted moments. As they target China’s US$19-billion (S$25- billion) TV industry, South Korean producers are moving beyond selling rights to Korean television dramas. They are licensing remakes of reality shows, which promise viewers the thrill of seeing stars conspire together or take a tumble. “Since foreign programmes were barred from airing during China’s prime time, local co- production has become the easiest way to broadcast in China,” said Kim Yong Jae, a Korean co-producer of the game show Hurry Up, Brother. An estimated 4.2 per cent of homes with TV sets tuned in to Hurry Up, Brother on Jan 9, says CSM Media Research, an unprecedented figure in China, where most television is watched online. The show, in which Chinese celebrities, including Deng Chao and Angelababy, compete in obstacle races and vie to rip off one another’s name tags, is Taiwanese singer-actor Jimmy Lin and his son Kimi based on the SBS hit Running Man. star in Hunan Television’s reality show Where Are Cultural similarities explain the popularity of the We Going, Dad?, which is a remake of a South shows, said Kim, who added: “We find a lot of the Korean hit show. PHOTO: NOW MANG same things funny.” Producers say Korean products appeal to Chinese viewers as they play on Confucian values, such as Chinese firms used to pay up to US$200,000 an respect for elders. episode to import Korean dramas, but prices vary. Hunan Television’s remake of a Korean hit, In September, Chinese media authorities said Where Are We Going, Dad?, features celebrity dads they would approve foreign content and set a ratio on camping trips with their children, while Jiangsu of 30 per cent of foreign to domestic media on TV’s Star To My House shows actresses living and streaming sites. working with farming families. Remakes of United States and European shows “Chinese celebrities aren’t used to showing also draw viewers. The Chinese version of Emmy unexpected reactions in sudden situations,” said Award-winning reality series The Amazing Race Ahn Yin Bae, chief executive of Seoul-based scored solid ratings of around 1 per cent per episode entertainment company Koen Group. when it aired last year. “It’s important to incite the reactions you want Now a Korean show is journeying in the opposite and create characters,” said Ahn, who also produced direction. US network NBC has given the green light the Chinese remake of Superman Is Back, starring for an American version of Grandpas Over Flowers, celebrity dads and their infants. featuring four septuagenarian celebrities back- SBS and other Korean content providers declined packing abroad. to comment on profits from Chinese remakes. Reuters C24 LIFE! THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Mockingbird sequel gets published

Go Set A Watchman set script after her editor, who was Author ment: “I, along with millions of others captivated by the flashbacks to Scout’s Harper Lee around the world, always wished that 20 years later, but was childhood, told her to write a new book had thought Harper Lee had written another book. from the young heroine’s perspective and that the And what a brilliant book this is.” written before Harper to set it during her childhood. draft of her Some critics and observers expressed “I was a first-time writer, so I did as I earlier novel concern about whether Lee had played a Lee’s famous book was told,” she said in a statement had been meaningful role in approving the deal and released by her publisher. lost or questioned why, after a 55-year hiatus, ew York – For more than half That story became Mockingbird, a destroyed. she had suddenly decided to publish a century, To Kill A Mocking- classic that was adapted into a 1962 film PHOTO: again. bird has stood apart as a singu- and has sold more than 40 million copies AGENCE She suffered a stroke in 2007 and has lar American literary master- globally since it was published in 1960. It FRANCE- been living in an assisted-living facility. N continues to sell more than one million PRESSE Her sister, Alice Lee, a lawyer who was piece, a perennial bestseller that has provoked countless classroom copies a year and has been translated into her companion and her protector from discussions about racial and social injus- more than 40 languages. public scrutiny, died last year. Mr Jonathan Burnham, senior vice- tice. It brought instant and overwhelming The novel takes place during the president and publisher of Harper, said fame to its enigmatic author, Harper Lee, Depression, as the young Scout and her family are swept up in the trial of a black the company had communicated with Lee who soon retreated from the spotlight to solely through Carter and her literary her native Monroeville, Alabama. She man who is accused of raping a white woman. Scout’s father, played by agent, Mr Andrew Nurnberg. He said he never published another book, leaving her was confident that Lee approved of the millions of fans yearning for more. Gregory Peck in the film adaptation, represents the accused man at trial. deal. Now aged 88, she has revealed that she She has shied away from public atten- Despite pleas and prodding from wrote another novel after all – a sequel of tion for decades and has been involved in readers and the literary establishment, sorts to Mockingbird, featuring an ageing a handful of lawsuits in recent years, in Lee never published again. Atticus Finch and his grown daughter, what has appeared to be an effort to pro- Scout. She said she had thought the draft of tect her literary legacy and estate. Go Set A Watchman had been lost or On Tuesday, her publisher announced She has also occasionally addressed destroyed. Then last autumn, Ms Tonja its plans to release that novel, recently the question of why she never published Carter, her friend and lawyer, discovered rediscovered, which Lee completed in the another book after Mockingbird. She has it in a secure place where Lee keeps her said that she found the publicity mid-1950s before she wrote Mocking- archives, attached to an original typed bird. The 304-page book, Go Set A surrounding Mockingbird overwhelming manuscript of Mockingbird. According to and that she had said all she had to say in Watchman, takes place 20 years later in Lee’s publisher, Ms Carter did not under- the same fictional town, Maycomb, that single work. stand what she had stumbled on at first, Mr Nurnberg, Lee’s agent for interna- Alabama, and unfolds as Jean Louise until she realised that the passages were Finch, or Scout, the feisty child heroine tional rights, said she had discussed her not from Lee’s first and only novel. reservations about the new book with of Mockingbird, returns to visit her references to Go Set A Watchman in published it at 34. “We’re going to see “After much thought and hesitation, I him. “She was a bit diffident at first and father. shared it with a handful of people I trust Lee’s early correspondence with her liter- what Harper Lee writes like without a said, ‘Is this really worth publishing right The novel, for release on July 14, and was pleased to hear that they consid- ary agent. “I figured it was an early draft strong editor’s hand, when she’s, quite now?’ ” he said. tackles the racial tensions brewing in the ered it worthy of publication,” Lee said. of Mockingbird,” he said. honestly, an amateur,” he said. “It’s But during a recent visit with her in South in the 1950s and delves into the Scholars have long been aware that she He also saw references from her editor going to be very interesting to see how Monroeville, she also seemed “feisty”, he complex relationship between father and wrote an earlier manuscript, but many to repeated revisions of Mockingbird, as original it is. A lot was taken from Go Set said, and in good spirits. daughter. thought it was an early version of Mock- she tried telling the story from three A Watchman for To Kill A Mockingbird, He said she had taken issue with his Although written first, Go Set A ingbird, not a separate story that unfolds different perspectives. and maybe those are the best parts.” description of the new book as a sequel. Watchman is a continuation of the same 20 years later. Shields is sceptical that the new novel Mr Michael Morrison, president and He recalled: “She said, ‘This isn’t the story, with overlapping themes and char- Charles J. Shields, author of a 2006 would hold up against Mockingbird, publisher of HarperCollins US General sequel. This is the parent to Mocking- acters. But Lee abandoned the manu- biography of Lee, said he had come across which was an instant classic when she Books Group and Canada, said in a state- bird.’” New York Times

edited out of adaptations because they “We had to check if her memory was Little House author’s memoirs a hit were considered too violent. In real life, correct,” Ms Koupal said. Laura Ingalls took care of a sick woman “It is her autobiography, but she wrote whose drunk husband tried to rape her. it when she was 60, and sometimes, Washington – The autobiography of In Pioneer Life, Wilder details 16 years The author escaped only by fighting back. memory fails.” Little House On The Prairie author Laura of travels by her family through an array Wilder’s books were adapted for televi- Wilder first wrote her autobiography Ingalls Wilder has become a surprise of Midwestern states including Kansas, sion in 1974 by Michael Landon – who at the request of her daughter Rose, who publishing hit in America, with buyers Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota and also starred in the show. It ran for nine herself became a noted writer. rushing to snap up the candid account of Iowa. seasons, comprising more than 200 “We also wanted to explore her rela- pioneer life. Her recollections formed the basis of First published last November by the episodes. tionship with her daughter Rose, who was the Little House books that were pub- The Little House books and TV series her editor and the one who convinced her tiny South Dakota Historical Society lished between 1932 and 1943. Press, Pioneer Girl depicts an unglossed were enjoyed by successive generations, to write her memoirs. Then, we wanted Whereas the series of 11 volumes which goes some way to explain the enor- to show the difference between fiction view of the 19th-century Midwest, a paints a fairly innocent picture of pioneer marked departure from the bucolic mous demand for the new book. and reality.” times, Wilder’s autobiography bears “For a lot of people, Laura Ingalls was The historical society wanted to imagery of the Little House series. witness to a less glossy reality. The book “is Laura Ingalls’ very first a big part of their childhood,” Ms Koupal distance itself from the TV series, which “At the time, life was hard. Violence draft before it was edited and romanti- said. was the most romanticised of all the adap- was typical. It was part of the pioneers’ Sales really took off after national tations. cised”, the press’ director Nancy Tystad Little House On The Prairie was made Koupal said. life,” Ms Koupal said. radio broadcaster NPR and other Ameri- Since its publication, orders for the She added that the Ingalls family was into a 1970s TV series starring can media outlets drew attention to it. autobiography have exploded. “We decided to keep this version, Michael Landon (left) as the father and because it was close to the original story in poor financial shape, with little cash The book has soared up the Amazon An initial print-run of 15,000 was sold and they did not own a home. Instead, Melissa Gilbert (front) as Laura Ingalls. of the 19th-century pioneers. We wanted PHOTO: FILE bestseller list and, for a short while last out within a few weeks. The historical to show, in a sense, a behind the scenes they lived in apartments that Laura’s week, eclipsed even American Sniper for society then placed orders for another of The Little House.” father could not always pay for. the top spot. 15,000 followed by another 45,000 Wilder first wrote the book in 1930 “They had to flee in the middle of the man who, after drinking a considerable The decision to make an annotated ver- books. and it has been annotated by Pamela Hill night to avoid paying rent,” Ms Koupal amount of whisky, managed to burn his sion was taken after considerable “We couldn’t ask for more,” Smith, who researched all the places and said. lungs while lighting a cigar. research into the events depicted in the Ms Koupal said. “We may not have seen dates Wilder mentioned. The autobiography also describes a Many elements in Pioneer Girl were book. the last of it.” Agence France-Presse THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 Television LIFE! C25 must 9.40 Modern Family starhub tv starhub sports free to air singtel tv 10.05 American Dad! h2 ch402 supersports 1 ch201 channel 5 natgeo ch201 10.30 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit AM AM AM AM 6.00 Modern Marvels 7.00 Badminton: BWF World Superseries watch 11.20 Killer Karaoke 6.00 Super Why (C) 6.00 The Food Files 7.00 The Universe 3 Yonex Sunrise Malaysia Grand Prix 6.30 Save Ums (C) HEY CHEF! Gold, Semi-finals 7.00 Going Deep With David Rees 8.00 Mega Disasters 2 7.00 Guess How Much I Love You (C) 7.55 Street Genius jia le ch502 9.00 Hangar 1: The UFO Files 11.00 Tennis: ATP Champions Tour 7.30 Bo On The Go (C) Channel 8, 8pm 10.00 Cities Of The Underworld 2014 #7 8.50 The Great Food Revolution AM 11.00 Ancient Discoveries 4 11.30 Badminton: Badminton Unlimited 8.00 Kioka (C) 9.45 What Would Happen If 6.00 The Tradition Story Of Taiwan – PM #57 8.30 Hi-5 House 14 (C) Chef Pung Lu Tin will 10.40 Hard Time Miss Mermaid 12.00 Modern Marvels PM 9.00 The Dr Oz Show 4 (HD) (IE) cook Hainanese pork 11.35 Mega Factories 6.30 One Hundred Tastes In Taiwan 10.00 JML TV Home Shopping (Paid 1.00 Digging For The Truth 3 12.00 Badminton: Syed Modi belly, sauteed chicken PM 7.00 Monga Women 2.00 Ancient Impossible International BWF World Superseries Presentation) (Commercial) 12.30 Live Free Or Die 8.00 Sound Of The Desert 3.00 Cities Of The Underworld 3 India Grand Prix Gold, Finals 11.00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12 with pineapple, 1.25 Family Guns (Aka Family Combat) 9.00 Love Player 4.00 Dogfights 2 4.00 Extreme Sports: Ultimate Rush (HD) (V) stir-fried glass 2.20 Mad Scientists 10.00 Love 5.00 Ancient Discoveries 4 2014/4.30 Tennis: ATP 250 Apia PM noodles with garlic 3.15 Laverstoke Mill PM 6.00 Battlefield Detectives 2 International Sydney, Semi-finals 12.00 Our Makan Places: Lost And 4.10 Ultimate Airport Dubai PHOTOS: MEDIACORP, STARHUB 12.00 The Tradition Story Of Taiwan – 7.00 Modern Marvels 7.30 Darts: World Grand Prix Darts #9 Found 5 (HD) (V) chives and dried 5.05 Inside Cocaine Wars 8.30 Motorsports: Motorsports Mundial Miss Mermaid 8.00 The Lost Evidence 12.30 Wheel Of Fortune 31 (HD) (V) squid, as well as 6.00 Family Guns (Aka Family Combat) 12.30 One Hundred Tastes In Taiwan 10.00 Patton 360/11.00 Shootout! 2015 #5 1.00 The 5 Show (HD) (V) 7.00 Eat: The Story Of Food 9.00 Badminton: Kopiko Purple League pan-fried tofu rice cake. Hosted by Pornsak and Vivian 1.00 Monga Women 1.30 Love Matters – The Marriage 8.00 Mega Factories 2.00 Love eve ch425 Highlights #6 Factor (D) Lai (both above). 11.00 Extreme Sports: ASP World Tour – 9.00 Megastructures 4.00 Sound Of The Desert 2.30 Maggi & Me: Baby (Comedy) 10.00 Ultimate Airport Dubai AM Women’s Year In Review Show 3.00 Body And Soul 2 (HD) (IE) 5.00 Love Player 6.00 Deliver Me: Home Edition Highlights MR 11.00 Inside Cocaine Wars 6.00 The Tradition Story Of Taiwan – 6.30 A Baby Story 11/7.00 Kate Plus 8 2 3.30 The Dr Oz Show 4 (HD) (IE) AM 4.30 History Alive! (HD) (V) SELFRIDGE 3 Miss Mermaid 7.30 Total Body Sculpt With Gilad 12.00 Badminton: BWF Yonex disney (hd) ch234 6.30 One Hundred Tastes In Taiwan 8.00 Too Ugly For Love? Copenhagen Masters, Semi-finals #1 5.00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12 Sundance Channel (HD) (V)/6.00 Dynamo: Magician 7.00 Monga Women 9.00 Husband Hunters 2.30 Badminton: Badminton Unlimited (HD) (Singtel TV AM 8.00 Love 10.00 Marriage Camp #57 Impossible 2 (V) 6.00 Pink Panther Show 7.00 Wheel Of Fortune 31 (HD) (V) Channel 401), 10.00 Sound Of The Desert 11.00 Too Ugly For Love? 3.00 Motorsports: V8 Supercars: Season 6.30 Boboiboy 11.00 Who’s The Boss Tonight PM Review Highlights 7.30 Arrow: The Huntress Returns 10pm 7.00 Ninja Hattori 12.00 A Baby Story 11 5.00 Badminton: Kopiko Purple League (HD) (PG) (D) 7.30 Fish Hooks 8.30 The 5 Show (HD) (V) (Live) one (hd) ch513 & ch604 12.30 Make Room For Multiples Highlights #6 Jeremy Piven 8.00 Wander Over Yonder 1.00 Deliver Me: Home Edition 9.00 News 5 (HD) 8.30 Sofia The First 9.30 Common Cents (HD) PERSON OF INTEREST 4 AM 1.30 Kate Plus 8 2 supersports 2 ch202 plays Harry 9.00 Phineas And Ferb 6.00 Goddess Of Marriage 3.00 Niecy Nash’s Wedding Bash 10.00 On The Red Dot (HD) Warner TV (StarHub TV Channel Gordon Selfridge, AM 9.30 Gravity Falls 7.15 Tasty Life 4.00 Candy Queen 10.30 Body And Soul 2 (HD) (IE) 10.00 Peter Pan 4.30 Ashley Paige: Bikini Or Bust 7.00 Magazine: Trans World Sport 2015 11.00 Be The Boss: Jazzercise (HD) 515), 9.50pm founder of 8.30 Pinocchio 5.00 Long Island Medium 5 8.00 Football: A-League 2014/15 Round London-based 11.30 Mr Bean – The Animated Series 9.45 Only Love (V) PM 6.00 A Baby Story 11 15: Highlights AM Harold and John are forced to department store 11.20 Goddess Of Marriage 6.30 Make Room For Multiples 8.30 Basketball: 2014/15 NBA Regular 12.00 Pink Panther Show PM 12.00 SupermodelMe 5: Sirens (HD) assume new identities as a college Selfridges, in this 12.30 Wander Over Yonder 7.00 Long Island Medium 5 Season: Washington Wizards Vs Atlanta (PG13) (V) 12.35 Tasty Life 8.00 LA Ink 2/9.00 Sin City Rules Hawks (Live) 1.00 8 Days Eat: It’s All About Mee professor and a narcotics detective series set in 1919, 1.00 Phineas And Ferb 1.50 Pinocchio 10.00 Breaking The Faith 11.00 Football: German Bundesliga respectively. Stars Jim Caviezel when his life 2.00 Gravity Falls 3.05 K-pop Countdown (Inkigayo) 2014/15: Matchweek 19: Highlights (HD) (V) 11.00 Deadline: Crime With Tamron Hall 1.30 Grimm 2 (HD) (PG13) (D) begins to unravel. 2.30 Camp Lakebottom 4.35 K-Hits PM (left) and Michael Emerson (right). 3.00 Violetta 4.50 Only Love 12.00 Magazine: Omnisport. TV 2.30 The 5 Show (HD) (V) warner tv ch515 3.00 Wheel Of Fortune 31 (HD) (V) 4.00 Austin & Ally 6.25 Goddess Of Marriage 12.30 Football: Bundesliga Preview 4.30 Liv And Maddie AM 3.30 America’s Next Top Model 19 7.40 Tasty Life Show 5.00 Jessie 8.55 Pinocchio 6.00 Cold Case 7 1.00 Football: A-League 2014/15 Round (HD) (PG) (V) 7.00 Without A Trace 3 4.30 Just For Laughs Gags 6 (V) 11.30 Ethiroli (IE) 5.30 Pair Of Kings 10.10 Only Love 15: Highlights cna 6.00 Phineas And Ferb 8.00 Major Crimes 1.30 Football: German Bundesliga 5.00 The Dr Oz Show 4 (HD) (PG) AM 11.45 K-pop Star 4 9.00 The Last Ship/10.00 Friends 2 2014/15: FC Cologne Vs VfB Stuttgart (IE) AM 12.00 Tamil Seithi (News) 7.00 Mighty Med 11.00 The Big Bang Theory 5 3.30 Football: German Bundesliga 6.00 First Look Asia/9.00 News Now 12.30 Close 7.30 I Didn’t Do It 8.00 A Goofy Movie star chi (hd) ch571 11.30 Two And A Half Men 10 (NC16) 2014/15: Hertha Berlin Vs Bayer channel 8 9.33 Asian/Asean Panorama PM Leverkusen 10.00 News Now okto 9.30 Pink Panther Show AM 12.00 Selfie 5.30 Basketball: 2014/15 NBA Regular 10.32 Between The Lines 10.00 Phineas And Ferb 7.05 The Blacksheep Affair AM AM 12.30 2 Broke Girls 2 (NC16) Season: Washington Wizards Vs Atlanta 6.00 Golden Age Talentime 2015 (HD) 11.00 News Now 10.30 Austin & Ally 8.40 The Legend Of Zu 1.00 The Originals 2/2.00 Friends 2 Hawks 11.33 World Economic Forum 9.00 Guess With Jess (P) 11.00 Violetta 10.30 Painted Skin 2: The Resurrection (V)/7.00 Simply Overseas 2 (IE) 9.30 Make Way For Noddy (P) 3.00 Without A Trace 3 7.30 Magazine: Omnisport. TV 7.30 118 (HD) (PG) (D) PM PM 4.00 The Last Ship 8.00 Football: German Bundesliga 12.00 Asia Connect 10.00 Zou (P) star world (hd) ch301 12.45 Gallants 5.00 The Closer 2014/15: Borussia Dortmund Vs FC 8.00 Good Luck! (HD) (PG) (D) 10.30 Bananas In Pyjamas Animated 9.00 Morning Express (HD) (News) 1.02 Future Forward 2.25 Haunted Office 6.00 Without A Trace 3 Augsburg (P)/11.00 Barney And Friends (P) AM 9.30 Hello Singapore Highlights (HD) 1.32 The Successors 3 11.30 Vipo (P) 4.00 He Man 7.00 Friends 2 10.00 Wrestling: WWE NXT (PG) 2.00 News Now 6.15 MasterChef US 8.00 The Closer/9.00 Gotham 11.00 Football: German Bundesliga 10.00 Big Factories 3 (HD) (IE) PM 5.35 Detective Dee 10.30 Pay It Forward (PG) (D) 2.33 First Look Encore 7.05 MasterChef Junior US 7.40 The Killer Who Never Kills 9.50 Person Of Interest 4 (See Must 2014/15: Matchweek 19: Highlights 12.00 Tree Fu Tom (P) 7.55 America’s Next Top Model Watch) AM PM 3.00 News Now 12.30 WordWorld (P)/1.00 Zou (P) (Taiwan) 12.30 Body SOS 3 (HD) (PG) (V) 3.32 Between The Lines 9.35 Melissa & Joey 9.30 Mr And Mrs Gambler 10.40 The Big Bang Theory 5 12.00 Magazine: Omnisport. TV 1.30 Bananas In Pyjamas Animated (P) 10.25 Cristela 11.10 Friends 4 12.30 Wrestling: WWE Raw 1.00 News 8 At One (HD) 4.00 News Now/4.33 Chasing Sleep 2.00 Barney And Friends (P) 11.15 Police Story 2013 11.30 Gotham 1.30 Pretty Soup Brewers (IE) 5.00 News Now 2.30 Vipo (P) 10.50 Benched AM supersports 3 ch203 2.00 Pleasant Goat And Big Big Wolf 3 5.32 Asian/Asean Panorama 3.00 Dream School (D) (S) 11.15 Cougar Town 1.05 My Left Eye Sees Ghost hbo ch601 (Cartoon) 6.02 Undercover Asia: Black Lungs 4.00 Saved Or Slimed (IE) (S) PM 2.45 Nightmarket Hero (Taiwan) AM 2.30 Empreses In The Place (PG) (D) 7.00 Primetime Asia 5.00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 2 (S) 12.05 MasterChef US 4.55 My Loving Trouble 7 AM 7.00 Darts: 2014 World Grand Prix 3.30 Music Box (HD) (Music) 8.01 Insight 5.30 Dream Defenders (S) 12.55 The Rachel Zoe Project 6.05 Matilda/7.45 The Mexican Darts 4.30 My Family My Love (PG) (D) 8.31 Conversation With 10 6.00 Lego Ninjago (S) 1.45 Cristela 9.45 Confessions Of A Shopaholic 8.00 Darts: 2014 World Matchplay Darts 9.00 Primetime World 6.30 Johnny Test (S) 2.10 Benched video on demand 9.00 Table Tennis: ITTF World Tour 5.30 It’s A Wonderful Life! (HD) (PG) 11.30 The Assassination Of Jesse James (D) 9.30 SportsWorld 7.00 Gravity Falls (S) 2.35 MasterChef Junior US By The Coward Robert Ford Grand Finals 2014 Men’s & Women’s 10.00 Singapore Tonight 7.30 Xiaolin Chronicles (S) 3.25 America’s Next Top Model 1 Dolphin Tale 2 PM Singles Finals 6.30 Hello Singapore (HD) (News) 2 Golden Brother (Mandarin) 7.30 118 (HD) (PG) (D) 11.01 Between The Lines 8.00 Yomi (S) (D) 4.15 Cougar Town 2.10 G.I. Joe: Retaliation (NC16) PM 11.31 Don’t Call Us Poor 8.30 Bot Hunters (IE) (S) 3 Terbaik Dari Langit (Cine-Ekspres) 12.00 Tennis: Federation Cup 2014 8.00 Hey Chef! (HD) (V) (See Must 5.05 Styled To Rock 4 Vanmam (Asian-Kollywood) 4.00 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie AM 9.00 World’s Scariest Weather (IE) 6.00 American Idol 5.30 Mean Girls/7.05 E.T. Finals: Highlights Watch) 5 Happy Ending (Asian-Bollywood) 8.30 A Blessed Life (HD) (D) 12.00 News Pulse/12.31 SportsWorld (PG)/10.00 Ottolenghi’s 7.00 MasterChef Junior US 9.00 Mission: Impossible 3 1.00 Tennis: Best Of The Federation Mediterranean Feast (IE) Cup 2014 9.00 Good Luck! (HD) (PG) (D) 1.01 Insight 8.00 American Idol Programmes available anytime on 11.05 Insidious Chapter 2 (NC16) 1.30 Conversation With 10 11.00 Cities Of The Underworld (IE) AM 2.00 Badminton: BWF Badminton 10.00 News Tonight (HD) 8.55 America’s Next Top Model demand 2.00 News Pulse AM 9.50 Glee 12.50 Atonement Unlimited 2015 10.30 Focus (HD) (CA) 12.00 Close 2.50 Fear 2.30 Table Tennis: ITTF World Tour 11.00 The Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils 2.31 Between The Lines 10.45 Revenge 4.25 Little Nicky Grand Finals 2014 Men’s & Women’s (HD) (PG) (D) 3.00 News Pulse 11.40 Sex And The City singtel tv sports Doubles Finals/4.00 Table Tennis: ITTF AM 3.31 SportsWorld suria fox sports ch114 World Tour Grand Finals 2014 Men’s & 12.00 Journey To The West (D) 4.00 Singapore Tonight sony channel (hd) ch316 fox movies prem ch622 5.00 Undercover Asia: Black Lungs PM Women’s Singles Finals 1.00 Chef Apprentice (V) 3.30 Juxbox Ekspres (Music) AM AM 6.00 Darts: 2014 World Matchplay Darts 2.00 Pursuit (D) AM 6.00 Soccer: Dutch Eredivisie 6.05 The Devil Wears Prada Programmes may be pre-empted 4.00 Ariana Mikhail (D) 7.00 Horse Racing: Trials SG 4.00 Life (PG) (D) due to breaking news 5.00 Refleksi 2 (HD) (Episode 1) (D) 6.00 Ghost Whisperer 2014/15 8.00 Prisoners/10.35 A Long Way Down 7.30 Horse Racing: Track Talk (Friday) 7.00 Cupcake Wars 6 7.00 Fox Sports Central PM 8.30 Tennis: Federation Cup Finals 6.00 Minibas (C) channel u vasantham 6.30 Selera (IE) 8.00 Top Chef Masters 4 7.30 Soccer: Dutch Eredivisie 2014/15 12.15 xXx: The Next Level Day 1 9.00 Nashville 2 8.30 Soccer: Goals 2.00 Scary Movie 5 (NC16) AM 7.00 Ariana Rose (D) (Episode 1) PM PM (Debut) 9.50 Top 20 Funniest 2 9.00 Soccer: Liga BBVA 2014/15: 3.30 A Bug’s Life 12.00 Magazine: Road To Rio Matches 5.10 Love And Honor 12.30 Magazine: World Of Athletics 2015 3.00 Listen To My Heart (PG) (D) 3.00 Anjaraipetti 4 (IE) 8.00 Berita (HD) (News) 10.40 Ghost Whisperer 6.50 The Host 1.00 Magazine: Trans World Sport 2015 5.00 My Husband Got A Family (PG) 3.30 Super Samayal (IE) 8.30 Suara Singapura (HD) (IE) 11.30 Cupcake Wars 6 10.00 Auto Racing: 9.00 Pompeii (D) 4.00 Kalyaani (D) 9.30 A&E (D) (Episode 1) (Debut) PM Argentina-Chile-Bolivia Dakar Rally: 10.50 Blood supersports arena ch205 6.00 Happy Noodle (PG)(D) 4.30 Dhil Dare Devils (V) 10.30 Bicara 9 (CA) 12.20 The Millionaire Matchmaker 6 Highlights AM 7.00 Feast Of God (PG) (D) 5.00 Akka Tangai (Episode 1) (D) 11.00 Dia Suamiku (HD) 1.10 How To Get Away With Murder 11.00 Soccer: Dutch Eredivisie 12.25 Sexy Evil Genius (NC16) AM 8.00 Smart @ Work 3 (IE) 5.30 Villaiyaatu Pasanga (C) 11.30 Berita (HD) (News) (R) 2.00 Minute To Win It 2014/15 2.00 Peeples (NC16) 7.00 Magazine: SuperSports 360 2015 9.00 Let’s Talk 5 (IE) 6.00 Madhubala (Hindi) (D) AM 2.50 Top 20 Funniest 2 PM 3.40 The Host/5.45 Heatstroke 7.30 Pool: World Cup Of Pool 2014 10.00 Marriage, Not Dating (PG) (D) 7.00 Luckka Kickka 2 (V) 12.00 Close 3.40 Ghost Whisperer 12.00 International: Sport Confidential 8.30 Badminton: 2015 Syed Modi 11.00 News Tonight 7.30 Super Samayal 2 (IE) 4.30 Cupcake Wars 6 12.30 Soccer: Liga BBVA 2014/15: International Badminton 11.30 Smart @ Work 3 (IE) 8.00 Puli Vaal (D) C: Children; CA: Current Affairs; Matches e city ch825 Championships Finals 5.20 The Millionaire Matchmaker 6 AM 8.30 Tamil Seithi (News) Co: Cooking; Cul: Culture; 6.10 How To Get Away With Murder 2.30 Soccer: Dutch Eredivisie AM PM 12.30 Let’s Talk 5 (IE) 9.00 Kannottam 360 3 (Live) (HD) D: Drama; IE: Info-Ed; M: Movies; 2014/15 7.30 Ace Of Diamond 1.30 Football: Frenz International Cup 7.00 Minute To Win It 1.30 Show Hand (PG) (Last Episode) (IE)/10.00 Annamalai (HD) (D) P: Preschool; PG: Parental 7.55 Top 20 Funniest 2 4.30 Soccer: Liga BBVA 2014/15: 8.00 Romance Town (PG) 2015: Frenz United Indonesia Vs (D) 10.30 Vettai 3 (HD) (D) Guidance; R: Repeat; S: Matches 9.30 Hot Door Night 5 Guangzhou Evergrande/3.30 Football: 8.50 Madam Secretary 10.30 Feng Shui Family Frenz International Cup 2015: S.C. 2.30 Close 11.00 Vetri (D) Schoolkids; SC: Sitcom; V: Variety 9.45 The Millionaire Matchmaker 6 5.30 Golf: Coates Golf Championship 11.30 Super Star 2 Internacional Vs Kashima Antlers 10.35 Top 20 Funniest 2 Day 4 PM 5.30 Magazine: Omnisport. TV Programme schedules correct at time of printing. Telecast details from MediaCorp, StarHub and Singtel TV. 11.25 Madam Secretary 6.30 Magazine: National Icons 1.30 TVB Entertainment News 6.00 Pool: World Cup Of Pool 2014 For pay TV updates, go to www.starhub.com/tv or www.singtel.com/miotv 7.00 International: Sport Confidential 2.30 Kaiji Against All Rules (PG13) 7.00 Magazine: SuperSports 360 2015 fox (hd) ch330 7.30 Soccer: Goals 3.00 Doctor 7.30 Badminton: BWF Badminton 8.00 Fox Sports Central 4.00 Healthy Cooking (PG) Unlimited 2015 AM 8.30 Soccer: Liga BBVA 2014/15: La 5.00 Feng Shui Family 8.00 Motorsports: MotorSport Mundial TIDES TODAY 6.45 Criminal Minds Liga World 6.00 TVB Entertainment News 2015/8.30 Golf: 2015 PGA Tour Event FIRST HIGH TIDE 2.7m 12.37am 7.35 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. 9.00 Soccer: Liga BBVA 2014/15: 7.00 Hot Door Night 5 Highlights: Waste Management Phoenix Occasionally windy. Passing showers in SECOND HIGH TIDE 3m 11.48am 8.30 American Dad! Matches 8.00 Power Sunday 12 Open the afternoon. 8.55 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 10.00 Fox Sports Central 10.00 You Light Up My Star 9.30 Golf: 2015 European Tour Weekly 12.37am (2.7m), 5.54am (1.3m), 11.48am (3m), 6.26pm (0.6m). 9.45 Rush 10.30 Martial Arts: UFC On Fox 11.00 Showbiz Highlights SUNRISE 7.17am MOONRISE 8.20pm Desaru: 12.15am (2.7m), 5.43am (1.6m), 11.11am (2.6m), 10.35 Marvel’s Agent Carter Sports: Gustafsson Vs Johnson 10.00 Pool: World Cup of Pool 2014 SUNSET 7.21pm MOONSET 7.59am 5.43pm (0.8m). Port Dickson: 2am (0.2m), 7.34am (2.5m), PM AM video on demand 11.00 Magazine: SuperSports 360 2015 2.24pm (0.4m), 8.02pm (2.6m). Mersing: 5.31am (1.7m), 12.20 Castle 11.30 Golf: Asian Tour Golf 2015 AIR QUALITY 12.30 Soccer: Liga BBVA 2014/15: La FOR UPDATES AND 9.51am (2.2m), 3.59pm (0.9m), 11.38pm (3.1m). 1.10 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Liga World 1 Happy Ending (Hindi) Highlights: Maybank Malaysian Open PSI 28-42 (Good) 2 How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days 10th Year Special MORE DETAILS, CALL TIDES TOMORROW 2.00 Criminal Minds 1.00 Fox Sports Central 3 Say I Love You (Mandarin) (D) AM NORTH 29 (Good) °C METEOROLOGICAL 12.56am (2.8m), 6.28am (1.3m), 12.20pm (3m), 7pm (0.6m). 2.50 Castle 1.30 Soccer: Liga BBVA 2014/15: 4 Muka Surat Cinta (Malay) SOUTH 28 (Good) SERVICE SINGAPORE: 4.30 Marvel’s Agent Carter Matches 12.00 Football: Frenz International Cup 30/23 6542-7788 Desaru: 12.37am (2.7m), 6.11am (1.5m), 11.48am (2.6m), 5 The Virtuous Queen Of Han 2015: S.C. Internacional Vs Kashima EAST 42 (Good) OR GO 6.15pm (0.9m). Port Dickson: 2.29am (0.3m), 8.03am (2.5m), 6.15 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 3.30 International: Sport Confidential (Korean) (D) Antlers/2.00 Badminton: 2015 Syed WEST 30 (Good) ONLINE TO 7.10 Castle 3.40 Soccer: Dutch Eredivisie www.nea.gov.sg 2.47pm (0.3m), 8.28pm (2.6m). Mersing: 5.55am (1.7m), 6 Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Modi International Badminton CENTRAL 29 (Good) 10.39am (2.3m), 4.40pm (1m), 12.04am (3.1m). 8.00 Killer Karaoke 2014/15 Unfortunate Events Championships Finals 8.50 Sleepy Hollow 5.45 International: Sport Confidential

COMICS

You are likely to lose yourself in the Your listening skills are pumped up details today, but do not panic. It just today and you may pick up a clue as a BABY BLUES means you have a lot going on. Try to result. Do not act too hastily though, aries libra because you have to piece this march 21 – april 20 delegate and see what comes up next. sept 23 – oct 23 You can handle this. together bit by bit. Take your time.

Your gentle good energy is just right A good friend drops by or surprises for today’s adventures. In fact, you you with an e-mail message, though may finally be able to show the right you have been feuding or out of touch taurus scorpio for some time. Pick up where you left april 21 – may 21 level of affection for that one friend or oct 24 – nov 21 new love interest. Go for it. off and you are sure to prosper.

You need to deal with a friend or A little detail is sticking out and colleague who is full of good advice making problems, so you need to deal with it quickly. It is a great time to gemini today. You should try to be polite and sagittarius ignore what does not sound right, but step up and make sure your friends may 22 – june 21 expect a barrage. nov 22 – dec 20 are on board.

Address the details. You know you You accidentally uncover a new fact have the mental energy and patience that throws you for a loop in a good today and that might not last forever. way. You may be pleasantly surprised GARFIELD cancer It is a really good time for you to clear capricorn by someone’s positive opinion of you june 22 – july 22 old projects off your desk. dec 21 – jan 20 or learn of a new job opportunity.

You cannot seem to get motivated People are not showing all their cards today, but that just means you need to and maybe you should do the same. It play it cool. Lie low and take care of is a hard day for social interactions leo the small stuff until your energy comes aquarius and you may be left guessing. Things july 23 – aug 22 flooding back in a few days. jan 21 – feb 19 should pick up pretty soon.

You are more organised than usual Do not come down too hard on that today and that is saying quite a lot. new person as his ideas may not be You may find that you are better able fully formed. Let go of your innate virgo to deal with work projects or take care pisces scepticism for a bit and see where this aug 23 – sept 22 of a vexing problem at home. feb 20 – march 20 path could lead you. Expect a surprise.

THINGS TO DO: To find out what’s happening in and around Singapore, go to www.straitstimes.com CALL US: Life!/SundayLife!, tel: 6319-5416 fax: 6319-8276 C26 LIFE! Buzz THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Action star Jackie Chan was in Hong Kong for a charity Jackie won’t event. PHOTO: CNS receive son upon release from jail

ong Kong – When Jaycee Chan steps out of jail in Beijing next week, his parents Jackie Chan and Lin Feng-jiao will not H be there to welcome him, the action superstar says. Jaycee will be freed on Feb 14 in time for Chinese New Year after serving a six-month sentence for a drug offence. But when told of the rumour that his 32-year-old son is likely to be released on the morning of Valentine’s Day, Jackie Chan, 60, said he did not even know the date of Valentine’s Day, reported Ming Pao Daily News. He is stupid and only discovered lately that Christ- mas Day falls on Dec 25, he explained. Speaking at a charity event in Hong Kong, he said he did not know when his son would be freed because he “didn’t ask” and “left it all to the lawyer”. He said of Jaycee: “He’s a big boy. He should take care of himself,” before adding a note to his son: “Don’t live under my shadow.” Whitney’s girl moved to another hospital He does not expect to spend the Chinese New Year holidays with his wife and son as he will be Atlanta – The daughter of the late pop star Whitney earlier reports, Bobbi Kristina is not and has never working in China, he said. Apple Daily said Lin Houston and singer Bobby Brown was transported to been married to Nick Gordon,” said a statement bought a new place in Taipei last year to prepare for her son’s return. According to the newspaper, she Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on Tuesday issued by Bobby Brown’s attorney, Mr Christopher hopes Jaycee will spend more time in Taiwan, under after three days at North Fulton Hospital in Roswell, Brown. the watchful eye of family, and stay away from Bei- CNN reported, citing unnamed sources close to the “We are currently investigating the events that jing. family. led to the hospitalisation of Bobbi Kristina,” the state- Asked about a story that Lin has been living in North Fulton confirmed that Bobbi Kristina ment added. self-imposed confinement, Chan said it was true. Brown, 21, was no longer at the facility, but a spokes- Burrell, a gospel singer who was close to Houston, “She doesn’t meet people, doesn’t answer the phone man for Emory declined to confirm that Brown was told the entertainment television programme on Mon- and says she wants to be punished with her son.” at the hospital. day that Bobbi Brown’s loved ones were hoping for He said he would leave it to Jaycee to decide if he She was placed in a coma to stop brain swelling the best after doctors put her in the medically wishes to hold a press conference after his release. after she was found face down and unresponsive in a induced coma. Asked how long he had not seen his son, he said: “In bathtub in her Georgia home on the weekend, family “Her eyes did move a little bit,” Burrell said in the the past, I didn’t see him once in two years. But this friend Kim Burrell told Access Hollywood. interview. “We’re hoping that it’s just not a reflex. time, I can rest assured. It’s like he’s gone to Brown was discovered on Saturday by her partner, We’re hoping that it’s a conscious choice.” university.” Nick Gordon, and a friend. The circumstances are reminiscent of Houston’s He said: “I believe that when Jaycee comes out, he Brown and Gordon referred to each other as death nearly three years ago. The megastar drowned will face his future properly. I won’t say anything on husband and wife and told both traditional and social in a hotel bathtub in Beverly Hills, California, on his behalf, but I will back him up with his mother. I media that they were married. Feb 11, 2012. The authorities said cocaine use and believe that our son will show us a new Jaycee and Bobbi Kristina Brown is still in a medically But Brown’s father said in a statement on Tuesday heart disease contributed to the six-time Grammy that a good thing will come out of a bad thing.” induced coma. PHOTO: REUTERS that the two were never legally married. “To correct winner’s death at age 48. Reuters

Hip-hop mogul Marion Knight (left) had chest pains while in court over murder and hit-and-run charges. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Knight rushed from court to hospital

New York – Marion Knight, the former Death Row Friday, killing one, following a dispute on a set for Records chief executive known as Suge, was rushed the rap biopic Straight Outta Compton. directly from a Los Angeles courtroom to the hospi- Knight, who was out on bail in a separate rob- tal on Tuesday morning after pleading not guilty to bery case, is considered a flight risk and faces the murder charges stemming from a hit-and-run last possibility of enhanced sentencing under the week, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department three-strikes rule if convicted because of two previ- said. ous violent felonies, the district attorney’s office He needed “some type of medical attention” said. He is being held without bail and faces up to after complaining of “chest pains”, said a spokes- life in prison. man for the department. Mr James Blatt, Knight’s lawyer, said his client The hip-hop mogul had just been arraigned in “was in fear for his life” when he accelerated and Los Angeles County Superior Court, where he was hit the victims during a physical altercation with charged with one count of murder, one count of four men. “He did not have any knowledge that he attempted murder and two counts of hit-and-run. hit anyone,” he said. According to the Sheriff’s Department, he struck Knight is due back in court for a bail review hear- two men with his truck in a fast-food carpark last ing on Monday. New York Times

READ ALL Buzzing ABOUT IT TOMORROW KATY PERRY GIG IN MAY URBAN Fresh off her headline-grabbing Super Bowl performance, pop singer Katy Perry has announced her return to Singapore. She will perform at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 11, her first gig here since her F1 set back in 2012. Part of her global The Prismatic World Tour, LOVE tickets from $128 will go on sale tomorrow for Citibank credit cards holders and on Tuesday for FORMULAS the public on www.sportshubtix.sg. Beauty products to get you in the mood for PHARRELL WILLIAMS, MAROON 5 COMING FOR F1 Valentine’s Day Pop hitmaker Pharrell Williams, pop-rock band Maroon 5 and 1980s trailblazers Spandau Ballet will be coming for this year’s Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix. Williams will do his first solo show here on Sept 18. Maroon 5 and Spandau Ballet with perform on Sept 19. Tickets are available at www.singaporegp.sg.