Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

| THE STRAITS TIMES | FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017 | B8 HOME  Warm welcome for sea goddess Mazu

Right: Dancers from Meizhou performing as part of a ceremony in honour of Mazu. Above: Thousands of devotees were at Thian Hock Keng temple yesterday to see the statue. ST PHOTOS: DAVE LIM

1.5m-tall statue of Mazu from Fujian province draws thousands of devotees to Telok Ayer temple

Toh Wen Li

More than a century and a half ago, Chinese immigrants who had just arrived from Fujian province would make their way to Thian Hock Keng temple’s dimly lit halls to offer incense to sea goddess Mazu, thanking her for their safe voyage to Singapore. This week, to much fanfare, a 1.5m-tall statue of Mazu from from Meizhou and representatives Feng Er, being flown on four busi- Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan’s gen- statues at the same time. China’s southern Meizhou Island from more than 35 temples here ness-class seats from China to eral affairs committee, said the On Wednesday, devotees ferried landed on these shores for the first that worship Mazu made incense Malaysia went viral. statue’s arrival in Singapore felt “like the Mazu statue to several temples time. and other offerings in a ceremony Photos of the Xiamen Airlines a parent visiting her children”. and to the Boon San Lian Ngee Asso- Yesterday, thousands of devotees dating back to the Song Dynasty. tickets – costing about $670 each – “This is the first time Meizhou’s ciation before arriving at the Thian streamed into the temple in Telok The delegation of more than 130 which were bought for the seats, Mazu has come to Singapore. It’s a Hock Keng temple. Ayer Street to offer prayers to people from Meizhou in Putian in were also widely circulated on so- rare opportunity for us to promote Devotee Chia Peng Siong, 83, Mazu, whose statue had been Fujian province are on a tour aimed cial media. a cultural exchange and spread who works as a cleaner, said wor- placed there the night before. at promoting Mazu culture that be- The statues were accompanied Mazu culture, the Mazu spirit.” shipping Mazu has kept him safe These days, devotees pray to her for gan in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday by the Meizhou delegation. He added that many Singapore and helped him tide over some peace, protection and good health. and ends in Singapore today. This Mazu statue is significant be- temples had temporarily moved rough times. “When we pray to Coordinating Minister for Infra- Earlier this week, photos of the cause Meizhou is thought to be the their Mazu figurines to the Thian Mazu, we feel at peace,” he added. structure and Minister for Trans- statues of Mazu and her two native home of Mazu. Hock Keng temple so devotees port Khaw Boon Wan, delegates guardians, Qian Li Yan and Shun Mr Tan Aik Hock, chairman of the could pray before several Mazu [email protected] Peacehaven nursing home gets nod Suggestions offered in ElderShield review Samantha Boh Senior staff nurse Khin Phone Tint, 33, Plans for a nursing home that will showing how Tiffany Fumiko Tay it had set up a claims assessment have single and twin rooms with en low the new sub-committee to look into ways suite toilets, alongside other facili- nursing home’s to improve the ElderShield claims ties that promote independence and bed can go. A review committee for the na- process, and make it easier to navi- self-reliance, have been revived. The bed is tional severe disability insurance gate for severely disabled patients, The failure to secure government designed to scheme, ElderShield, has sug- caregivers and long-term care subsidies had led to the plans, by prevent a user gested that the Government con- providers. the Salvation Army Peacehaven from getting siders managing the scheme itself. One area for improvement, Nursing Home, Lien Foundation hurt if he or Now, when Singaporeans are raised by caregivers, was accessibil- and Khoo Chwee Neo Foundation, she falls out auto-enrolled into ElderShield at ity of information. Patients are of- being shelved in 2015. of it. age 40, they are assigned to one of ten unaware about coverage or But now, Jade Circle, a four- ST PHOTO: three private insurers for the how to make a claim, they said. storey facility that will cater to de- KUA CHEE SIONG scheme: Aviva, Great Eastern Life To address this, the sub-commit- mentia patients, is expected to be Assurance Company, and NTUC tee is studying the types of care re- completed by the end of 2019. Income. ceived by severely disabled pa- The Ministry of Health (MOH) One suggestion from the public tients in hospitals and other care gave its support when Peacehaven is that this could be simplified by settings to identify key points for agreed to add multi-bedded rooms using a single provider, as is the providing information. in its existing building as part of case with the health insurance It is also studying how best to the overall development of the scheme, MediShield Life, the Elder- work with frontline staff to guide nursing home. Shield Review Committee said yes- families more effectively through Plans for the extension were terday in a statement. the claims application process. halted in December 2015, when Peacehaven Nursing Home in have been specially imported to re- About 600 Singaporeans have The sub-committee comprises MOH said it could not provide subsi- Changi will cost $14 million to build, duce the risk of falls. participated in focus group discus- four members and is headed by Dr dies to residents in the proposed sin- with the two foundations commit- Non-nurses will be trained as se- sions regarding the scheme over Loh Yik Hin, chief executive of St gle or double-bedded rooms. ting $9 million. They hope to get the nior care associates, who will give the past six months. Andrew’s Community Hospital. It had said “such parameters will rest of the funds through the Com- the caregiving manpower at the ElderShield provides monthly Dr Loh said: “When a family be hard to scale or be financially sus- munity Silver Trust – a dol- nursing home a boost. payouts for up to six years to ac- member experiences severe dis- tainable if applied to the rest of the lar-for-dollar donation matching The extension will have 22 beds count holders who cannot carry ability, navigating the claims aged-care sector”. grant provided by the Government. in eight single rooms and seven out daily activities such as eating, process may be stressful for the But an MOH spokesman said yes- The new nursing home will be the twin-share rooms, down from the dressing or bathing on their own. caregiver, especially when the care terday: “Taken as a whole, Peace- first here to operate without physi- 60 initially planned. The committee suggested that needs have drastically increased.” haven Nursing Home’s develop- cal restraints, which are sometimes There will also be a daycare cen- the Government could manage Mr Chaly Mah, chairman of the ment project will now meet the min- used to keep dementia patients in tre that can accommodate 120 el- ElderShield but retain private in- review committee, said feedback istry’s requirements for an in- bed to prevent mishaps, and as far derly people a day. surers to provide the long-term from the focus group sessions will creased capacity in nursing home as possible, diapers as well, the or- Six four-bedded rooms, along care insurance. The Ministry of be taken into account before the beds providing a good mix of bed op- ganisations said yesterday. with a single-bed isolation room, Health said it would study the sug- committee makes its recommenda- tions for patients, as well as in day- Beds that can be lowered and will be built as well. gestion and share its findings with tions in the first half of next year. care services.” which have sensors that can detect the committee. The Jade Circle extension to when their users get out of bed [email protected] The review committee also said [email protected] Mufti: Social media new arena in spread of terror

Adrian Lim Council of Singapore (Muis) is work- and Syria, were arrested. ity against the threat of terrorism. ing with young, media-savvy asati- Dr Fatris said Muis is working He also expressed his gratitude to zah (religious teachers) to reach out hard with various agencies and part- the leaders he met yesterday, and Social media is a battleground to youth over the Internet. ners to deal with radicalism, and also thanked the National Council where extremist groups can bait in- “Social media is now fast becom- measures have been implemented of Churches for its recent letter to dividuals with false narratives and ing a site of contestation, particu- to ensure that the Muslim commu- assure Muslims that the recent ar- recruit them for violent ends. larly for the spread of radical views nity remains on top of the challenge. rests of radicalised individuals will Singapore’s highest Islamic au- and recruitment of individuals to- Among them is a mandatory not lead to the blaming of the entire thority, Mufti Fatris Bakaram, who wards violent ends. The recent cases Asatizah Recognition Scheme to al- Muslim population. was speaking at an inter-faith Eid of self-radicalised individuals under- low only accredited religious teach- Mr Ashraf Anwar, 24, an Islamic celebratory event yesterday, said score this challenge,” he added. ers to offer religious instruction. teacher or ustaz, uses social media that to combat this, there needs to Last month, a 22-year-old Singa- Dr Fatris said it is critical to en- sites Facebook and Instagram to At yesterday’s event are (from left at table) Mufti Fatris Bakaram, Inter-Religious be continuous education on the porean woman working as an infant sure that young people have a sense reach out to young Muslims. “We Organisation president and Parsi Zoroastrian Association president Rustom right teachings of Islam. The youth, care assistant was detained under of belonging and allow them to need to provide alternative views... Ghadiali, Buddhist Federation president Seck Kwang Phing, Roman Catholic in particular, must have proper the Internal Security Act for radical- channel their energy into meaning- to disseminate an understanding of Church’s Sister Maria Lau, Inter-Religious Organisation council member and channels to direct their religious ism. In 2015, two Singaporean ful social activities. moderate Islam,” he said. Methodist Church Bishop Chong Chin Chung, and National Council of Churches queries and seek guidance. youths, aged 17 and 19, who were rad- He reiterated the importance for president and Anglican Church Bishop Rennis Ponniah. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN Dr Fatris said the Islamic Religious icalised by the Islamic State in Iraq inter-faith leaders to stand in solidar- [email protected]