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The rise of the Inglourious Train Bast@#d

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This article was first posted on The Offline Citizen.

Joshua Chiang/

So I boarded the train yesterday and was standing around the reserve seat area. There was a young girl (late teens) seated there, chatting to her friend, another girl, wearing blue, standing next to me.

For some strange reasons when the train stopped at the next stop and a middle-aged Indian lady came onboard, the girl gave up the seat to her. And then at the next stop, the passenger in front of me, ie – next to the reserve seat now occupied by the Indian lady got up and left.

I looked around, saw that there wasn’t anyone in real need of a seat, and sat down. I was exhausted so i closed my eyes for like… 30 seconds. When I opened, there was an old lady who really looked like she needed a seat. As I was about to offer the seat to her, the Indian lady got up first. So the old lady took the seat, and me, feeling bad for the Indian lady who only sat for like, one minute asked, if she wanted my seat.

And that was when the girl in blue muttered under her breath rather unpleasantly, “of course she wants the seat.”

Anyway, I got up and the Indian lady sat down. And when the girl in blue said what she said, something in me just snapped.

Maybe because a seat on the train has become a rare commodity nowadays regardless of time of day.Maybe because every corner you turn, there are always someone else who need a seat more than you do. (Let me say categorically, that when I’m aware of it, I almost always give up my seat to whomever who needs it)  Maybe because you no longer know exactly who qualifies for a seat. Maybe because you’ve stood up and offered a seat to practically anyone who has just that bit of grey hair – and was told they prefer to stand – making you look like a fool for offering. (Thank God I haven’t had the opportunity to encounter a woman whom you thought was pregnant and turned out to be just… fat, and your offer is met with a basilisk glare.)

Or maybe because the unspoken rules and rituals of train etiquette have become a cause of stress.

Imagine sitting on the train and not being allowed to sleep when you’re tired, or lose yourself in a book. Imagine having to look up from your book every other stop to see if anyone who needs a seat has boarded. Imagine being genuinely tired, dozed off, and then having your picture appear on STOMP the next day with a pregnant woman’s belly in the foreground and the caption saying- “Young man pretends to sleep while depriving seat to pregnant woman”.

And imagine self-righteous train-etiquette Nazis purposely verbalizing their superiority within earshot of the person who broke the perceived ‘rules’.

So I guessed, something had to give. Pity the young girl.

I went up to her and just said, “I didn’t see the old lady.”

She sneered not looking me in the eye, “Yeah, that’s cos you were sleeping.”

“Yes. Cos i woke up at six in the morning.” (It was only half-true. I woke up at six, went to pee and went back to bed and didn’t wake up until nine.)

She kept quiet. For some unknown reason I felt compelled to continue-

“So stop being a bitch about it.”

Then I turned away.

Yes. She was probably only 18 years old. Yes, it appeared incredibly petty and ungentlemanly of me. Maybe she wasn’t even guilty of the intent which I ascribed to her, and she was the unfortunate target of my bottled up frustrations at the daily rituals you still to observe in perpetually over-crowded trains. Yes, I think God just gave me a few demerit points and I had just confirmed my reincarnation into a lesser animal in my next life.

But it felt good. Something I haven’t felt in a long time.

For I had suddenly discovered the true purpose of my life.

Watch out train-etiquette Nazis. Here comes the Inglourious Train Bastard.

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Ng Eng Hen: Dust clouds likely caused armoured vehicle collision during Exercise Wallaby

Dust clouds limiting visibility likely contributed to the collision between two Hunter vehicles during Exercise Wallaby, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen explained in his parliamentary reply. 12 servicemen sustained mild injuries, but safety measures prevented more serious outcomes. A formal investigation is ongoing to ensure further safety improvements.

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SINGAPORE: Low visibility caused by dust clouds was identified as the likely cause of the collision between two Hunter armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) during Exercise Wallaby last month, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a written parliamentary response on Tuesday (15 October).

The incident, which occurred in Queensland, Australia, on 24 September 2024, resulted in mild injuries to 12 servicemen.

Dr Ng’s statement was in response to a parliamentary question from Mr Dennis Tan, Workers’ Party Member of Parliament for Hougang SMC.

Mr Tan asked for details on the accident, specifically its cause and whether any lessons could be applied to enhance training and operational safety within the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

The collision took place during a night-time movement of Hunter AFVs at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

The vehicles were returning to base when one rear-ended another. Dr Ng explained that the dust clouds generated by the AFVs’ movement significantly impaired visibility, might likely contributing to the accident.

The 12 affected servicemen sustained mild injuries and were promptly taken to the nearest medical facility.

None of the injuries required hospitalisation, and all 12 servicemen were able to rejoin their units for training the next day.

According to the minister, adherence to safety protocols—such as wearing seat belts and protective gear—played a crucial role in limiting the injuries to mild ones.

Following the incident, a safety pause was immediately implemented, with all drivers being reminded to maintain proper safety distances, especially when visibility was compromised.

Troops were also reminded to adhere strictly to safety protocols, including the proper use of safety equipment, Dr Ng added.

The safety lessons from the incident were shared not only with the affected units but also with other participating groups in the exercise, as well as units back in Singapore, through dedicated safety briefings.

Mr Tan also asked about the broader implications of the incident. In his response, Dr Ng said that a formal investigation had been launched in accordance with SAF’s safety incident protocol.

The investigation aims to assess the circumstances more thoroughly and identify any further measures that could be taken to enhance safety.

Dr Ng shared that recommendations arising from the investigation will be implemented where necessary.

Exercise Wallaby is SAF’s largest unilateral overseas exercise, and the 2024 edition began on 8 September, running until 3 November.

The exercise involves approximately 6,200 personnel, including 500 operationally ready national servicemen.

The exercise has been conducted at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland since 1990, and it is a key part of SAF’s overseas training program.

The Hunter AFV, one of the vehicles involved in the collision, is a state-of-the-art platform jointly developed by the Defence Science and Technology Agency, the Singapore Army, and ST Engineering.

It replaced the SAF’s aging fleet of Ultra M113 AFVs in 2019, which had been in service since the 1970s. The Hunter is equipped with advanced features, including a 30mm cannon, a 76mm smoke grenade launcher, and an automatic target detection and

tracking system designed to enhance operational effectiveness. It is also capable of traveling at increased speeds and covering longer distances, making it a versatile asset for the SAF.

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Government to “carefully consider” Lee Hsien Yang’s demolition application for 38 Oxley Road

The Singapore Government will “carefully consider” Mr Lee Hsien Yang (LHY)’s application to demolish the house at 38 Oxley Road. LHY announced his intent on Tuesday morning following the recent death of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, reaffirming his commitment to honour his parents’ wish for the house’s demolition.

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The Singapore Government has indicated that it will “carefully consider” Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s (LHY) application to demolish the family home at 38 Oxley Road.

LHY, the youngest son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), announced his intention to apply for the demolition in a Facebook post on 15 October 2024, following the death of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, on 9 October.

The announcement marks a significant development in the ongoing saga over the fate of the historically significant property, which has been at the heart of a family dispute since LKY’s passing in 2015.

In his will, executed in December 2013, LKY expressed his desire for the house to be demolished “immediately after” Dr Lee moved out of the property. Dr Lee, a prominent neurologist, had been the last remaining resident of the house.

LHY reaffirmed his commitment to carrying out his father’s wishes, stating, “After my sister’s passing, I am the only living executor of my father’s estate. It is my duty to carry out his wishes to the fullest extent of the law.”

He added that he would seek to build a small private dwelling on the site, which would be “held within the family in perpetuity”.

LHY also referenced his brother, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (LHL) remarks in Parliament in 2015, when he was Prime Minister, stating that upon Dr Lee’s passing, the decision to demolish the house would rest with the “Government of the day.”

In response to media queries regarding LHY’s announcement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Development (MND) acknowledged the intended application and emphasised that the Government would “carefully consider issues related to the property in due course”.

The spokesperson also highlighted that any decision would need to balance LKY’s wishes, public interest, and the historical value of the house.

The house at 38 Oxley Road, where key decisions about Singapore’s path to independence were made, has been a focal point of public and political discussion.

The future of the house became contentious in 2017 when LHY and Dr Lee publicly accused their elder brother, LHL, of trying to preserve the house against their father’s wishes for political reasons.

LHL denied the accusations, issuing a Ministerial Statement in Parliament, where he also raised concerns over the preparation of their father’s final will. He clarified that he had recused himself from all decisions regarding the property and affirmed that any government action would be impartial.

In 2018, a “secret” ministerial committee, which was formed in 2016 to study the future of 38 Oxley Road, proposed three options: preserving the property and designating it as a national monument, partially demolishing the house while retaining the historically significant basement dining room, or allowing complete demolition for redevelopment. LHL accepted the committee’s conclusions but stated that no immediate decision was necessary, as Dr Lee was still living in the house.

In a statement conveyed by LHY on behalf of Dr Lee after her passing, she reiterated her strong support for her father’s wish to demolish the house. “My father, Lee Kuan Yew, and my mother, Kwa Geok Choo, had an unwavering and deeply felt wish for their house at 38 Oxley Road to be demolished upon the last parent’s death,” the statement read.

She added, “He had also appealed directly to the people of Singapore. Please honour my father by honouring his wish for his home to be demolished.”

Despite selling the house to LHY at market value in 2015, LHL’s stance regarding the house’s preservation became a public issue, especially after the family disclosed that the Government had raised concerns about reinstating the demolition clause in the 2013 will. The ministerial committee had reviewed the matter, but a final decision was deferred until now.

The fate of 38 Oxley Road remains to be seen, but the Government’s decision will likely have lasting implications for the legacy of the Lee family and the conservation of Singapore’s historical landmarks.

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