A2 TOP OF THE NEWS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2014 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2014 ● ● TOP OF THE NEWS ● ● Talks pave way for lifting bar on Suu Kyi More flats for parenthood as couples await housing Myanmar’s law may be tweaked to let her run for president Popular rental scheme has delivered results – and babies – says minister NAYPYITAW – Myanmar’s Parliament will consider amending the country’s Constitution – which currently bars opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president – ahead of crucial elections next year, an official said. The move was discussed during unprecedented talks yesterday, which began between President Thein Sein and his political rivals, including Ms Suu Kyi, as well as army top brass and election officials. “They agreed to discuss the issue of amending the Constitution in Parliament, according to the law,” presidential spokesman Ye Htut told reporters after the meeting in the capital Naypyitaw. Ms Suu Kyi’s party is widely expected to win the 2015 polls if they are free and fair, but she is ineligible to become president because of a clause in the 2008 charter blocking anyone whose spouse or children are overseas citizens from leading the country. The Nobel laureate’s late husband was British, as are her two sons. To alter the Constitution, there needs to be support from a 75 per cent majority in Parliament, and as unelected soldiers make up a quarter of the legislature, they have the last say on any changes. The talks, which lasted nearly three hours, came a day after the White House said United States President Barack Obama spoke to Mr Thein Sein and Ms Suu Kyi about the 2015 polls, which are seen as a key test of democratic reforms under the quasi-civilian government. Some critics are calling the By JANICE HENG Mr Thein Sein meeting Ms Suu Kyi before talks with his political rivals, including her, as well as army top brass and poll officials. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE hastily arranged get-together – six of Myanmar’s 70 political parties and a few ethnic groups were invited – an attempt to burnish Myanmar’s image ahead of a visit by Mr Obama next month, his second to the country. Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) has called for altering a provision in the Constitution that ensures that the unelected soldiers, who make up a quarter of the legislature, have a veto on any amendment to the charter. Revising the clause, it believes, will open the way for further changes to other constitutional provisions, including the ring-fenced proportion of soldiers in Parliament and the effective bar on Ms Suu Kyi leading the country. The leaders also discussed keeping the momentum on reforms and national reconciliation and cooperating to make the 2015 election free and fair, Information Minister Ye Htut said at a press conference after the meeting. Under Mr Thein Sein, a former general, Myanmar is now at a crossroads. High-level peace talks with more than a dozen ethnic rebel groups have stalled, alleged oppression of stateless Rohingya Muslims and ethnic minorities make headlines and a recent death in custody of a journalist has raised human rights abuse issues. News of the meeting, so close to Mr Obama’s arrival on Nov 12, have been met with scepticism in Myanmar. “There won’t be anything substantive out of one meeting because it’s just the first step,” said Mr Aung Thu Nyein, a Bangkok-based academic and Myanmar specialist. “But this might be the start of what has been needed for a long time, an institutional framework for dialogue.” The participants agreed to continue talks but have yet to schedule their next meeting, Mr Ye Htut said. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS Groundsmen inspecting the grass at the National Stadium field, which is starting to look as it should. The yellow tint comes from special lights being used to help the grass grow. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG National Stadium not pitch-perfect yet but getting there By SANJAY NAIR fungicide, fertiliser and agronomy, while groundsmen have reduced the water temperature by 10 deg C when watering the pitch to stimulate the growth of rye, a cool-weather grass. Special growth lights – purchased from the Netherlands for $1.5 million – have been switched on at four-hour intervals across the hybrid turf to act like sunlight through the night. The machines’ wheels have left noticeable marks on the surface, although officials insist that they can be patched up. Yesterday, AFF pitch consultant Hiroi Koichi was spotted inspecting the field and having a discussion with Sports Hub senior director (stadia) Greg Gillin. According to sources, the Japa- THE National Stadium field is finally beginning to look as it should have from the start. During a media inspection of the 55,000-seater facility yesterday, the barren patches of sand which were a sore sight at past events were largely gone, replaced by thin blades of ryegrass. However, the transformation has come at a price. Singapore Sports Hub chief operating officer Oon Jin Teik admits “substantial costs” were absorbed, as events had to be rescheduled and urgent repairs were made to remedy the surface. For instance, refunds were given out after Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou’s concert was postponed from Nov 8 to Dec 27, while the Maori All Blacks’ rugby friendly against the Asia Pacific Dragons on Nov 15 was cancelled after selling almost 5,000 tickets. Such steps cleared the calendar to give the turf some breathing space to grow before the National Stadium hosts Singapore’s three Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup group matches from Nov 23 to 29. And the Sports Hub will continue to tip-toe around the natural grass reinforced with artificial fibre inserts even after the end of the regional football showpiece. The Straits Times understands that, in the run-up to next June’s SEA Games, non-sporting events at the venue will not be allowed to use the field, or even have it covered. This means the stage could be moved off the pitch for boyband One Direction’s concert on March 11, as it was for pop diva Mariah Carey’s gig last week. “It’s a young field, so even with a good Terraplas cover like we’re using, there’s an impact on the grass,” said Mr Oon. “It is still a work in progress but we believe we’re on the right path to fixing the issue.” The venue’s dome roof has been closed since the Brazil-Japan football friendly a fortnight ago to mitigate the issue of irregular and insufficient sunlight as well as excessive humidity. The Sports Hub has also roped in over 10 experts in the fields of nese expert said the pitch has shown much improvement since his last visit three weeks ago. But the AFF is understood to have concerns over the wear and tear on the surface when it hosts three Suzuki Cup matches over seven days later this month. Jalan Besar Stadium was roped in to stage the three group matches that do not involve Singapore. Mr Oon insisted that the Republic’s sporting reputation has suffered minimal impact, despite complaints about the pitch. He said: “A very big foreign firm is looking at us as a host venue for its event. They are not worried (about the field) and said this is normal for a start-up.” [email protected] MORE temporary flats will be set aside for couples waiting for their new Housing Board flats under a rental programme which, as National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan put it, has been “delivering results, and babies”. Under the rental programme, called the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), more than 100 babies were born to those living in 1,000 or so flats – a hit rate of 10 per cent. This result was not bad, said Mr Khaw. The popularity of the scheme – and its success in raising fertility – has prompted the Government to allocate another 800 temporary flats for couples from next year. And to ease costs, couples can co-rent these flats. “Helping young couples set up their first home so that they can start their family early is our top priority,” Mr Khaw said in a blog By ELENA CHONG COURT CORRESPONDENT FORGET walls of flats and doors of homes. One man allegedly took loan shark harassment to a whole new battleground. He was charged in court yesterday after he allegedly splashed green paint and placed a note on a POSB cash deposit machine. Continuing his colour-coordinated attack, he is said to have penned the note in green ink, listing the personal particulars of two individuals with their POSB account numbers, and adding, for emphasis, “O$P$” (short for “owe money, pay money”). The note post yesterday. The scheme began in January last year with 1,150 flats in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Boon Lay and Dover. Rentals range from $800 for a three-room flat in Boon Lay to $1,900 for a Dover five-roomer. The flats can be rented by first-timer married couples with children under 16, who are waiting for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats. In April, the scheme was extended to those without children, and in September, to married couples who are first-timers and second-timers, as well as divorced or widowed parents with children. “This is a good scheme which has been well received,” said Mr Khaw yesterday. So far, 110 babies have been born to those in PPHS flats. He said this was “not bad at all”. About 800 more flats, some in Bukit Merah and Queenstown, will be retrofitted and rolled out to couples from early next year. From today, both new appli- Mr Gerald Teo, his wife Natalie and their 21-month-old son Gregory in their new Yishun flat. They lived in a PPHS flat for about a year. ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG cants and existing tenants can apply to co-rent and co-pay for PPHS flats. A maximum of two families can share a flat. “This will be useful for those who feel that they do not need a whole flat,” said Mr Khaw. Co-tenants will settle co-renting details privately, such as how much each tenant will pay and how the bedrooms will be divided. Green twist to O$P$ sees man charged for targeting machine was placed on the machine and some damage was caused to the latter. Medi Johari, who turns 42 today, is said to have acted on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender in connection with a loan taken by an unknown debtor. The alleged offence took place A3 at 5.09am near Block 59, New Upper Changi Road, on Sunday. Police said that between last Friday and Sunday, they received multiple reports of automated teller machines (ATMs) being splashed with paint. In these cases, debtors’ notes believed to be related to loan shark harassment were found on the ATMs. Mr Gerald Teo’s family lived in a PPHS flat for about a year, before getting the keys to their BTO flat in May. He and his wife used to live with her parents, but the flat “got a bit too cramped” when their son was born, said Mr Teo, 28, who works in finance. The PPHS flat “gave us a bit more freedom”, he added. [email protected] Medi was arrested by officers from Bedok police division near Syed Alwi Road on Wednesday. Mobile phones, gloves and a mask were seized during the operation. Preliminary investigations showed that he is believed to be responsible for other cases of loan shark harassment targeting debtors’ vehicles and residential units. Medi was remanded at Bedok station for a week for investigation. He will be back in court on Nov 7. If convicted, he could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $50,000, and liable to at least three and not more than six strokes of the cane. [email protected]
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