TNP's Throwback 2014

MAY 8

Bitten by snake in toilet

Madam Noraslinda Asat was on the toilet in her home when she was bitten by a 3-m-long python on May 1.

She had just sat down when she heard a soft bubbling noise, and felt a pain.

And when Madam Noraslinda, 34, looked down, she saw the snake, which she described as brown with patches of dark brown.

The ground-floor resident of Block 826, Eunosville, at Sims Avenue, was then rushed to hospital and given an injection.

Pest controllers eventually caught the offending snake the following week, but that was not the end of snake sightings for Madam Noraslinda and her family.

ANOTHER SNAKE

A month later, her sister's helper, who was in Madam Noraslinda's master bedroom then, spotted another 3m-long snake through the window just outside the flat.

Again, they called pest controllers to get rid of the reptile.

But those incidents have left Madam Noraslinda living in fear, she said in a recent interview with TNP.

For example, she now has a phobia of toilet bowls and checks her toilet before using it.

"Even public toilets," she added.

She also said she now flushes bleach down her toilet bowl whenever possible.

She has also sealed the windows of her toilet with tape.

"It's stressful living here. I hope to move out soon," she said.

MAY 19

Mixed news for supermum

She is already working long hours every day of the week

Madam Seah Yu Ping, 46, does it so that she can provide a better life for her son and family since her bitter divorce eight years ago.

In May this year, TNP chronicled her son Malcolm Teo's journey from the Normal (Academic) to Express stream.

He came to our notice when we were told he was getting a bursary from the Management Development Institute of Singapore.

It was then that we learned of the sacrifices Madam Seah made.

Not only did she look after her son, she tended to the needs of her parents and her brother and his wife. The whole family lived in the brother's five-room flat.

When we caught up with her two weeks ago, Madam Seah had good and bad news.

In October, Malcolm scored six As and two Bs in his Secondary 3 final-year examination, recounted a beaming Madam Seah.

But, she told us she had lost one of her three jobs in September. This meant her income is now $1,400, which is $500 less.

Still, the woman whose meal consists mainly of cup noodles and water to stretch her dollar, said: "I am very proud of Malcolm who is always studying and taking school seriously. He's grown up to be a very responsible boy. He even wanted to work during the holidays because he understands our situation.

"Everything I do, I do because I want him to have a better life."

REGRET

She said her only regret is the lack of quality time with her son.

"I wish I could be there more for him, to listen to him when he has troubles. I told him a few years ago that I would try to take him overseas for a holiday.

"But he knows our situation now and told me: 'As long as we're together, it's a holiday'." she said.

Madam Seah added that she is still looking for another job.

"I feel very proud that what I've done for my son doesn't go to waste," she said.

MAY 21

He stopped driving after his taxi turned turtle

He was allegedly verbally abused by two passengers after he had taken them to the wrong place at about 1am on May 21.

TransCab cabby Toh Chwee Boh, 54, offered to forgo the fare but the two men continued to yell at him, stressing him out.

Initially claiming he could not remember what happened after he let the men out behind a stationary CityCab, he later said his vehicle had knocked into the rear of the CityCab.

When he tried to brake, he stepped on the accelerator instead.

All he remembered next was his vehicle speeding forward and overturning.

STUCK

Mr Toh, who was trapped inside with minor cuts, was rescued by four passers-by.

He told TNP in May that he was prone to memory lapses after suffering a head injury in a road accident in 2012.

As a result, he often drives his passengers to the wrong locations.

But TransCab told TNP the same month that Mr Toh was certified fit to drive by a doctor.

When TNP caught up with Mr Toh recently, he said had stopped driving his cab following the accident.

"I'm now looking for other jobs but it's difficult because of my limited skills and my mental condition is not stable," he said.

MAY 22

Thailand military coup

Thailand was thrown into chaos in May when Army chief General Prayut Chan-ocha declared a military coup after months of political turmoil.

Gen Prayuth, 60, said he had assumed power because "of the violence in Bangkok and many parts of the country that resulted in loss of innocent lives and property, (which) was likely to escalate", reported BBC.

The Thai army has staged 12 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.

The latest unrest began in the Thai capital in 2013, when then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is the sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, dissolved the lower house of parliament.

TURMOIL

The military suspended the constitution, banned gatherings and detained politicians, saying order was needed after months of turmoil.

But this only prompted protests on the streets that lasted six months and saw 28 people killed and over 700 injured, reported The Guardian.

In August, Gen Prayuth was named the new prime minister after he was nominated in a legislature hand-picked by the junta and made up of mostly military and police figures.

He also becomes the first coup leader to serve as prime minister in nearly 60 years.

rloh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Dec 23, 2014.
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