28/01/2018

How To Deal With Those Who Have Let Us Down


To trust again after a let down can be tremendously hard to digest, especially when the hurt comes from someone considered a friend. Now, I can never “judge” anyone for anything that someone does, this is in part, of my own checkered past and the values I hold. But even then, there are those individuals that go beyond the realms of greed and disrespect, that comes out of nowhere—leaving you to feel completely numb.

I know that, I lost a “friend” because of this very thing. When you invest your “time” and “commitment” into a person and the end results, are where you are in disbelief because of the totality of the situation, it can take a moment to look at anyone as having trustworthy intentions. How can anyone shout the “Lord’s” name in everything that they do, yet; in the same breath defile the trust of their people.

The reason is simple, there are and will forever be “fools” amongst us. For millennia, people have “beguiled” their way into the hearts and homes of unknowing targets, to be used at will in their methodical ruse. But like it states in the Mark 4: 22: “For there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested, neither was any thing kept secret, but that it come abroad.” This very statement is what I call—karma.

The thing about this is, if you have been around long enough, you can attest to the legitimacy of this “natural occurrence. But even then, a fool will always test their luck. But then there still is the question of what to do afterwards? The answer is very simple, Do not and I mean Do not stop moving forward with your life. The person that you allowed your trust to—is just that—a person.

People will always fail you and if you cannot understand that, this journey that you take will be more and more difficult to maneuver. Sometimes we will have to “man up” and move on in order to get by. It is unfortunate, that people act in the manner in which they do, but it is reality. The moment I got over being disappointed, that my father might not live up to my expectations, was the moment I determined how I will succeed in this world. So, no matter what comes along your path, you will never be moved, if you first know where your going!!!!

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27/01/2018

Inside the Keppel Corporation Corruption Scandal


Update 29 Jun 2020: Former AG criticises Govt for not prosecuting Keppel management in 1995 bribery case

Former Attorney-General Walter Woon wrote an article, which was published in ST today ('Punishing corporate corruption', 30 Apr), criticising the government for not prosecuting the Keppel management involved in the 1995 bribery case.

In June 1995, Keppel was cited in a UK probe into a bribery scandal involving an Exxon subsidiary's employee. The person, Cornelius Van der Horst, who handled ship repair contracts at Exxon's subsidiary, was charged with accepting bribes from Keppel Shipyard. As a result, on Singapore's end, then Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng announced that CPIB had also initiated investigation into the case. The case was finally brought up in Singapore court in Dec 1997.

In court, it was revealed that Keppel's marketing manager Chan Lim Hong and its Senior General Manager, Kung Yew Hock, had entertained Van der Horst at Club Kabuki in Orchard Road. Kung reportedly told Van der Horst, "If that side (Keppel's competitor) takes care of you, we can also take care of you."


Inside the Keppel Corporation Corruption Scandal
Singapore: Inside the Keppel Corporation Corruption Scandal

On Aug 3, 2016, a news wire report alleged that Keppel Corporation was involved in a bribery scandal in Brazil. However, the company strongly refuted those allegations and this denial was also widely reported in the news media.

Keppel Corp even made a regulatory filing to the Singapore Exchange (SGX) on that Wednesday Aug 3 evening in response to the news wire report. In its filing, it said: “Keppel strongly denies the allegations reportedly made that Keppel executives authorised Mr Skornicki to pay bribes on its behalf.”

Even earlier than that in 2015, Keppel Corp’s name cropped up in reports on the “Operation Car Wash” probe, when investigations uncovered a claim that executives from Brazil’s state-owned oil company Petrobras took bribes in exchange for awarding contracts. To my knowledge, Keppel Corp did not make any public statements denying or admitting those allegations.

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Graft penalty pushes Keppel into quarterly loss; full-year gain down 72%
Keppel Corporation sank into the red, with a net loss of S$495.8 million for the 3 months to Dec 31 last year. FOTO: AFP

THE one-off financial penalty and related costs arising from the global resolution of the Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) corruption scandal in Brazil has pushed the larger Keppel group into its first quarterly loss since 2003 when it first started quarterly reporting of its results.

Keppel Corporation sank into the red, with a net loss of S$495.8 million for the 3 months to Dec 31 last year. It was a significant reversal from a net profit of S$143.1 million in the corresponding period a year earlier.

The plunge was largely the result of a S$619 million charge relating to Keppel O&M's cross-border settlement with criminal authorities in the United States, Brazil & Singapore over corrupt payments made by a former agent in Brazil.

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Keppel hit by $495m loss in Q4


Penalty costs from its bribery case pushed earnings down the drain.

Keppel Corporation Limited (Keppel) suffered from a $495m loss in Q4 and a 72% YoY plunge in full-year profits to $217m in 2017.

According to its financial results, profits fell mainly because of the costs of its one-off penalty from Keppel O&M's bribery case across the US, Brazil, and Singapore, which reached a total of $619m.

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Keppel Corp posts 72% drop in full-year net profit after 'painful chapter' of Brazil bribery case


Keppel Corp CEO Loh Chin Hua on Thursday (Jan 25) called the misdeeds of its offshore & marine unit in Brazil "a painful chapter" for the company and said that compliance controls have been put in place to prevent a repeat of such incidents.

Mr Loh's comments came as the conglomerate posted a 72% fall in net profit for its financial year in 2017, due mainly to penalties its subsidiary Keppel Offshore & Marine were slapped with as a result of its bribery scandal in Brazil.

Net profit last year came in at S$217 million, down from S$784 million in 2016, the company said.

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Rig giant Keppel laments 'painful chapter' as profits hit

Keppel says it has put in place enhanced compliance controls to prevent any repeat of the bribery scandal

Singapore's Keppel, the world's biggest oil rig builder, vowed Thursday to put a "painful chapter" behind it as the company revealed a huge fall in profits due to a bribery scandal.

US authorities announced in December that Keppel's American subsidiary had agreed to pay $422 million in fines to settle bribery cases.

The multi-million dollar kickbacks were paid to Brazilian government officials between 2001 and 2014 in relation to various projects with state-owned oil giant Petrobras and Sete Brasil, a supplier of oil rigs.

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Keppel books first quarterly loss on Brazil bribery penalty
Keppel CEO Loh Chin Hua, left, reports earnings in Singapore

The bribes that Keppel Corp. paid in Brazil to win offshore oil rig contracts resulted in the Singaporean state-linked conglomerate booking its first-ever quarterly net loss.

The graft case cost Keppel 619 million Singapore dollars ($473 million) in penalties and related expenses for the October-December quarter. This led to a net loss of S$495 million for the period, the first such loss since Keppel began quarterly reporting in 2003, the company told reporters Thursday. The conglomerate recorded net profit of S$143 million in the year-ago period.

For the full year ended in December, Keppel's net profit declined 72% to S$216 million.

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Singapore's Keppel posts first quarterly loss in 14 years on Brazil bribery fine


Singaporean conglomerate Keppel Corp swung to its first quarterly net loss in 14 years, after accounting for a huge fine its rig-building unit agreed to pay to resolve investigations into charges it bribed Brazilian officials.

Keppel, last month, said its offshore rig-building business had agreed to pay more than $422 million to resolve the bribery probe brought against it by authorities in the United States, Brazil and Singapore. Investigations with respect to the individuals involved are ongoing.

The company, whose businesses range from rig-building to property development, reported a net loss of S$495 million for the fourth quarter ended December, compared with a net profit of S$143 million in the year-ago period.

related: Singapore's Keppel Corp posts Q4 loss as Brazil bribery fine bites

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Keppel Posts Its First-Ever Loss After Brazil Bribery Fine


Singapore conglomerate Keppel Corp. (BN4.SG) posted its first-ever quarterly net loss after its marine arm paid a penalty to settle a criminal investigation into its operations in Brazil.

In December, Keppel agreed to pay US$422 million to resolve a bribery probe in multiple countries related to its operations in Brazil. The earnings report included a 618.7 million Singapore dollars (US$473.4 million) one-off financial penalty and related legal, accounting and forensics costs, Keppel said.

Keppel, one of the world's biggest rig builders, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. authorities charging the firm with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars the use of bribes to foreign officials to get or keep business. It also reached related settlements with Brazilian and Singaporean authorities, U.S. prosecutors said at the time.

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Brazil corruption fines push Keppel to $379m Q4 loss


The $422m in fines for corruption in Brazil by Keppel Corp's offshore and marine division dragged it to a SGD495m ($378.9m) net loss in Q4.

The quarterly loss is the first recorded by the Singapore conglomerate since it began quarterly reporting in 2003 with penalties and related costs resulting a SGD619m one-off hit to Keppel's financial results.

The fines were the result of global resolution with the authorities in Brazil, the US and Singapore, relating the period 2001 and 2014 when Keppel paid approximately $55m in bribes to officials from Petrobras and the then governing party of Brazil in order to win 13 contracts with Petrobras and another Brazilian entity, Sete Brasil.

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Keppel net profits slump after penalty


Keppel Corporation Limited reported a net profit of S$217 million for the 12 months ended 31 December 2017. This was 72% lower than the S$784 million net profit for FY 2016, due mainly to the one-off financial penalty arising from Keppel Offshore & Marine (O&M)'s global resolution with criminal authorities in the US, Brazil, and Singapore, and related legal, accounting, and forensics costs amounting to S$619 million.

Excluding the one-off financial penalty and related costs, the group would have turned in a net profit S$836 million for FY 2017, 7% higher compared to S$784 million a year ago.

On a quarterly basis, the group registered a net loss of S$495 million in Q4 2017, compared to a net profit of S$143 million for Q4 2016. The net loss mainly arose from the one-off financial penalty and related costs as well as the weaker operating results of the Offshore & Marine Division, which were partially offset by higher profits from Singapore property trading, as well as fair value gains from assets recognised during the quarter.

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Keppel Corp FY profit plunges 72% on unit's Brazil bribery fine


Singaporean conglomerate Keppel Corp reported a 72 percent plunge in full-year profit, hurt by a penalty of S$619 million on its unit Keppel Offshore & Marine.

Group's net profit fell to S$217 million in the full year ended December 31 compared to S$784 million last year.

Revenue declined 12 percent to about S$6 billion, the company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.

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Keppel Corp hit by S$495m loss in the fourth quarter last year


Keppel Corp, whose offshore and marine unit is embroiled in an international bribery scandal, has posted a net loss of S$495 million in the 4th quarter of last year — largely due to the financial penalty paid to the authorities — dragging its full-year net profit down by 72% compared to the previous year.

The results included the one-off financial penalty arising from Keppel Offshore & Marine's (KOM) global resolution with criminal authorities in the United States, Brazil & Singapore, and related legal, accounting and forensics costs which amounted to S$619 million in total.

For the financial year ending Dec 31 last year, Keppel achieved a net profit of S$217 million — compared to S$784 million posted in FY2016 — after taking into account the financial penalty of S$570 million, and S$49 million of related costs. Excluding these one-off items, the company said it would have achieved a net profit of S$836 million, an increase of 7% over FY2016. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Keppel made a net profit of S$143 million.

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Keppel Corp shoved into the red by $619m graft penalty
Keppel Shipyard in Singapore. Keppel said the weaker quarterly showing was also due to poorer operating results from its offshore& marine division, although partially offset by higher profits from Singapore property trading as well as fair value gains from assets. FOTO: KEPPEL CORP

Keppel said in its announcement on Thursday that the weaker quarterly showing was also due to poorer operating results from its offshore & marine division, although this was partially offset by higher profits from Singapore property trading and fair-value gains from assets.

Revenue dropped 20.4% to S$1.54 billion, as turnover fell across all divisions, except infrastructure.

The group registered losses per share of 27.3 Singapore cents for the quarter, compared with earnings per share of 7.9 Singapore cents previously. Net asset value per share stood at S$6.29 as at Dec 31, down 2 per cent from S$6.42 in the year-ago period.

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Singapore arrests former Keppel executives in Brazil bribery probe


Several former executives of Keppel Corp have been arrested by Singaporean authorities in a probe related to charges its rig-building unit bribed Brazilian officials, Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper reported on Friday.

Keppel Offshore & Marine in December agreed to pay $422 million to resolve investigations into the matter by authorities in the United States, Brazil and Singapore.

But Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said at the time that investigations regarding the individuals involved were ongoing.

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Keppel Offshore to Pay $422 Million to End Bribery Probe


Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd, the world’s biggest builder of oil rigs, agreed to pay $422 million to end a U.S. bribery probe into illegal payments to officials at Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil’s state-owned oil company, and to the then-governing political party.


Keppel units paid about $55 million to win 13 contracts with Petrobras and another company, U.S. prosecutors said in a press release after an American subsidiary pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. The payments were part of outsize commissions to an intermediary and disguised as consulting agreements, according to prosecutors.

“The defendants used the global financial system –- including the United States banking system –- to disguise the source and disbursement of the bribe payments by passing funds through a series of shell companies," Bridget Rohde, acting U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, said in a statement.

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Full Coverage:
Keppel O&M’s involvement in an international corruption scandal
Keppel Offshore & Marine's (Keppel O&M) corruption scandal in Brazil
Graft penalty pushes Keppel into quarterly loss; full-year gain down 72%
Keppel Corp shoved into the red by $619m graft penalty
Keppel hit by $495m loss in Q4
Keppel 72% drop in net profit after 'painful chapter' of Brazil bribery case
Rig giant Keppel laments 'painful chapter' as profits hit
Keppel books first quarterly loss on Brazil bribery penalty
Spore's Keppel posts first quarterly loss in 14 years on Brazil bribery fine
Keppel Posts Its First-Ever Loss After Brazil Bribery Fine -- Update
Keppel Corp reports fourth-quarter loss after $619m penalty
Take risks, but don't cross some 'bright lines': Keppel CEO
Keppel Corp hit by S$495m loss in the fourth quarter last year
Brazil corruption fines push Keppel to $379m Q4 loss
Keppel net profits slump after penalty
Keppel Corp FY profit plunges 72% on unit's Brazil bribery fine
Singapore's Keppel Corp posts Q4 loss as Brazil bribery fine bites
Keppel O&M graft case: Global resolution achieved more than what ...
Keppel O&M corruption probe 'not fully' under government's control ...
Keppel bribery scandal: Govt 'extremely disappointed', warns S'pore ...
Staying clean not a simple matter in some countries, say ST forum ...
Singapore seeks assistance to move 'as expeditiously as possible ...
Keppel O&M bribery case: What you need to know
Corruption is not just a problem of individuals or errant companies
Singapore expects local firms to uphold integrity while overseas ...
Keppel O&M's contracts bucked declining trend in 2017
Keppel O&M CEO joins KrisEnergy board
Keppel O&M imposes $11.9m in penalties on errant staff
Oil, bribes, politicians: what happened to 'clean' Singapore?
Parliament to discuss Keppel O&M corruption scandal, e-scooter ...
Keppel O&M to pay US$422m in fines after reaching global ...
Keppel Unit to Pay $422 Million to Settle Bribery Probe
Keppel O&M corruption case a black eye for Singapore Inc
Keppel O&M's fines a new blow to resurgent sector
The costly lesson of the Keppel case
Will the authorities take action against Keppel Corp?
Singapore govt 'extremely disappointed', warns firms to uphold integrity
Keppel O&M corruption probe 'not fully' under govt's control: Indranee
Staying clean not a simple matter in some countries, say ST forum writer
Parliament: Keppel bribery scandal dominates question time
4G ministers want to focus on 'other pressing issues'
Singapore firms must uphold integrity: Indranee
Small pain for share price, but bigger governance questions loom
Bribes for overseas deals: 2 local firms charged since 1997
Consequences of corruption multi-faceted & impact on all human rights
Keppel O&M bags S$130m contracts
Keppel O&M wins $130m in projects from repeat customers
Keppel Offshore & Marine secures $130m contracts
Keppel wins orders worth $96m
Keppel Secures $130 mln in Projects
Walking the talk on corruption
Keppel Offshore & Marine's retired CEO earned millions in ...
Keppel O&M sanctioned 17 current, former employees over Brazil ...
Keppel O&M delivers multipurpose ice-class vessel
Company Briefs:Keppel Corporation
Ex-Keppel lawyer cooperated with US in bribery probe: Documents
Keppel acts against staff in bribery scandal
Did Keppel management lie to the public?
Keppel O&M imposes US$8.9m financial sanctions on 12 former ...
WP seeks answers on Keppel bribery scandal
Keppel O&M sanctioned 17 current, former employees over Brazil ...
Keppel O&M sanctioned 17 current, former employees over Brazil bribery case
Keppel O&M imposes $11.9m in penalties on errant staff
At least 6 former employees of Keppel O&M involved in Brazil corruption scandal
Keppel Corp bribe tarnishes Singapore's squeaky-clean image says HK paper
Keppel's bribe case settlement followed plea deal by former company lawyer
Keppel O&M to pay US$422m in fines after reaching global ...
Keppel Offshore & Marine pays S$570m to resolve Petrobras bribery ...
Keppel O&M's fines a new blow to resurgent sector
Singapore firm Keppel Offshore to pay $422 mn in corruption fines
Keppel O&M to pay US$422m in fines as part of settlement over ...
Ex-Keppel lawyer cooperated with US in bribery probe: Documents
Singapore shipyard to pay $422m in bribery case
Workers' Party MPs file parliamentary questions on Keppel O&M ...

related:

What is happening in ‘Clean’ Singapore?
Singapore SMEC hit by World Bank ban
Singapore Multimillion-dollar Shell fuel heist
SMRT cheated of whopping $9.8 million by their own employees
Inside the Keppel Corporation Corruption Scandal
Oil, Bribes, Politicians: What Happened To ‘Clean’ Singapore?
40 million Dollars SkillsFuture scam
Zero Tolerance for Corruption
Singapore’s Corruption Control Framework
Paying high salaries to mitigate corruption
Maintaining Standards of our Civil Service
Business and Rules of Prudence
Crime, Corruption, Scandal & Professional Misconduct 3
Crime, Corruption, Scandal & Professional Misconduct 2
Crime, Corruption, Scandal & Professional Misconduct 1

26/01/2018

Cockroach becomes Criminal in car crash

Cockroach behind Jurong East Central car crash?
Singapore woman crashed her car

A 61-year-old woman saw a cockroach crawling inside her car while driving, after which she panicked and crashed her red Mazda into one end of an overbridge in Jurong East Central of Singapore.

The bizarre incident happened on Friday, January 26 and soon the photos of the accident went viral on Facebook. In the images, it showed that the car was mounted on the pavement and the front bumper of the car was heavily damaged as the woman hit the railings of the bridge's staircase.

When the local police received the news they took immediate action and went to Jurong East Central, towards Science Centre Road at around 7:30 am.

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Woman crashes car into overhead bridge after being startled by cockroach
The driver is said to have been startled by a cockroach while driving. (foto: Facebook/Jeff Jeff)

A 61-yr-old woman crashed her car into the staircase of an overhead bridge in Jurong East after spotting a cockroach in her car.

Pictures circulating online show a red Mazda mounted on a kerb with a badly damaged front bumper.

According to the police, they were alerted at 7:30am on Friday (Jan 26) to the incident along Jurong East Central towards Science Centre Road.

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Singapore woman crashes car into overhead bridge after seeing cockroach in vehicle

The woman who was alone in the car is said to have received a shock after she spotted the cockroach and crashed her vehicle - Representational Image Wikimedia Commons
A 61-year-old woman crashed her car into an overhead bridge in Singapore after the sight of a cockroach in her vehicle gave her a fright on Friday (26 January).

The woman was believed to have been alone in the car. On spotting the cockroach, she lost control of the red Mazda leading to the crash.

In a similar incident in 2014 in New Zealand, a woman is said to have got distracted by a cockroach on the dashboard of her car and crashed it into oncoming traffic, Coconuts website reported.

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A cockroach is to blame for causing a woman to crash her car into an overhead bridge in Jurong East

Another day, another unfortunate accident on the roads — a wrecked red Mazda that mounted a kerb and crashed into the staircase of an overhead bridge was photographed in Jurong East last Friday.

It’s an image of a typical collision that would go viral on social media, and it did. But really though, the bigger story here is how it happened — and it was all thanks to a little cockroach.

As far as crash-causing cockroaches go, its New Zealand cousin had a bigger body count back in 2014. Another roach was to blame for a three-car collision in the Western Bay of Plenty District when a woman got distracted by one that scurried across her dashboard before she crashed into oncoming traffic.

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'Officer, the cockroach caused the crash'
Crash on turret Rd involving three cars. Photo/John Borren

A cockroach has been blamed for causing a three-car collision on Turret Rd and sending two people to Tauranga Hospital.

Two people were taken to hospital with minor to moderate injuries after yesterday's 1.30pm crash.

A woman travelling east told police she became distracted by a cockroach scurrying across her dashboard before she crashed into oncoming traffic.

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Fabrications About The PAP 26 January at 18:30

How can this happen?

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Cockroach Concern

A parent is worried after she says her kid has been seeing cockroaches around school.

The parent did not want her name or face on camera, but says her kid saw the roaches running around classrooms and in lockers at Jefferson Elementary School.

The Coles County Public Health Department says they didn't see any live cockroaches in the kitchen or serving area when they checked Monday, but the concerned parent says the school secretary told her she saw some as well. Now she wants other parents to know.

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Cars and cockroaches

I’ve heard about cockroaches in cars but mostly in large hot cities closer to the equator. Recently I had a client call, claiming that there were cockroaches scampering about on the floor and seats of their car. Not one to say no to a customer problems, I approached the situation with a little scepticism.

Well lo and behold; the car interior was a recycling bin for every fast food restaurant around. There weren’t just one or two cockroaches but dozens, so in short order I took care of the infestation. No secret here, cockroaches are food-lovers and leaving any food, crumbs, wrappers or pop cans is enough to attract them to your vehicle.

So if you don’t want to be carrying around extra six-legged passengers, then here are a few suggestions:
  • Avoid eating in your car but if it can’t be avoided then it is important to clean-up afterwards.
  • Clean, disinfect, vacuum and de-clutter the car often, especially the carpets and in-between car seats.
  • Avoid parking near sewage drains and garbage dumpsters.
  • Before leaving the car, ensure that windows, doors and air vents are closed.
  • Avoid using pesticides and gels for cockroaches rather cockroach traps are most effective and safer.
  • Cockroaches are active at night, so if you see them during the day then the infestation is likely extreme.

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Full Coverage:
Woman crashes car into overhead bridge after being startled by cockroach
Elderly Singaporean crashes car after cockroach scare
Cockroach in car gives woman fright, causing her to crash into overhead bridge
Cockroach is to blame for causing a woman to crash her car into overhead bridge
Spore woman crashes car into overhead bridge after seeing cockroach in vehicle
Woman Lost Control Of Her Car When A Cockroach Attacked Her While Driving
Singapore: Cockroach becomes criminal in Jurong East Central car crash

25/01/2018

Wall tiles in HDB kitchens & bathrooms suddenly crack & pop

Is poor workmanship the cause again?

Following reports of “exploding” floor tiles in Housing Development Board (HDB) public housing units, homeowners have been highlighting that the tiles on the walls of their units are also becoming dislodged and falling off the walls in alarming new reports.

More homeowners have reported that the wall tiles in their kitchens and bathrooms have been popping up and becoming dislodged, after this video of wall tiles falling off the kitchen wall in a HDB flat began circulating online.

The homeowner or tenant who shot the video appears to have posted the video online anonymously but claims that the unit featured in the video is a 20-year-old HDB flat located in Jurong West and that the tiles came loose a few months before the video was shot so they secured it with tape before that measure too failed. Others reported experiencing the same thing in their homes after the video was shared on social media.

related: Floor tiles suddenly crack with explosive sounds at yet another HDB flat

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HDB: 700 cases of dislodged tiles in the first half of January

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced that there are 700 cases of dislodged tiles in the first half of January, with more than half of the cases involving tiles installed by the HDB.

The spokesperson for the board stated that the number of cases reported is "consistent with the experience of previous years, where there tends to be a higher number of feedback on the dislodgement of tiles during the colder months".

The HDB said dislodgement of tiles is due to "natural deterioration and differential thermal expansion or contraction of the tiles, which results in a loss of adhesion between the tiles and the screed surface over time".

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Joanna Lim 12 jan

Hi, whoever that’s enjoying the cold weather in the comfort of their own home and will never see this till your work starts on Monday.

My house walls’ tiles just came off and I’ve absolutely no idea where to begin?

Apparently my place isn’t the only one and I’d like a response within one working day thanks.

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Ivan Soh 15 January

These tiles were laid by HDB, in my home. And they popped in the cold weather.

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Jimmy Oh 14 January

Having stayed in my current HDB flat for 15 years 13 days, the floor tiles in my living room decided to give way and surrender to the cold and wet weather that ruled Singapore for the past 1 week.

The floor tiles started to pop up around 1.30pm and the pop up really sound like you are caught in a earth quake. We thought the ceiling was falling down as we have false ceiling at our living room but it was the floor tiles that were popping up one by one. It simply look like those Hollywood movies that show natural disasters like Tsunami unfold in front of us. I saw floor tiles popping up one by one right in front of my eyes.

The affected area stretch from the main door in the form of a T shape and end at my dining table. Thank God my kids ain't playing or running around that area during this unfortunate event.

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ROland TAn 11 January at 21:07

This is ridiculous !!! my tile also just came off last Saturday!! I heard a cracking sound in the kitchen and went to investigate and saw the tile beginning popping up I quickly get tape to tap it up before it came crushing down otherwise the result could be fatal as the tile is above head.

I have contacted HDB and they claim flats over 15 yrs has no more warranty?? and we should bear the cost of repairing ! I'm still awaiting for their contractor to come quote cost of repairing.

This is at Punggol. Is #HDB #PunggolHDB slacking in the Quality of their workmanship in the last 20 years?

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Mylet Ramos Almaiz 13 January at 03:11

Same here in leonie, I suspect it's because of the drilling in the road. Tiles coming off from the wall sounds scary.

It slowly come off like from the triller movies and I'm expecting it will drop on me while I'm using the toilet.lucky I'm safe.

There's a lot of crack lines on the TOP part and tiles are slowly bending that anytime its ready to fall.

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Dotila Sofame Rido 11 January at 18:03

Leonardo this is what happen in my bathroom while having my shower!! 😫😫Exactly the same! Lucky I'm safe!

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Help On Wall Tiles! (Cracking)

I have a major problem, the kitchen and toilet tiles are starting to crack after 3 years since i renovated my house. I need expert help and advice to tell me whether these cracks are due to Workmanship, Quality of tiles, or the weather in Singapore in causing it.

If it is the weather, i definite can accept it and pay for a repair. But if it is the cause of the contractor's workmanship and quality of the tiles, i definitely would not be going to pay for it.

So, all experts please kindly give advices as I have spent quite a big amount renovating my house. Please kindly see attached photo. Thanks in advance!

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7 Reasons for Cracked Tile on Floors and Walls

Cracked tiles on floors and walls is a difficult problem. In most cases, the problem is not with the tile but with the material below the tile.

And because the cause is hidden below tile, you cannot easily investigate this cause or fix it.

Following are seven reasons why your floor tile has cracked, ranging from the remote and obscure (sub-standard tile and heavy dead loads) to the most common (sharp blows, improperly cured concrete, etc.):
  • Tile Received a Sharp Blow
  • Tile Cracked Under Heavy Loads
  • Tile Was Installed Over a Control Joint
  • Tile Was Installed on Improperly Spaced Joists
  • Tile's Concrete Substrate Has Cracked Over Time
  • Tile's Concrete Substrate Did Not Cure Long Enough
  • Tile Is Sub-Standard
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After the cold spell: Warning on falling tiles goes viral

Cracked ceramic walls in a building corridor (left) and a loose floor tile likely resulted from extreme weather conditions when concrete contracts then expands. Photos: Facebook, hk01.com
Extreme cold followed by rising temperatures could cause ceramic tiles on walls to crack and collapse.

People should watch out for falling debris, according to a WhatsApp post that has gone viral.

The message, purportedly from a building architect, says ceramic exteriors contracted during the cold spell and are liable to buckle as rising temperatures in the next few days cause them to expand.

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Floor tiles in some HDB flats popping up or cracking
Tiles shattered in the living room of a Fernvale flat. FOTO: COURTESY OF JOHNSON NG

Residents of HDB flats in several areas who found tiles in their homes popping up or cracked are advised to move them to a safe spot & cover the affected space with cardboard.

The Housing Board also said in a Facebook post yesterday that it was aware of the cases reported in Sengkang, Woodlands, Toa Payoh, Bukit Panjang & Jurong West.

Residents of these places had posted on Facebook over the weekend videos and photos of dislodged tiles, mostly on their floors.

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