The Star Online: Metro: South & East

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GIANT speakers thump out club hits as the deejay bellows: "Everybody get on the dance floor!"

The nightspot is a boarded-up swimming pool on a ship sailing in North Korean waters. The groovers are mainly middle-aged men and women wearing pins featuring pictures of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.

Conspicuously missing was the beat of South Korean popstar Psy's Gangnam Style.

"We're not allowed to play that one," explains Danny Tay, the 46-year-old Singaporean who owns the ship.

His Royale Star was the only ship permitted to ply North Korea's first commercial cruise route running between northeastern Rajin port and the scenic southeastern Mount Kumgang resort.

Since getting its licence in February, it has made three trips.

Formerly a gaming ship in Singapore waters, the 138m-long vessel is no luxury liner, but a big improvement on the previous ship approved to ply the same route, the Mangyongbyong, with its bare minimum of amenities.

The Royale Star's bathrooms are functioning, for starters, and all passenger cabins on its nine decks come with bunks, allowing for up to 250 passengers, with room for 250 crew. There's also a karaoke lounge, a duty-free shop, a small casino, a massage parlour and a hair and nail salon.

The Pyongyang government representative overseeing the operations on board told The Sunday Times: "Customers seem happier with the 'Royale Star' than with the ship before, so our government is pleased with its crew and Singaporean management... This cruise is important to developing our tourism, and we want to give more people a taste of North Korea."

So how did a Singaporean and his modest vessel end up promoting tourism in reclusive North Korea? Tay says that he made the first move last year after learning that North Korea had a cruise route.

A primary school dropout who worked his way up the marine industry and who acquired the Royale Star in 2011 under his British Virgin Islands-registered company, Everis Capital Holdings, he approached North Korean officials to pitch his idea and the deal was sealed at the end of last year.

"It's been a dream to venture into North Korea since I was sent to repair a ship's elevators in North Korean waters back in 1996," said Tay.

"I don't speak the language but saw an opportunity and the untapped potential in cruises there."

The cruise was being marketed as a way for foreigners to visit one of the world's most secretive countries.

Several passengers on board during its latest trip at the end of last month had told The Sunday Times that curiosity had indeed prompted their travels.

The five-day, four-night 4,000 yuan (RM2,132) cruise was targeted mainly at foreigners.

Those who want to join the cruise must approach the vessel's management directly, or sign up at the Royale Star booth in Rajin port. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

More cases of women being molested, many on public transport

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THE number of suspects arrested for outraging the modesty of women in Singapore has risen sharply this year, with many cases happening on public transport.

Figures collated from police news releases show that 46 men have been arrested since January in connection with at least 54 cases.

Twenty of the alleged offences took place on public buses or trains, or when the victims were near train stations or busstops.

There were 17 arrests for outrage of modesty during last year.

These figures, however, are just the tip of the iceberg.

For starters, the police do not publicise all arrest cases. Also, many reported cases remain unsolved. In fact, many more incidents go unreported, often because the victims do not want to come forward.

Monthly crime statistics shared by the police on its smartphone app, Police@SG, show an average of between 90 and 100 reports of molestation each month – the highest among the five preventable crimes in Singapore.

Molestation was flagged as an area of concern by the police when they released the 2012 crime statistics earlier this year, after reports of the offence on public transport shot up by more than a third – from 114 in 2011 to 153 last year.

Alvin Yeo, an MP on the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, said that the spike in molestation cases could be because there are more commuters and also because more victims are willing to make a report.

"We still need to monitor the situation and certainly, if there is an increase, police should be concerned and take steps proactively to stamp such behaviour out," he said. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Isnin, 19 Ogos 2013