Crows were in the news recently when they attacked elderly men in Chinatown who were apparently balding or bald.

AsiaOne was at the scene on Friday (April 24) and talked to some of them who were attacked.

Chang Yeng Yew, 67, is one of them.

He told AsiaOne that he was pecked at least thrice as he was walking in the area.

"It flew over and I was shocked because I didn't know what it was," he said. 

"It pecked my head two to three times, there was nothing I could do about it."

Chang, who runs a fried bee hoon stall at Block 335 in Chinatown, said that he wasn't afraid of the birds — but rather angry.

When asked if he might have prepared something to protect himself from future attacks, Chang said that he did not.

"I'll just let it happen," he dismissed with a laugh.

Thin-haired targets

Tang May Yuet, 62, witnessed how Chang was attacked and pointed out how he has got more wary of the birds since.

She said she started noticing such attacks from April 19.

"I'd see crows flying all over the area — those with especially thin hair seemed to be the target," Tang said in Mandarin.

Occasionally, they would claw at the victims instead of pecking them, she added.

While there were more crows on previous days, there appeared to be less on Friday, the sales assistant told AsiaOne.

They would begin their attacks as early as 7.30am, continuing until 10am. They would then fly away before coming back again around 5pm, she said.

"One auntie was even besieged by attacks until she fell," Tang recounted.

Some people who frequent the area have also adapted, bringing umbrellas with them to shield themselves from the birds.

In her 30 years of working there, Tang said she has never seen anything like this.

She reported the incidents to the National Environment Agency (NEA) on April 19 and was contacted by the agency on Tuesday for more information.

According to an advisory on crows available on OneService, the fledging season of May to June are when chicks learn to fly and their parents might be protective.

Crows are also grudge-holding birds and can recognise faces, so accidentally offending one of them may result in an individual getting attacked.

The public is advised to contact Animal and Veterinary Service at 1800-476-1600 for the removal of crow nests or crow-related issues in their neighbourhood.

AsiaOne has reached out to NParks and NEA for more information.

Additional reporting by Elzann Poh and Shafiq Apandi

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khooyihang@asiaone.com

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Despite multiple reminders and prominent signages at petrol stations — warning drivers of foreign-registered vehicles that they are banned from pumping subsidised Ron95 fuel in Malaysia — some are still choosing to take the risk.

Pictures posted by SGRV Front Man on its Facebook page show the male driver of a Singapore-registered white BMW 7 series refuelling his car with Ron95 at a Shell petrol station in Selangor.

The incident purportedly took place on Saturday (April 25) at Shell's Sea Park, Petaling Jaya outlet.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living (KPDN) branch in Petaling Jaya told AsiaOne they are aware of the incident.

She added that "appropriate action" has been taken by KPDN officers but did not specify what these actions were.

In a social media post on Sunday evening, KPDN Selangor said its officers have taken action against the petrol station.

Under new rules that came into force on April 1, authorities can take enforcement action against both the owner of a foreign-registered vehicle and the petrol station operation.

Previously, only petrol station operators were penalised for selling subsidised fuel to foreign-registered vehicles. 

According to Malaysian media reports, owners of foreign-registered vehicles found doing so may face fines of up to RM1 million (S$322,000), jail of up to three years, or both. 

The use of foreign debit and credit cards to purchase Ron95 fuel at self-service kiosks has also been banned starting April 1.

On April 9, a Singaporean in his 50s became the first to be detained under the new rules. He was caught refuelling Ron95 petrol during an enforcement operation at a petrol station in Johor.

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editor@asiaone.com 

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As part of an initiative to make public transport inclusive for commuters with diverse mobility needs, the Land Transport Authority on Monday (April 27) announced a "First to Board, First to Use" trial.

During the six-month trial, commencing April, 10 bus services in Singapore will have their existing priority bays become shared — on a first come, first served basis — for wheelchair and mobility aid users, and parents travelling with children in strollers.

In its announcement posted on social media, LTA said bus captains have been trained to support users on this pilot.

The transport regulator added that the 10 selected bus services — 5/5A/5B, 54, 57, 67, 131/131A, 143/143M, 166, 851/851e, 960/960e and 980 — were chosen because they have high ridership of seniors and persons with disabilities. They also ply routes near major maternity and paediatric hospitals.

The trial, which ends in September, may be expanded to more services, LTA said.

Those who wish to provide feedback can do so via LTA's priority bay feedback form.

editor@asiaone.com 

For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.

Two young men from different walks of life have found success together in an unlikely setting: a durian specialty store. 

Speaking to AsiaOne, business partners Patrick Chua, 28, and Jay Lee, 29, shared how their durian business, PJ's Fruits, came to fruition after a chance meeting that evolved into a partnership built on a shared passion for durians.

"Patrick originally started a fruit store, and I was one of his customers. We hit it off quite naturally, and because of our shared love for durians, we decided to start a durian business together," Lee said.

Lee added that the name PJ's was also derived from the initials of both founders. Today, the business has gained traction online, with more than 5,000 TikTok followers and videos reaching over 72,500 views.

Before their online visibility, Lee said his early working life was marked by uncertainty. 

"After completing secondary school and national service, I took on various odd jobs but struggled to find direction. I had no idea what I wanted to do in life during that period," he said.

For Chua, who is Malaysian and a graduate of Chinese literature from National Taipei University, the business carries deeper personal meaning. 

Chua told AsiaOne that his father had previously attempted to expand a durian business into Singapore but was unsuccessful.

"My dad had previously attempted to expand his durian business in Singapore although he already had one in Malaysia. In order to continue and fulfil my dad's unachieved dream, I decided to move to Singapore to build a durian business here," said Chua. 

Challenges with inventory and slow sales

However, the journey was not without challenges. In the early stages of building the business, the pair said they had to combine almost all of their savings to get it started, and they also faced slow sales and excess inventory.

"Patrick and I had to exhaust all our hard-earned savings to start this business. It's a gamble for sure, but never know if it will become successful unless we try,” said Lee.

To cope with these difficulties, they turned to livestreaming, sometimes continuing until as late as 3am in an effort to clear their existing stock.

"We once had more than 100 kilograms left at midnight, but those late-night livestreams also brought in customers," Lee recalled.

"It is not easy, but both of us knew the effort we had to put in for this business to work."

When asked if he had any advice for young people starting a business, Chua said it is all about reinventing oneself and being creative.

"Working hard is one thing, but finding something you are passionate about and learning how to make it work is just as important," he said. 

"The people you partner with and work alongside also really matter."

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

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