Irvins Salted Egg manufactures all its products in Singapore.

Jane Holloway, 38, who lives in Bangkok, said in a Facebook post last Saturday (Dec 29) that her mother and brother had eaten half the bag of Irvins Salted Egg Fish Skin before they discovered the dead reptile.

Describing it as “so disgusting”, she wrote: “How can this happen? This gecko was probably deep fried with the salmon skin by the looks of it. Eeeewwww!”

Speaking to The Straits Times on Wednesday, Ms Holloway said that she bought the product in Bangkok in early November from international supermarket Villa Market at K Village in the Khlong Toei district.

Her Thai mother, who also lives in Bangkok, opened the packet last week to enjoy the snack with her Siem Reap-based brother, who was visiting them over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Her father is Australian.

Her brother had initially thought the dead lizard was a baby salmon fish head but noticed it before he ate it.

Holloway, who works at the Thailand Institute of Justice, said that she has bought the snack several times for her family and her colleagues.

“It’s also really expensive here at 700 baht (S$29) a packet,” she said, adding that it was one of her favourite snacks.

On Wednesday, Irvins Salted Egg founder Irvin Gunawan said in a statement that the company is “shocked and devastated” to hear about the incident.

“We really want to sincerely apologise to the customer and everyone who is affected by this incident directly or indirectly. We take full responsibility for the goods that we sell and everything in it,” he said.

He added that quality control is one of the most important aspects of the company and said that he has since personally contacted Ms Holloway about the incident and will also be keeping in touch with her.

He added that the case has also been reported to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and that the company will cooperate fully in its investigations.

“We promise to make the necessary changes in our production to ensure this will never happen again,” he added, noting that the company will also investigate the matter further as it does not have a full explanation on how the dead lizard ended up in the snack.

In an e-mail response to Ms Holloway’s brother seen by The Straits Times, Gunawan had offered the family a refund for the snacks and the cost of any medical bills arising from the incident.

He also said the company had in December moved to a new production facility, where “our hygiene and checking procedures are much, much stricter”.

The company’s new production facility is in JTC Food Hub @ Senoko. It did not say where its previous facility was located, when asked.

While none of her family members have fallen ill from eating the snack so far, Ms Holloway said they are “definitely traumatised”.

She added: “Mum says she feels like throwing up when she thinks about it.”

In Wednesday’s statement, Mr Gunawan said that customers with salted egg snacks expiring on Oct 16 this year should e-mail feedback@irvinsaltedegg.com to return the product and receive a refund.

Customers who are uncomfortable with eating any Irvins Salted Egg snack should do the same as well. All recalled products would be disposed of, he added.

ST has contacted AVA for more information.

Passengers expressed enthusiasm when the baggage carousel delivered gifts ahead of their luggage, with individually wrapped packages for every passenger of the flight.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Balikpapan. Happy New Year,” Sepinggan Airport general manager Farid Indra Nugraha said with a big smile as he greeted passengers at the baggage claims area.

The estimated 150 passengers of Lion Air flight JT 858 on the Tarakan, North Kalimantan-Balikpapan route received a parcel of snacks, including cakes and drinks, as well as the typical East Kalimantan souvenir of beaded shawls.

“Not bad for breakfast,” said one passenger. Their flight had departed at 5.50am and arrived in Balikpapan at 6.50am.

Passengers were also welcomed with a performance of traditional dances from the Kenyah tribe, a local Kalimantan tribe that is famous for its artistic creativity. The dance was accompanied by music from traditional sampe guitar, a four-stringed traditional Kenyah instrument.

“This is our appreciation for the people who have used the services of Sepinggan Airport,” Farid said.

On the previous day, a similar event was held for passengers and crew of the last flight departing from Sepinggan Airport in 2018. Passengers and crew of Lion Air flight JT 663 on the Balikpapan-Palu, Central Sulawesi route, which took off at 8.55pm on Dec. 31, also received similar souvenirs.

“We make sure all passengers are well served,” GM Farid said.

Sepinggan Airport, managed by state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I), in 2018 won the second best airport award with a capacity of 5 to 15 million passengers per year from the Airport Council International (ACI).

Throughout 2018, the airport served over 7.5 million passengers, slightly more than in 2017 of 7.3 million passengers, according to airport data.

Last year it also recorded 70,420 flights, more than 67,345 recorded in 2017, or up by 4.57 percent.

Meanwhile, the amount of cargo passing through Sepinggan Airport rose by over 80 percent to more than 98.8 million kilograms in 2018 from over 54.5 million kg the previous year.

“Our target remains the same, which is to be the best airport in Indonesia and also become a reference,” Farid said.

The Imperial Palace said more than 114,600 people had flocked to the royal residence by early Wednesday afternoon, with more still arriving for a final chance to see the 85-year-old royal deliver his traditional annual greeting.

The emperor will become the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in around two centuries when he steps down from the throne on April 30, ending his three-decade reign.

“Happy New Year. I’m sincerely glad to celebrate the new year together with you under the clear sky,” he told the crowd, many waving Japanese flags and shouting “Banzai”, meaning “long live”.

    “I hope this year will be a good year for as many people as possible,” the soft-spoken Akihito said in a dark suit, flanked by Empress Michiko and other family members.

“I pray for the peace and happiness of the people of our country and the world,” he added.

The emperor delivers a brief New Year’s greeting every year, and was expected to appear five times on Wednesday to address as many well-wishers as possible.

Some in the morning crowd yelled “Thank you very much” as the emperor waved, while others sang the national anthem. One woman in the front row shed tears as she looked up at the balcony.

“I came here with my mother to imprint his last appearance as emperor in our memories,” said Yume Nishimura, a university student, as she waited in a long queue to enter the palace.

“I want to tell him we appreciate his hard work for the country,” she told AFP.

Kazuo Iwasaki, a 68-year-old pensioner, said: “I hope he will be able to spend his post-retirement years in a healthy and relaxing manner with Empress Michiko.”

– Pacifist views –

Akihito shocked the country in 2016 when he signalled his desire to take a back seat, citing his age and health problems.

His eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, is set to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne a day after his father’s abdication, continuing the rule of the world’s oldest imperial family.

The status of the emperor is sensitive in Japan given its 20th-century history of war waged in the name of Akihito’s father Hirohito, who died in 1989.

Akihito has keenly embraced the more modern role as a symbol of the state — imposed after World War II ended. Previous emperors including his father had been treated as semi-divine.

The palace, surrounded by stone walls and mossy moats, is opened to the public twice a year — on the emperor’s birthday and the second day of New Year — for the royal family to greet well-wishers.

In a rare emotional address to mark his 85th birthday last month, Akihito pointed to the “countless lives” lost in the war.

“It gives me deep comfort that the Heisei Era (his reign) is coming to an end, free of war in Japan,” he said in a press statement.

Akihito has used his speeches and travels to express his strong pacifist views, which are sharply at odds with the aggressive expansionism Japan pursued under his father’s rule.

The emperor has also worked to bring the royal household closer to the people and frequently visited the disadvantaged and families hit by natural disasters.

Enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA), dressed in white No Smoking Zone polo T-shirts, were on patrol in the prominent shopping district on the first day of the new year, nabbing smokers in the new prohibited areas.

These smokers were given verbal warnings and directed to the DSAs.

One smoker was Indonesian tourist Budi Mulyawan, 38, who was found smoking close to a standing litter bin in front of Ngee Ann City.

He told The Straits Times: “I didn’t know about the zone. I just saw a bin, and so I smoked. The officers explained to me that Orchard Road is now a no smoking zone. If I want to smoke, I have to do it in the designated areas. I understand. No problem.”

Another smoker,  23-year-old Ms Nur Fafa, was spotted smoking on a bench in front of Wisma Atria shopping mall. The Singaporean, who works in retail, told ST: “I get it that they (the authorities) want a healthier environment, but the nearest smoking area is at Ion Orchard.

“Smoke breaks are very short, and now we will spend half of the time walking to the smoking area.”

More than 40 DSAs are available within the Orchard Road no smoking zone. During the initial three-month advisory period, officers will engage smokers and advise them to indulge in their habit within the DSAs.

From April, enforcement action will be taken against all offenders.

Publicity has been stepped up to increase awareness of the no smoking zone.

Signs have been placed on bins and some lamp posts within the zone. Advertisements have also been put up at selected MRT stations and bus stops.

Businesses have chipped in. The Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre hotel, for example, has been actively communicating to its guests and corporate clients about Orchard Road’s transformation into a no smoking zone – and how the hotel is now a smoke-free premise – through verbal and online correspondence.

Read also: Publicity builds up as Singapore’s Orchard Road smoke-free date nears

Bins with ashtrays have been replaced with those without ashtrays, and directional signage guiding smokers to the nearest DSAs have also been put up at the hotel’s side entrances.

Similarly, Royal Plaza on Scotts has put up a sign at the hotel’s entrance to inform guests of the no smoking zone and the nearest DSAs.

Booklets on the new regulation from NEA are also available at the front desk for guests to take away.

Experts interviewed expect the ban to lead to a reduction in second-hand smoke leading to health benefits for shoppers and visitors.

Dr Rohit Khurana, a consultant cardiologist with The Harley Street Heart & Vascular Centre at Gleneagles Hospital, said second-hand smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic.

Exposure can lead to short-term effects such as the exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as more frequent and severe asthma attacks, which children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to.

Long-term exposure can lead to an increased incidence of coronary heart and vascular disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes, as well as lung cancer, he said.

Associate Professor Alex R Cook, vice dean of research at the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, says there is clear evidence linking smoking bans to improved cardiovascular health outcomes and fewer deaths from smoking related illnesses.

The greatest health effects of a ban are also likely to result from a denormalization of cigarette use, he added.

Citing the example of a smoking ban implemented in indoor public places in Scotland in 2006, he said this led to a 20 per cent reduction in smoking among pregnant women.

Many states in the United States have also witnessed drops in the prevalence of smoking after bans in designated areas were implemented , he added.

“The family was transported to a local hospital by ambulance,” the Brevard Zoo in the central-eastern Florida city of Melbourne said. US media reported the child’s age as two.

At the Rhino Encounter exhibit, participants and the rhinoceroses are kept separate by a series of steel poles.

“According to witnesses, the child stumbled and fell in between two of the poles and at this point, the snout of at least one of rhinoceroses made contact with the child,” the zoo added.

The zoo said the exhibit — open daily — had had no such incident since 2009.

“Our number one concern is the safety and welfare of our guests and our hearts go out to the family,” said the zoo’s executive director, Keith Winsten.

“Safety has always been of paramount importance to us and we are suspending these encounters until we have thoroughly reviewed our processes and procedures to ensure this cannot happen again.”

The zoo boasts 900 animals representing 195 species.

In his letter, Kim vowed to meet Moon “frequently” next year to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and work together to resolve the issue, the South’s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. He also expressed a strong determination to visit Seoul — which he had promised to do by the end of 2018 at the September inter-Korean summit, though the visit did not materialize — while keeping a close eye on the situation. Kim’s failure to make the visit as planned has left the North Korean leader feeling “much regret,” he added in the letter.

Kim’s message was delivered merely days ahead of his expected New Year’s speech, which analysts say will set the tone for the nuclear talks and determine the momentum of negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang for 2019.

“Though the letter doesn’t directly mention the talks between the US and North Korea, it is indirectly conveyed though Kim’s regrets in not being able to carry out his end-of-year Seoul visit, which is actually believed to be an intentional move he made on the back of stalled US-North Korea talks,” said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul.

“The US has expressed anticipation for its next possible summit with North Korea and it seems North Korea wants progress in talks by keeping the momentum alive. North Korea would not gain anything if the stalling continues and this would likely be reflected in Kim’s New Year’s speech,” he added.

Washington has been softening its stance against the North in recent weeks — perhaps in an effort to coax Pyongyang to break its silence — with US National security adviser John Bolton saying on Dec. 7 that his country will consider providing sanctions relief when the North shows some “performance” on denuclearization. Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, also said Dec. 19 that the US is reviewing whether to ease its travel restrictions to the North to facilitate humanitarian aid to the communist state, during his visit to South Korea.

North Korea has remained mum about this gesture, but experts say that by mentioning denuclearization in the letter, the country has indirectly expressed willingness to continue its dialogue with the US.

“By reiterating its willingness to denuclearize to the South, which remains the US’ closest ally, it is saying that it is expecting results from its talks with the US early next year,” said Kim Sang-ki, director of the unification policy research division at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

Sunday’s letter is also a solid preview to a positive message that the North will deliver regarding inter-Korean ties, experts agreed.

Despite escalating hopes, in order for the US-North Korea talks to truly make progress, Kim will have to announce specific plans surrounding the concessions he will make to Washington, including the submission of a full inventory of its nuclear weapons and the permanent shutdown of its key nuclear sites such as Yongbyon and Tongchang-ri, critics say.

Observers say the US-North Korea relationship next year will hinge on what Kim chooses to say on Jan. 1.

“His words may determine whether the peace mood continues — or if conversely, the US-DPRK relationship, in particular, deteriorates: whether it reverts back to snarling and missile testing, or even worse,” a US-based North Korea monitoring website 38 North said in a report released Sunday.

“While we know the speech will provide goals and direction for the domestic economy, how he talks about the US and South Korea will provide important clues to his perceptions of the status of these relationships and his expectations for how this year will unfold.”

US President Donald Trump said last week that he was “looking forward” to his second summit with Kim, which the US says may take place early next year.

 This was a question posed by Asean colleagues last year to Thai officials during a meeting of the 10-member bloc, suggesting a lack of confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to carry out the important tasks.

Diplomats told The Nation that they did not want to see political turmoil in Thailand jeopardise Asean meetings any more, as the regional grouping badly needed to push forward many relevant issues for the group to achieve centrality of regional security architecture and economic integration.

Protests in April 2009 had forced a cancellation of the Asean Summit in Pattaya, after anti-government red-shirts stormed the meeting venue, humiliating the then-government led by the Democrat Party.

Elections and a military coup d’etat since then have failed to achieve reconciliation, heal the divisions in society or restore stability to Thai politics. If the incumbent leaders managed to exploit the coming election to justify the perpetuation of their power, the Asean chairmanship could run into trouble due to domestic political struggle, diplomats said.

The first Asean Summit in Thailand has been set for late June to avoid a power vacuum during the formation of the new government after the election. Usually, Asean hosts two summits a year – the first one is an in-house summit due in March or April and the final one is with dialogue partners, including leaders of superpowers, in November.

“Asean leaders have to wait for the first meeting until the middle of the year, when they should have had the opportunity to hold the meetings early,” former career diplomat Kobsak Chutikul said.

“We would not have faced this situation if the government had held the election in 2018,” he said. “They could have done it [elections] but they didn’t and have led the country to difficulties.” Asean diplomats said they hoped Thailand could set up a new government without problems and a smooth transition would enable the country to steer the progress of Asean.

File photo: Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (L) receives the gavel from Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (R) as a transfer of the ASEAN Chairmanship during the closing ceremony of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related meetings in Singapore, 15 November 2018. Singapore is hosting the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings under the theme ‘Resilient and Innovative’ this year. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

With the theme of “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability”, Thailand is unlikely to push any relevant issues if incumbent leaders manage to retain power after the election, Kobsak said. “They are not visionary leaders for foreign affairs.”

There are plenty of tough issues for Thailand to deal with under its leadership in 2019, including the Rakhine crisis in Myanmar, the contentious South China Sea and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Heavyweight Asean leader and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said recently that Asean needed to press Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to end the Rakhine crisis. Asean should also join the international community in addressing the genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine state if Suu Kyi and other responsible leaders failed to tackle the issue properly, he said.

More than 720,000 refugees have fled Rakhine since August 2017 after militant attacks on Myanmar security outposts prompted a tough reaction from the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military). While Asean has urged Myanmar leaders to address the issue at its root cause by eliminating discrimination against the ethnic group, Thailand has consistently focused its limited involvement on the humanitarian side.

The burden of proximity, close military-to-military relations and economic interests have forced Thailand to refrain from tough engagement with Myanmar over the Rohingya issue, said Kobsak, who is a former member of an advisory board on Rakhine crisis.

Under Thailand’s leadership, Asean wants to push ahead a text for negotiating a code of conduct in the contentious South China Sea. The group intended to finish the text by 2019, but outside observers expressed their concerns that the code of conduct would be too influenced by China.

Beijing is at loggerheads with many Asean members – Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam – over a territorial dispute on the South China Sea. The group wants to have a legally binding code of conduct with China to control the behaviour of riparian states while Beijing has increasingly militarised the islands in the sea.

Asean also wanted to see significant progress in negotiations on the RCEP by 2019, but Mahathir said Malaysia would not sign the pact unless it benefited poor people.

Differences between China and India over RCEP would also obstruct its achievement, according to officials close to the negotiations, who added that Thailand’s leadership is crucial.

The 17-year-old sustained fatal head injuries while he attempted to light the fuse, which malfunctioned and exploded at a party in Eberschwang in Upper Austria.

Police said they have launched an investigation to determine the origin of the device, which may not have been obtained legally.

Across Austria, around a dozen people were wounded in firework-related mishaps, according to officials.

 Indonesian villigers and rescuers search for landslide victims at Sirnaresmi village in Sukabumi, Indonesia, 01 January 2019. A landslide struck Sirnaresmi village in Sukabumi following torrential rain leaving four people dead and 41 others missing. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

The landslide occurred shortly before sunset on Monday in West Java province. Search and rescue teams have found nine people dead and are scouring the area for at least 34 missing people according to the national disaster agency.

    Pouring rain, electricity cuts and rough roads are preventing heavy machinery from accessing the area in Sukabumi regency, disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

“Relief efforts have also been hampered by a lot of people who want to get to the disaster,” he said.

“The roads are narrow which has caused rescue teams, logistics and ambulances to be stuck in traffic jams.”

The search operation was halted overnight but continued Tuesday morning.

Four people have been injured in the disaster and 60 others evacuated from the area, Nugroho said.

This handout picture taken and released by Indonesia’s Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB), the accident mitigation agency, on January 1, 2019 shows rescue workers searching for survivors after a landslide triggered by heavy rain hit Sukabumi, West Java province. // AFP PHOTO

Landslides are common in Indonesia, a vast tropical archipelago prone to natural disasters and torrential downpours.

More than 20 people died in October when flash floods and landslides hit several provinces on Sumatra island, western Indonesia.

In June 2016, nearly 50 people died when floods and landslides struck Banjarnegara regency, Central Java province.

Fireworks explode over the Chao Phraya River during New Year celebrations in Bangkok at the start of January 1, 2019. // Korbphuk Phromrekha / Nation Photo

Fireworks explode over the harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge landmark during New Year’s celebrations in Sydney, Australia, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks explode over Victoria Harbour during New Year celebrations in Hong Kong on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

Fireworks explode over the Marina Bay at the stroke of midnight in Singapore, 01 January 2019, to usher in the new year. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks illuminate the night sky over the Petronas Towers landmark during New Year’s Day celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks and light effects illuminate the night sky from the Taipei 101 skyscraper during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks illuminate the sky around Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during New Year’s 2019 celebrations in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 01 January 2019.  // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks illuminate the night sky during New Year’s celebrations in Beirut, Lebanon, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks explode behind the quadriga of Berlin’s landmark the Brandenburg Gate to usher in the New Year on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

Fireworks explode over the Kremlin in Moscow during New Year celebrations, on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

Fireworks illuminate the sky next to the Cologne Cathedral during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne, Germany, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks explode during New Year’s celebrations in front of the palace, next to the Atomium in Brussels, Belgium, 1 January 2019.  // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks explode near the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, during New Year celebrations on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

People enjoy the fireworks during the new year celebration on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

This picture taken early on January 1, 2019 shows fireworks erupting in the sky during the 2019 new year celebrations in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. // AFP PHOTO

A handout photo made available by Riotur of fireworks exploding over Copacabana Beach in front of Cristo Redentor monument during New Year’s celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks light the sky from the Charles de Gaulle bridge during New Year’s celebrations in Abidjan on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

People watch fireworks launching at the Pearl of Africa Hotel to celebrate a New Year in Kampala on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

Fireworks explode over the Parthenon Temple atop the Acropolis hill in Athens during the rainy New Year celebrations in Athens on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

A man takes a photo of a fireworks show over the port during New Year’s celebrations in Acapulco, Mexico, 01 January 2018. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

 Fireworks explode over the port during New Year’s celebrations in Valparaiso, Chile, 01 January 2019.  // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks explode over the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees for New Year’s celebrations in the French capital Paris on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

Fireworks light the night sky above the Erkel Theatre during New Year’s celebrations in Budapest, Hungary, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Fireworks illuminate the sky during New Year’s celebrations in Pecs, 196 kms south of Budapest, Hungary, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

This picture taken early on January 1, 2019 shows fireworks erupting in the sky during the 2019 new year celebrations in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. // AFP PHOTO

Fireworks illuminate the skyline over the Las Vegas Strip during an 8-minute-long pyrotechnics show put on by Fireworks by Grucci titled “America’s Party” during a New Year’s Eve celebration on January 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. // AFP PHOTO

Fireworks illuminate the night sky during New Year’s celebrations in Beirut, Lebanon, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Singer/songwriter Christina Aguilera performs on New Year’s Eve in Times Square on December 31, 2018 in New York. // AFP PHOTO

People watch the countdown to 2019 during New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, New York, on on December 31, 2018. // AFP PHOTO

A couple kisses on the Champs-Elysees during New Year’s celebrations in the French capital Paris on January 1, 2019. // AFP PHOTO

A woman watches fireworks explode over the iconic London Eye, marking the beginning of the New Year, in central London, Britain, 01 January 2019. // EPA-EFE PHOTO