Readers' tip-offs lead to stories

He had called The New Paper twice before and has the number at the back of his head.

So when he saw a burnt-out shophouse, he knew who to call.

Mr Ang Mohammad Riduan Johan, 31, a delivery driver, was making a delivery in Bukit Batok at around 11am last Monday when he decided to get lunch.

He pulled over along Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 to find the coffee shop at Block 177 closed. But a crowd of about 20 people had gathered on the grass patch in front of a provision shop nearby.

And that was when he saw that the shophouse was completely burned and cordoned off. He called the TNP hotline.

"It was my third time calling TNP. It has become instinctive and I will always think of calling the paper whenever I come across anything unusual," said Mr Ang.

The report was published the next day.

He has been reading TNP for about six years and is especially interested in the general news section.

Mr Ang said: "I like how the stories are brief, short and straight to the point."

Another reader, Mr Koh Kok Eang, 57, called TNP after he saw black smoke coming out from a flat as the bus he was on passed Hougang Avenue 5 last Thursday morning.

Mr Koh, who sells Tupperware, said: "I was on my way home from the office at Defu Lane. Just as the bus passed Block 322, I saw smoke coming out of a flat.

"There were about four firefighters and a small crowd had gathered near the coffee shop downstairs."

He called the TNP hotline and the report was published last Friday.

SUBSCRIPTION

Mr Koh has been a loyal reader of TNP since the paper started in 1988.

He picked up the subscription about two years ago and has just posted his application for an upgrade to the all-in-one subscription package.

"I enjoy reading the general news section while my 22-year-old son is more interested in the sports section. So it is really nice to have the sports section as a pullout because he doesn't need to wait for me to finish before he starts reading," said Mr Koh.

Mr Jasveer Singh Bal also e-mailed TNP to inform us about his cousin, Mr Baldwin, 18, being stabbed at Potong Pasir Avenue 1 on July 4.

Said the 32-year-old baker: "I wanted to create awareness of the problems caused by bullying. And through the article, I also hope to give Baldwin encouragement by showing that society cares."

His tip-off resulted in the cover story on July 12.

For their tip-offs, these readers will each receive a $100 Burger King voucher.

We value your calls and e-mails, so keep them coming. Call us at 1800-733-4455, SMS or MMS 9477-8899 or e-mail us at tnp@sph.com.sg

You can also use the tip-off function in our new smartphone app, which can be downloaded at tnp.sg/app

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It has become instinctive and I will always think of calling the paper whenever I come across anything unusual.

- Mr Ang Mohammad Riduan Johan, who has called the TNP hotline three times